Shayla Nolen
Postdoctoral FellowAbout
Titles
Postdoctoral Fellow
Biography
Shayla Nolen, PhD, MPH, is a postdoctoral fellow at Yale University’s Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS. Her work primarily examines the impact of social and structural factors related to racism on HIV transmission among marginalized communities of color in the United States. Methodologically, she utilizes advanced quantitative, spatial, and mathematical modeling methods for her research.
During her graduate training, Dr. Nolen received an NIAID Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (F31) to conduct a study evaluating the impact of interventions for addressing structural-level factors (e.g., gentrification, neighborhood disadvantage, and incarceration) on HIV transmission among African American/Black adults with a spatially dynamic agent-based model.
In addition to her work on disparities of HIV, Dr. Nolen investigates the neighborhood-level determinants of access to overdose prevention among racial/ethnic minorities. Prior to completing her PhD at Brown, she worked at Boston University Medical Center conducting cost-effectiveness research to study HCV and overdose prevention among people who inject drugs.
Dr. Nolen obtained a PhD in Epidemiology from Brown University School of Public Health, an MPH from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, and a BA in Mathematics from Fisk University.
Appointments
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Postdoctoral FellowPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- PhD
- Brown University, Epidemiology (2024)
- MPH
- Emory University, Epidemiolgy (2017)
- BA
- Fisk University, Mathematics (2014)
Research
Overview
Public Health Interests
ORCID
0000-0002-1740-7435
Publications
2024
Improving racial/ethnic health equity and naloxone access among people at risk for opioid overdose: A simulation modeling analysis of community‐based naloxone distribution strategies in Massachusetts, United States
Zang X, Skinner A, Li Z, Shaw L, Behrends C, Chatterjee A, Jalali A, Jordan A, Morgan J, Nolen S, Schackman B, Marshall B, Walley A. Improving racial/ethnic health equity and naloxone access among people at risk for opioid overdose: A simulation modeling analysis of community‐based naloxone distribution strategies in Massachusetts, United States. Addiction 2024 PMID: 39450522, DOI: 10.1111/add.16691.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsRates of opioid overdose deathsOpioid overdose deathsEthnic disparitiesNaloxone availabilityHealth equityNaloxone distribution strategiesRacial/ethnic groupsHispanic/Latinx populationsHealthcare costsImprove overall population healthOverall population healthOverdose deathsRisk of opioid overdose deathCost per lifePopulation healthNaloxone kitsNaloxone accessSimulation model analysisOpioid overdoseDisparitiesIncremental costPopulation levelAnnual numberHealthcareEthnic groupsA simple heuristic for allocating opioid settlement funding to reduce overdose mortality in the United States
Skinner A, Nolen S, Cerdá M, Rich J, Marshall B. A simple heuristic for allocating opioid settlement funding to reduce overdose mortality in the United States. The American Journal Of Drug And Alcohol Abuse 2024, 50: 269-275. PMID: 38940829, PMCID: PMC11305910, DOI: 10.1080/00952990.2024.2364338.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsPublic health interventionsHealth interventionsOverdose mortalitySettlement fundsEvaluate public health interventionsOverdose crisisAverage probability of deathOverdose deathsDrug-related mortalityReduce overdose deathsReduce overdose mortalityAnnual numberProbability of deathRisk of overdoseAverage annual numberOverdose eventsUnited StatesFunding prioritiesInterventionMortalityOverdoseLocal governmentsRiskDeathStructural forces
2023
Racial/ethnic differences in receipt of naloxone distributed by opioid overdose prevention programs in New York City
Nolen S, Trinidad A, Jordan A, Green T, Jalali A, Murphy S, Zang X, Marshall B, Schackman B. Racial/ethnic differences in receipt of naloxone distributed by opioid overdose prevention programs in New York City. Harm Reduction Journal 2023, 20: 152. PMID: 37853481, PMCID: PMC10585909, DOI: 10.1186/s12954-023-00891-x.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricChanges to opioid overdose deaths and community naloxone access among Black, Hispanic and White people from 2016 to 2021 with the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic: An interrupted time‐series analysis in Massachusetts, USA
Zang X, Walley A, Chatterjee A, Kimmel S, Morgan J, Murphy S, Linas B, Nolen S, Reilly B, Urquhart C, Schackman B, Marshall B. Changes to opioid overdose deaths and community naloxone access among Black, Hispanic and White people from 2016 to 2021 with the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic: An interrupted time‐series analysis in Massachusetts, USA. Addiction 2023, 118: 2413-2423. PMID: 37640687, PMCID: PMC10986189, DOI: 10.1111/add.16324.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsNon-Hispanic Black peopleRates of opioid overdose deathsNon-Hispanic whitesOpioid overdose deathsNaloxone kitsKit distributionOverdose deathsHispanic peopleNon-Hispanic White peopleNon-Hispanic blacksCommunity-based programsInterrupted time series analysisNaloxone kit distributionEthnic minority communitiesCOVID-19 pandemicWhite peopleOpioid overdose fatalitiesNaloxone distributionNaloxone accessNaloxone availabilityCOVID-19Black peoplePopulation groupsComplete dataMinority communitiesPrevalence and correlates of experiencing drug-related discrimination among people who use drugs presenting at emergency department at high risk of opioid overdose
