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Karla Wagner, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Public Health
Karla Wagner

Summary

I am a behavioral scientist whose research focuses on mitigating health harms among people who use drugs. I have been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health and other funders since 2008. I use mixed methods and qualitative approaches to study the impact of harm reduction interventions, overdose prevention strategies and innovative approaches to reducing the harms associated with substance use. My current research is examining the impact of responding to overdoses on the physical, social and mental wellbeing of people who use drugs, and examining strategies to reduce health harms associated with methamphetamine use. 

Courses taught

  • Ph.D.
    • CHS 732: Mixed Methods Research in Public Health
  • MPH
    • CHS 747: Applied Research methods in Public Health (Spring)
  • Undergraduate
    • CHS 475: Public Health Impact of the War on Drugs

Recent NevadaToday stories

Current research funding

Reversing Overdose epidemics through Simulation, Collaboration, and Unified Efforts (RESCUE)
NIDA/NIH (R33DA062346)
9/1/2024 – 8/31/2027
Role: Co-I

  • This study will develop a simulation model and web tool to help public health decision makers evaluate strategies to address drug overdose deaths, with a focus on geospatial and racial/ethnic inequalities in access and death rates.

Feasibility and Acceptability of Switching to E-cigarettes among Cigarette Smokers Engaged in Substance Use Disorder Treatment
Mountain West Clinical Translational Research – Infrastructure Network (NIGMS U54GM104944; PI: Pearson)
07/2023 – 06/2024
Role: Co-I

  • This study will examine the feasibility and acceptability of integrating a smoking harm reduction program featuring provision of e-cigarettes into an existing treatment program for opioid use disorder.

A network-based, mixed methods study to identify and support multiple overdose responders and inform overdose prevention interventions
NIDA/NIH (R01DA057682)
9/30/2022 – 9/30/2027
Role: PI

  • This study will determine the individual, social network, and contextual factors that influence overdose response behavior, with the goal of improving support for people who use drugs who respond to multiple overdoses.

Evaluating naloxone-on-release from incarceration as community overdose prevention
NIDA/NIH (R01DA055673; PI: Davidson)
7/1/2022 – 6/30/2027
Role: Co-I

  • This study is evaluating a high-volume, low-threshold naloxone distribution program serving people being released from the Los Angeles County Jail system.

A Multi-Site Mixed Methods Study of Methamphetamine Use in the Mountain West
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (R01CE003356)
9/30/2021 – 9/29/2025
Role: Co-PI (mPI: Wagner & Page)

  • This study examines the patterns of and rationale for use of methamphetamine and opioids among people who use drugs in Nevada and New Mexico.

Selected publications (since 2021)

2024

  • Falade-Nwulia, O., Ward, K., Wagner, K.D., Karimi-Sari, H., Hsu, J., Sulkowski, M., Latkin, C., Nwulia, E. (2024)  PLOS One. 19.2: e0297209.
  • *Kirk, M.R., Wagner, K.D., Yang, W. (2024). . Nevada Journal of Public Health, 21, 19-27.
  • §*Erinoso, O., *Daugherty, R., *Kirk, M.R., Harding, R.W., Etchart, H., Reyes, A., Page, K., Fiuty, P., Wagner, K.D. (accepted 9 May 2024)  International Journal of Drug Policy. 128: 104456.
  • *Erinoso, O., Watts, T., Koning, S., Lu, M., Wagner, K.D., Pearson, J.L. (Accepted July 2024). Addictive Behaviors. 158: 108104.
  • *Ajumobi, O., Friedman, S.R., Westhoff, J., Granner, M., Lucero, J., Koch, B., Wagner, K.D., (published online 06 September 2024).  Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians, Open.
  • §*Kirk, M.R., McCarthy, M., Reyes, A., Chase, B., Anderson, J., Harding, R.W., Fiuty, P. Page, K., Wagner, K.D. (accepted 6 August, 2024).  Clinical Toxicology. 1-7.
  • *Skaathun,B.,Dermody,A., Wagner,K.D. (2024) Ethical Issues in HIV-related Social Network Research Involving Substance-Using Sexual Minorities at Risk for HIV. Connections,0(0) -.

