PhD Candidate · Final Year

Emma M. Skogseth

M.S. · Doctoral Candidate in Human Development & Family Studies, Penn State

An intervention and prevention scientist studying substance use, opioid use disorder, and the experiences of women involved in the criminal legal system — pairing rigorous qualitative inquiry with quantitative methodology to improve treatment access and mental health care.

8Publications
6In Progress
17+Presentations
8Honors
About

Research that meets people where they are.

Emma Skogseth is a doctoral candidate in Human Development & Family Studies at the Pennsylvania State University, with areas of concentration in Intervention/Prevention Science and Quantitative Methodology. Her work centers the voices of women who use drugs — particularly those involved in the criminal legal system — to understand the barriers they face in accessing medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and mental health care.

Drawing on qualitative interviews, mixed-methods evaluation, and quantitative survey design, she translates lived experience into evidence that can inform treatment and policy. She is currently a T32 Prevention and Methodology Training Program Predoctoral Fellow and works in the Addiction, Sex, and Infectious Diseases Lab under the mentorship of Dr. Abenaa Jones and Dr. Max Crowley.

Opioid Use Disorder Women's Health Criminal Legal System Harm Reduction Mental Health Care Access Qualitative Methods Mixed Methods Prevention Science

At a glance

Doctoral CandidateHuman Development & Family Studies · Expected May 2027
T32 Predoctoral FellowPrevention & Methodology Training Program
AdvisorsDr. Abenaa Jones & Dr. Max Crowley
LabAddiction, Sex, & Infectious Diseases Lab
MethodsNVivo · RStudio · REDCap
Education

Academic path

Expected May 2027

Doctor of Philosophy, Human Development & Family Studies

The Pennsylvania State University

Areas of concentration in Intervention/Prevention Science and Quantitative Methodology. Advisors: Dr. Abenaa Jones & Dr. Max Crowley.

July 2025 – June 2027

T32 Prevention & Methodology Training Program Predoctoral Fellow

The Pennsylvania State University

T32 DA017629; MPIs: Maggs, J. & Lanza, S. Advisors: Dr. Abenaa Jones & Dr. Zita Oravecz.

Graduated May 2024

Master of Science, Human Development & Family Studies

The Pennsylvania State University

Thesis: Women and Medications for Opioid Use Disorder: Contributors to Treatment Success from the Perspectives of Women in Recovery, Women with Past Attempts in Drug Treatment, and Health and Criminal Justice Professionals.

Graduated May 2022 · summa cum laude

Bachelor of Science with Honors, Psychology & Child Development

Central Michigan University

Honors Thesis: Pandemic Perseverance: An Examination of Perceived Self-Efficacy and COVID-19 Related Stress in Adolescents. Advisor: Dr. Sarah Domoff.

Research Experience

In the lab & the field

Addiction, Sex, & Infectious Diseases Lab

Aug 2022 – Present
Research Assistant · State College, PA
  • Code qualitative data, cross-check demographics, build data-visualization figures, and lead three manuscripts from a qualitative study of women, opioid use disorder, and the criminal justice system.
  • Design surveys in REDCap, monitor distribution, and manage study data for a 2025 study.
  • Conduct 17 semi-structured phone interviews, code and analyze 11 transcripts in NVivo 15, and develop the study codebook.
  • Clean quantitative survey data (N=45) in RStudio and create three codebooks visualizing descriptives, frequencies, and missingness.

Research-to-Policy Collaboration

Jun 2024 – Aug 2024
Implementation Team Trainee · State College, PA
  • Engaged with the Rapid Response Network, documented and contacted platform referrals, and worked with policy associates to determine next steps in engaging policy offices.
  • Synthesized substance-use research contributions for use by policy associates in meetings with policymakers and staffers.

Emerging Leaders in Health Disparities Fellowship

Jun 2021 – Aug 2021
Research Fellow · Mount Pleasant, MI
  • Reviewed health-disparities literature, developed website content, and co-authored a newsletter published in The Michigan Psychologist.
  • Helped develop a six-week Photovoice curriculum promoting healthy behaviors for high-school students in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Family Health Lab

Feb 2019 – May 2022
Undergraduate Research Assistant · Mount Pleasant, MI
  • Collaborated with graduate students on literature reviews and research papers on problematic media use in adolescents.
  • Engaged in CV workshops, mock interviews, and statistical interpretation during lab meetings.
  • Designed materials for the Developing Healthy Social Media Practices classroom intervention.
Teaching & Service

Mentoring, teaching & departmental leadership

TA — HDFS 311: HDFS Interventions

Aug 2024 – May 2025
Penn State HDFS Department
  • Fielded and documented student questions on content and grades; generated exam items, graded assessments, and proctored accommodated exams.
  • Actively attended and participated in class, guest lecturing on occasion.

TA — HDFS 495A & 495B: Advanced Internship

Jan 2023 – May 2023
Penn State HDFS Department
  • Graded and gave detailed feedback to 60 students on logs, discussion boards, reflections, resumes, cover letters, and projects in an asynchronous format.
  • Held Zoom meetings to guide final projects and worked with the instructor to restructure the Canvas page and refine the TA grading guide.

Writing Consultant

Apr 2019 – May 2022
CMU Writing Center · Mount Pleasant, MI
  • Collaborated one-on-one with students online and in person across every step of the writing process to build skills and give clear, concise feedback.
  • Trained new consultants in online feedback and served as the undergraduate representative on the Writing Center Advisory Council.

TA — HON 100: Intro to the Honors Program

Apr 2019 – Dec 2019
CMU Honors Program
  • Mentored seven first-year Honors students through their college transition with small-group discussions and monthly one-on-one meetings.
  • Helped build cohort cohesion through class activities, co-curricular planning, and service projects.

Faculty Meeting Graduate Student Representative

Aug 2025 – May 2026
Penn State HDFS Department
  • Attended monthly faculty meetings, taking notes and seeking out student-related resources and policies.
  • Served as a bridge between faculty and graduate students, relaying discussions and surfacing graduate-student input.

Graduate Student Steering Committee Co-Chair

Aug 2024 – May 2025
Penn State HDFS Department
  • Planned and facilitated monthly Steering Committee meetings, the annual welcome picnic, and other events.
  • Coordinated with subcommittee representatives to provide updates and delegate tasks.
Publications

Peer-reviewed articles

2026
Skogseth, E., Harrison, E.D., Brant, K., Latkin, C., Quadri, O.H., & Jones, A.A. (2026). Housing instability and economic insecurity across the continuum of active substance use, treatment, and recovery among women involved in the criminal legal system. Women's Health, 22, 17455057261423390. https://doi.org/10.1177/17455057261423390
2025
Quadri, O.H., Skogseth, E., Brant, K., & Jones, A.A. (2025). The role of micro-, meso-, and macro-level stigma on the uptake of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) among women in the criminal legal system. BMC Women's Health, 25(1), 370. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-025-03863-4
2025
Skogseth, E., Brant, K., Strong-Jones, S., Quadri, O.H., & Jones, A.A. (2025). Mental health care barriers for women involved in the criminal legal system with substance use disorders: A qualitative study. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 52(7), 1049–1066. https://doi.org/10.1177/00938548251326174
2025
Skogseth, E., Brant, K., Latkin, C.A., & Jones, A.A. (2025). Treatment accessibility barriers to medications for opioid use disorder: A qualitative study of perspectives from women with opioid use disorder and health and criminal justice professionals. Contemporary Drug Problems. https://doi.org/10.1177/00914509241309110
2024
Skogseth, E., Brant, K., Harrison, E., Apsley, H.B., Crowley, M., Schwartz, R.P., & Jones, A.A. (2024). Women and medications for opioid use disorder: Contributors to treatment success from the perspectives of women in recovery, women with past attempts in drug treatment, and health and criminal justice professionals. Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment, 18. https://doi.org/10.1177/11782218231222339
2024
Apsley, H.B., Brant, K., Brothers, S., Harrison, E., Skogseth, E., Schwartz, R.P., & Jones, A.A. (2024). Pregnancy and parenting-related barriers to receiving medication for opioid use disorder: A multi-paneled qualitative study of women in treatment, women who terminated treatment, and the professionals who serve them. Women's Health, 20. https://doi.org/10.1177/17455057231224181
2024
Harrison, E., Brant, K., Strong-Jones, S., Skogseth, E., Latkin, C.A., & Jones, A.A. (2024). Challenges and recommendations for overdose prevention and harm reduction in an era of fentanyl and xylazine: Perspectives of women with opioid use disorder and professionals. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors. https://doi.org/10.1037/adb0001021
2024
Jones, A.A., Segel, J.E., Skogseth, E., Apsley, H.B., & Santos-Lozada, A.R. (2024). Drug overdose deaths among women 1999–2021 in the United States: Differences by race/ethnicity and age. Women's Health, 20. https://doi.org/10.1177/17455057241307088
Works in Progress

Manuscripts under review & in preparation

R&R

Skogseth, E., Jones, A.A., Quadri, O.H., Dayton, L., & Latkin, C.A. Serious mental illnesses among people who use drugs: Gender differences in prevalence and MOUD treatment in a community-recruited sample.

In Progress

Skogseth, E., Quadri, O.H., Brant, K., Latkin, C.A., & Jones, A.A. Evaluating changes in mental health across a pilot program of a trauma-informed, gender-specific drug treatment intervention for women: A mixed-methods study.

In Progress

Jones, A.A., Skogseth, E., Brant, K., Quadri, O.H., & Latkin, C.A. Feasibility and acceptability of a gender-specific and trauma-informed intervention for women who are involved in the criminal-legal system and use drugs.

In Progress

Jones, A.A., Astemborski, J., Kirk, G., Skogseth, E., & Mehta, S. Spiritual well-being, substance use, and mortality: A prospective cohort study of 869 community-recruited people who inject drugs from 2007–2022.

Under Review

Quadri, O.H., Jones, A.A., Skogseth, E., & Latkin, C.A. The role of parenting status on drug treatment utilization among people who inject drugs.

In Progress

Quadri, O.H., Skogseth, E., Brant, K., Apsley, H.B., Latkin, C.A., & Jones, A.A. Between custody and recovery: Parenting and current MOUD use in mothers with criminal legal involvement.

Research Presentations

Selected conference presentations

CPDD 88th Annual Scientific Meeting · PosterJun 2026

Skogseth, E., Quadri, O.H., Brant, K., Latkin, C.A., & Jones, A.A. Evaluating changes in mental health across a pilot program of a trauma-informed, gender-specific drug treatment intervention for women: A mixed-methods study. ★ Presenter

CPDD 88th Annual Scientific Meeting · PosterJun 2026

Quadri, O.H., Skogseth, E., Brant, K., Apsley, H.B., Latkin, C.A., & Jones, A.A. Between custody and recovery: Parenting and current MOUD use in mothers with criminal legal involvement.

Consortium on Substance Abuse 7th Annual Conference · PosterMay 2026

Skogseth, E., Quadri, O.H., Brant, K., Latkin, C.A., & Jones, A.A. Evaluating changes in mental health across a pilot program of a trauma-informed, gender-specific drug treatment intervention for women. ★ Presenter

Consortium on Substance Abuse 7th Annual Conference · PosterMay 2026

Quadri, O.H., Skogseth, E., Brant, K., Apsley, H.B., Latkin, C.A., & Jones, A.A. Between custody and recovery: Parenting and current MOUD use in mothers with criminal legal involvement.

CPDD 87th Annual Scientific Meeting · PosterJun 2025

Skogseth, E., Jones, A.A., Quadri, O.H., Dayton, L., & Latkin, C.A. Serious mental illnesses among people who use drugs: Gender differences in prevalence and MOUD treatment in a community-recruited sample. ★ Presenter

CPDD 87th Annual Scientific Meeting · PosterJun 2025

Quadri, O.H., Jones, A.A., Skogseth, E., & Latkin, C.A. The role of parenting status on drug treatment utilization among people who inject drugs.

