Pamela Trangenstein

Pamela Trangenstein, PhD
Scientist
ptrangenstein@arg.org 510-898-5839
External Bios: Research Gate Link | Download CV (pdf) | Google Scholar| LinkedIn
RESEARCH FOCUS
Pamela’s research focuses on neighborhood and policy factors that shape substance use and related health outcomes, namely violence. She possesses particular expertise in the ways alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco availability, marketing, and regulation influence consumption patterns and injury across communities and sub-populations. Pamela has a deep interest in content areas and research methods that can support evidence-based policy and programmatic decision-making. Her work often uses large-scale administrative and survey data to inform prevention strategies and improve program effectiveness. She also enjoys drawing on her artistic training to enhance public health communication and data visualization, making research more accessible and engaging for diverse audiences. Current projects include national evaluations of alcohol policy impacts, reports on preventing underage drinking, and the development of tools to monitor retail environments.

EDUCATION
Pamela Trangenstein earned her BA in Psychology with minors in Printmaking/Drawing and Photography from Washington University in St. Louis. She completed both an MPH in Mental Health and a PhD in Health, Behavior, and Society at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where she also completed a CDC-funded predoctoral fellowship in alcohol epidemiology at the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth. After graduation, she completed an NIAAA-funded postdoctoral fellowship in alcohol epidemiology and problems at the University of California, Berkeley.
Pamela Trangenstein is a scientist at the Alcohol Research Group with 15+ years of experience in substance use research, policy evaluation, and public health communication. Her work bridges data analysis and policy application, providing actionable insights for local, national, and international audiences. At ARG, Pamela has led projects examining alcohol and cannabis policies, harms related to alcohol’s effects on others, and the dynamics of retail environments. Prior to joining ARG, she was a faculty member at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she conducted research on substance use prevention and taught a graduate course on translating research into action. She also has experience working with national organizations, local and state governments, and advisory groups to develop technical reports, public health guidance, and stakeholder communication materials. Her research has been cited in policy debates from Baltimore to Alaska. An active collaborator and mentor, Pamela is dedicated to supporting early-career researchers. She is currently Assistant Director for Training for the ARG pre- and postdoctoral training program, and she coordinated the WHO Scientific research and writing mentorship initiative towards diversity in research on alcohol control policies.