2023

  • *Thomas, S.A., Wagner, K.D., Clements-Nolle, K., Omaye,S., Lu, M. & Yang, W. (2023) Associations between Circumstances Surrounding Overdose and Underlying Classes of Polysubstance Overdose Deaths. Substance Use & Misuse, 58(3): 434-443. 
  • Mburia-Mwalili, A., Wagner, K.D., Simmons, B., Lewis-Kulzer, J., Goodrich, S., Syvertsen, J.L., Wools-Kaloustian, K., Dier, L., Aluda, M. (2023)  PLOS Global Public Health 3(2): e0000778.
  • Green, H.D., *Grant, J.D., Henschel, B., *Johnson, L., Wei, X., Wagner, K.D. (2023)  AIDS and Behavior. 27: 3447-3459.
  • Wagner, K.D., *Marks, C., §Fiuty, P., Harding, R.W., Page, K. (2023)  Addiction Science & Clinical Practice. 18:47. 
  • *Kirk, M.R., Dawkins, A.D., Wei, X., *Ajumobi, O., §Lee, L.C., Oman, R., §Woodard, S., Wagner, K.D. (2023)  PlosOne (Accepted July 31, 2023, e-pub December 7, 2023).
  • *Thomas, S.A., Clements-Nolle, K. Wagner, K.D., Omaye, S., Lu, M., Yang, W. (2023) 174: 107656. 
  • §Wagner, K.D., Fiuty, P., Page, K., Tracy, E.C., Nocera, M., Miller, C.W., Tarhuni, L.J., Dasgupta, N. (2023).  Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 252: 110985.
  • Lu, M., Ching-Shang, L., Wagner, K.D. (2023)  Journal of Nonparametric Statistics. 36(3): 863-890.
  • *Thomas, S. A., Clements-Nolle, K., Wagner, K. D., Omaye, S., Lu, M., & Yang, W. (2023).  American Journal of Health Behavior, 47(3), 618-627. 

2022

  • Wagner KD, *Marks C, *Felsher M, Latkin C, Pearson JL, Falade-Nwulia OO. 2022;5.
  • Marks C, Wagner KD.(2022) 7(3) e198-e199.
  • Harding, R.W., Wagner, K.T., Fiuty, P., Smith, K.P., Page, K., Wagner, K.D., (2022) “”It’s called overamping”: Experiences of overdose among people who use methamphetamine”. Harm Reduction Journal. 19(1): 1-11.
  • *Johnson, L.M., Green, H.D., Lu, M., Stockman, J.K., Felsher, M., Roth, A.M., Wagner, K.D. (2022) AIDS and Behavior.
  • *Rhed, B.D., Harding, R.W., *Marks, C., Wagner, K.T., Fiuty, Ph., Page, K., Wagner, K.D. (2022) Patterns of and rationale for the co-use of methamphetamine and opioids: Findings from qualitative interviews in New Mexico and Nevada. Frontiers Psychiatry, 13.
  • *Johnson LM, Devereux PG, Wagner KD. (2022) Harm Reduction Journal. 2022;19(1). 
  • Ray, B., Hedden, B.J., Carroll, J.J., del Pozo B., Wagner, K.D., Kral, A.H., O’Donnell D., Victor, G., Huynh, P. (Accepted July 11, 2022). Prevalence and correlates of incarceration following emergency medical services response to overdose. Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

2021

  • *Johnson, L.M., Green Jr., H.D., Koch, B., Stockman, J.K., Felsher, M., Roth, A.M., & Wagner, K.D. (2021). The role of social networks and social norms in anticipated PrEP use in a racially-diverse sample of at-risk women and members of their social networks. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. 86(4): 422-429
  • *Johnson, L.M., Green Jr., H.D., Koch, B., Harding, R., Stockman, J.K., & Wagner, K.D. (2021). Health Education & Behavior.
  • Wagner, K.D., Koch, B., *Bowles, J.M., §Verdugo, S.R., Harding, R.W., Davidson, P.J. (2021). American Journal of Public Health. e1-e3.
  • *Bowles JM, Smith LR, Mittal ML, Harding, R.W., Copulsky, E., Hennessy, G., §Dunkle, A., Davidson, P.J., Wagner, K.D. (2021) International Journal of Drug Policy. 2021;94:103200.
  • *Pullen, E., Gukpta, A., Stockman, J.K., Green, H.D., Wagner, K.D.. (2021). AIDS CARE.
  • *Ajumobi, O. Verdugo, S.R., Labus, B., *Reuther, P., Lee, B., Koch, B., Davidson, P.J., Wagner, K.D. (accepted 11 Sept 2021). Prehospital Emergency Care.
  • Smith, K.P., Oman, R.F., Lu, M., Dawkins, A.D., Harding, R.W., Hepworth, K., Wagner, K.D. (accepted 6 Oct 2021). Plos ONE. 16(10): e0258795.

*denotes student/trainee author

§ denotes manuscript that includes community partners

Education

  • Postdoctoral Fellowship in Division of Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of Calirfornia, San Diego
  • Ph.D. in Preventive Medicine (Health Behavior Research), University of Southern California, Los Angeles
  • M.A. in Applied Anthropology, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff
  • B.A. in Anthropology and Minor in Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder