April 17, 2024
Delesha Carpenter, Ph.D., has been promoted to full professor in the Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy (DPOP) at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. She is also the executive vice chair of DPOP and the director of the Rural Research Alliance for Community Pharmacies (RURAL-CP).
“As a first-generation college student, becoming a full professor feels a bit surreal,” said Carpenter. “The best part was sharing the news with my parents and watching their faces light up. They’re so proud. I didn’t think something like this was possible when I was younger, so my goal now is to encourage other first-generation college students to pursue advanced degrees and research careers.”
Her research focuses on improving patient-provider communication about sensitive issues, like suicide, opioid overdose, and vaccine hesitancy. Recently, she documented barriers to community pharmacists delivering harm reduction services, including buprenorphine, naloxone and fentanyl test strips. She has developed four online training programs to help pharmacists overcome barriers to delivering new services. She is especially interested in improving access to health care services in rural areas.
“Dr. Carpenter is an outstanding researcher and leader in the field,” said Ronny Bell, Ph.D., Fred Eshelman Distinguished Professor and chair of DPOP. “Her research is impactful to address disparities in substance use disorder in North Carolina and across the country. She is a wonderful mentor for our students and a valued and trusted research colleague. I am grateful for all she does for our division and look forward to seeing her continue to grow professionally.”
Carpenter has published over 160 peer-reviewed articles on harm reduction, patient-provider communication, suicide prevention and rural health. She is currently the principal investigator on five active grants and has received funding to support her research from a diverse body of funders, including the American Lung Association, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.
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