Rachel Hoopsick, Ph.D.

Rachel Hoopsick is an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and coinvestigator on the Operation: SAFETY study. She uses epidemiologic methods and a socioecological lens to understand risk and resilience for problems with substance use and mental health among populations with high-stress occupations and life circumstances. Her research has primarily focused on military populations (including veterans, active-duty service members, reservists, and military-connected families), with a focus on never-deployed service members and veterans—a population at increased risk for problems with substance use, mental health, and barriers to healthcare services, yet one that remains understudied. Dr. Hoopsick holds an M.S. in epidemiology, an MPH in health services administration, and a Ph.D. in community health and health behavior from the University at Buffalo.