Consortium on Substance Abuse 6th Annual Conference · PosterApr 2025

Skogseth, E., Jones, A.A., Quadri, O.H., Dayton, L., & Latkin, C.A. Serious mental illnesses among people who use drugs: Gender differences in prevalence and MOUD treatment in a community-recruited sample. ★ Presenter

Consortium on Substance Abuse 6th Annual Conference · PosterApr 2025

Quadri, O.H., Jones, A.A., Skogseth, E., & Latkin, C.A. The role of parenting status on drug treatment utilization among people who inject drugs.

CPDD 86th Annual Scientific Meeting · OralJun 2024

Jones, A.A., Segel, J., Skogseth, E., Apsley, H., & Santos-Lozada, A.R. Drug overdose deaths among women 1999–2021: Differences by race/ethnicity, age group, and polysubstance use patterns. ★ Speaker & oral session chair

CPDD 86th Annual Scientific Meeting · PosterJun 2024

Skogseth, E., Brant, K., Latkin, C., & Jones, A.A. Physical accessibility barriers to medications for opioid use disorder treatment: A qualitative study. ★ Presenter

CPDD 86th Annual Scientific Meeting · PosterJun 2024

Quadri, O.H., Skogseth, E., Harrison, E., Brant, K., & Jones, A.A. The role of perceived, enacted, and internalized stigma in the uptake of medications for opioid use disorder among women in the criminal legal system.

CPDD 86th Annual Scientific Meeting · PosterJun 2024

Strong-Jones, S., Brant, K., Skogseth, E., Quadri, O.H., & Jones, A.A. Mental health care barriers for women involved in the criminal legal system with substance use disorders: A qualitative study.

Consortium on Substance Abuse 5th Annual Conference · PosterApr 2024

Skogseth, E., Brant, K., Latkin, C., & Jones, A.A. Physical accessibility barriers to medications for opioid use disorder treatment: A qualitative study. ★ Presenter

Consortium on Substance Abuse 5th Annual Conference · PosterApr 2024

Quadri, O.H., Skogseth, E., Harrison, E., Brant, K., & Jones, A.A. The role of perceived, enacted, and internalized stigma in the uptake of medications for opioid use disorder among women in the criminal legal system.

CPDD 85th Annual Scientific Meeting · PosterJun 2023

Skogseth, E., Brant, K., Harrison, E., Apsley, H.B., Crowley, M., Schwartz, R.P., & Jones, A.A. Women and medications for opioid use disorder: Contributors to treatment success. ★ Presenter

CMU Student Creative & Research Endeavors Exhibition · PosterApr 2022

Skogseth, E. & Domoff, S.E. Pandemic perseverance: An examination of perceived self-efficacy and COVID-19 related stress in adolescents. ★ Presenter

CMU Leadership & Community Partners · OralMay 2021

Buza, B., Jaster, A., King, D., LaPoint, B., & Skogseth, E. Proposed solutions for accessibility of mental health services at CMHCM. ★ Co-presenter

Honors & Awards

Recognition

2026
NIDA Director's Travel AwardCollege on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD)
2025
NIDA Women & Sex/Gender Junior Investigator Travel AwardCollege on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD)
2025
HDFS Departmental Travel AwardThe Pennsylvania State University
2024
HDFS Departmental Travel AwardThe Pennsylvania State University
2022
Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Semifinalist — NorwayU.S. Fulbright Program
2022
Learning and Leading AwardCentral Michigan University
2022
Outstanding Psychology Senior AwardCentral Michigan University
2022
Honors Program Academic Excellence AwardCentral Michigan University
In the Media

Research in the news

Get in touch

Let's connect.

Open to collaborations, conversations, and questions about substance use research, prevention science, and women's health. The fastest way to reach me is by email.