Nolen S, Wilson T, Jacka B, Li Y, Beaudoin F, Marshall B. Prevalence and correlates of experiencing drug-related discrimination among people who use drugs presenting at emergency department at high risk of opioid overdose. Addictive Behaviors Reports 2023, 17: 100496. PMID: 37249941, PMCID: PMC10213175, DOI: 10.1016/j.abrep.2023.100496.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsEmergency departmentOpioid overdoseED-based interventionsRhode Island emergency departmentsSecondary analysis of dataSelf-reported discriminationRacial/ethnic minority groupsRisk of opioid overdoseHigh risk of opioid overdoseMedical communityHigh riskRandomized controlled trialsMultivariate regression modelSociodemographic covariatesSociodemographic characteristicsSecondary analysisWhite participantsBehavioral interventionsIndependent variablesControlled trialsStudy populationAnalysis of dataParticipantsRegression modelsMinority groups
2022
Brief Report: Use of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis to Prevent Rapid HIV Transmission Among People Who Inject Drugs in Rural Counties in the United States: A Modeling Study
Jacka B, Nolen S, Bessey S, Zang X, Goedel W, Yedinak J, Marshall B. Brief Report: Use of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis to Prevent Rapid HIV Transmission Among People Who Inject Drugs in Rural Counties in the United States: A Modeling Study. JAIDS Journal Of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes 2022, 91: 449-452. PMID: 36150038, PMCID: PMC9649854, DOI: 10.1097/qai.0000000000003093.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsSyringe service programsPre-exposure prophylaxisHIV infectionHIV transmissionPrEP coverageHIV outbreakImpact of PrEPRural US communitiesPublic health interventionsSimulate HIV transmissionRapid HIV transmissionPrEP eligibilityHealth interventionsRural settingsUS communitiesRural countiesStatus quo scenarioPrEPCDC guidelinesAdult populationUS settingPWIDHIVInjected drugsService programsComparing Projected Fatal Overdose Outcomes and Costs of Strategies to Expand Community-Based Distribution of Naloxone in Rhode Island
Zang X, Bessey S, Krieger M, Hallowell B, Koziol J, Nolen S, Behrends C, Murphy S, Walley A, Linas B, Schackman B, Marshall B. Comparing Projected Fatal Overdose Outcomes and Costs of Strategies to Expand Community-Based Distribution of Naloxone in Rhode Island. JAMA Network Open 2022, 5: e2241174. PMID: 36350649, PMCID: PMC9647481, DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.41174.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsOpioid overdose death ratesOpioid overdose deathsDecision analytical model studyNaloxone kitsHealth inequalitiesNaloxone distributionOpioid overdoseRhode IslandCommunity-based programsCommunity-based organizationsDistribution of naloxoneMean incremental costAnalytical model studyState of Rhode IslandIncreasing naloxone distributionMain OutcomesPriority settingBetween-group varianceOutcomes of alternative strategiesDemand-based approachGeospatial inequalityMisused prescription opioidsCurrent population dataOverdose deathsPrescription opioidsEvaluating equity in community-based naloxone access among racial/ethnic groups in Massachusetts
Nolen S, Zang X, Chatterjee A, Behrends C, Green T, Linas B, Morgan J, Murphy S, Walley A, Schackman B, Marshall B. Evaluating equity in community-based naloxone access among racial/ethnic groups in Massachusetts. Drug And Alcohol Dependence 2022, 241: 109668. PMID: 36309001, PMCID: PMC9833886, DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109668.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsMetamodeling for Policy Simulations with Multivariate Outcomes
Zhong H, Brandeau M, Yazdi G, Wang J, Nolen S, Hagan L, Thompson W, Assoumou S, Linas B, Salomon J. Metamodeling for Policy Simulations with Multivariate Outcomes. Medical Decision Making 2022, 42: 872-884. PMID: 35735216, PMCID: PMC9452454, DOI: 10.1177/0272989x221105079.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsAlgorithm adaptation methodsBase learnersGaussian process regressionHyperparameter tuningRandom forestElastic netAdaptive methodVariable selectionMultiple correlated outputsRegression chainsLearning algorithmsNeural networkAlgorithm adaptationMetamodelModel interpretationHyperparametersProcess regressionPolicy simulationsPrediction timePolicy analysisAlgorithmMultivariate outcomesMultioutputIn-sample fitDecision analysis
2021
Community‐based naloxone coverage equity for the prevention of opioid overdose fatalities in racial/ethnic minority communities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island
Nolen S, Zang X, Chatterjee A, Behrends C, Green T, Kumar A, Linas B, Morgan J, Murphy S, Walley A, Yan S, Schackman B, Marshall B. Community‐based naloxone coverage equity for the prevention of opioid overdose fatalities in racial/ethnic minority communities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Addiction 2021, 117: 1372-1381. PMID: 34825427, PMCID: PMC8983544, DOI: 10.1111/add.15759.Peer-Reviewed Original Research