Suellen Hopfer

Picture of Suellen Hopfer
Assistant Professor
Public Health
Assistant Professor, Center for Virus Research
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics
School of Medicine
Assistant Professor, Asian American Studies
School of Humanities
PhD, The Pennsylvania State University, 2009, Health Communication
MS, University of Arizona, 1998, Human Genetics
Phone: (949) 824-6996
Email: shopfer@hs.uci.edu
University of California, Irvine
2024 Anteater Instruction & Research Bui
Mail Code: 3957
Irvine, CA 92697
Research Interests
Health Communication
Academic Distinctions
B.A. Earlham College
M.S. University of Arizona
PhD Pennsylvania State University
Research Abstract
The Hopfer research group conducts health communication research to advance communication theory, address health disparities, design effective public health communication interventions, and implement multi-component prevention interventions efficiently to bring about improved health for communities and individuals. Research explores how messaging at the individual, community, or policy level impacts recommended health behavior change, attitudes, and/or policy support related to vaccination and climate change. Contexts in which messaging is researched ranges from clinical/medical settings (e.g., patient-provider conversations, practitioner communication) to community settings (community air pollution impacts or disaster response) to social media contexts (intergenerational family communication and its impact on cancer screening behaviors to pandemic or disaster response and real-time public reaction). The Hopfer research group also investigates and implements communication strategies to reach subgroups of the population with tailored messaging taking cultural, linguistic, contextual, social network, and relational considerations into account. Quantitative and qualitative research methods are employed to explore relevant research questions.
Awards and Honors
Dean's Honoree for Teaching Excellence, 2018
Publications
Matlock, M., Hopfer, S., Ogunseitan, O. A. (2019). Communicating Risk for a Climate-Sensitive Disease: A Case Study of Valley Fever in Central California. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(18), 3254, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16183254.
Hopfer, S., Wright, M., Pellman, M., Wasserman, R., Fiks, A. (2019) HPV vaccine recommendation profiles among a national network of pediatric practitioners: Understanding parental vaccine hesitancy and acceptance. Human Vaccine & Immunotherapeutics, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30570419
Hopfer, S., Ray, A., Hecht, M. L., Miller-Day, M., Belue, R., Zimet, G., Evans, D., McKee, F. X. (2018) Taking an HPV vaccine research tested intervention to scale in a clinical setting. in press Translational Behavioral Medicine
Hopfer, S., Garcia, S., Duong, H., Russo, J., Tanjasiri, S. (2017). A narrative engagement framework to understand HPV vaccination among Latina and Vietnamese women in a Planned Parenthood setting. Health Education and Behavior, 44 (5), 738-747.
Hopfer, S., Duong, H., Garcia, S. (2017). Mother daughter communication about HPV vaccination. In Constructing motherhood and daughterhood: Communicating across Generations. Miller-Day, M. & Alford, A. M. (editors) Peter Lang Publishing
Brown, B., Hopfer, S., Chan, A. (2015). Improving human papillomavirus vaccine uptake: barriers and potential solutions. California Journal of Health Promotion, 13, vi-x.
Hopfer, S., Tan, X., Wylie, J. (2014). A social network informed latent class analysis of patterns of substance use, sexual behavior, and mental health, Winnipeg, Canada. American Journal of Public Health, 104, 834-839. Doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301833.
Hopfer, S., Hecht, M. L., Lanza, S. T., Tan, X. , Xu, S. (2013). Preadolescent drug use resistance skill profiles, substance Use, and substance use prevention. Journal of Primary Prevention, 34, 395-404. Doi: 10.1007/s10935-013-0325-0
Hopfer, S. (2012). Effects of a narrative HPV vaccine intervention aimed at reaching college women: A randomized controlled trial. Prevention Science, 13(2),173-182.
Hopfer. S., Clippard, J. R. (2010). College women’s HPV vaccine decision narratives. Qualitative Health Research, 21, 262-277.
Volkman, J. E., Parrott, R. L., Hopfer, S., Lengerich, E. J. (2010). A national survey of state comprehensive cancer control managers: Implications of geographic information systems. Journal of Cancer Education, 25(1), 55-60.
Grants
NSF RAPID Leveraging Twitter Data for Real-Time Public Health Response to Coronavirus
Other Experience
Consultant
REAL Prevention
Board Certified in Medical Genetics

California HPV Vaccine Roundtable Member

Research Centers
UCI Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
UCI Center for Virus Research
Last updated
08/22/2022