Weston
Kensinger

Associate Teaching Professor of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State Harrisburg,
Director, Douglas W. Pollock Center for Addiction Outreach and Research

Expertise:

Health & Medicine

Focus Areas:

Substance Abuse

In The Media:

Request

About

Weston Kensinger is an expert on substance use disorders and can discuss why people use substances and engage in other risky behaviors.
His work is particularly focused on ending the stigma surrounding opioid use disorder, which is a crucial step in reducing opioid addiction and overdose rates.
Through Life Unites Us, a partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs and the non-profits Shatterproof and the Public Good Projects, Kensinger is working with individuals, families, communities and organizations to end stigma and remove barriers to successful treatment and recovery, especially by sharing the real stories of those living with addiction.

Weston Kensinger is the director of the Douglas W. Pollock Center for Addiction Outreach and Research, where he oversees and manages a $2.5 million dollar endowment that provides training, resources and tools to community-based organizations and veterans throughout the state of Pennsylvania. He is also an associate teaching professor and graduate faculty member of biobehavioral health. His research focuses on high-risk health behaviors and stigma reduction, particularly in the context of the opioid epidemic.

Kensinger earned a Ph.D. in health and human performance at Oklahoma State University, an M.Ed. in health education at Penn State Harrisburg and a B.S. in allied health science at Bridgewater College. He has authored several peer-reviewed publications; presented his research throughout the country and internationally; and has been a principal investigator, co-principal investigator or faculty sponsor for over $12.7 million in funding.