Christine Forke, PhD, MSN is a pediatric nurse practitioner and public health scientist whose work advances adolescent and maternal-child health through research, clinical innovation, and education. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health and the Master of Public Health Program.
Forke’s scholarship focuses on reproductive health, intimate partner violence (IPV), teen dating violence (TDV), childhood adversity (ACEs), and trauma-informed care. Her research has shaped national practice and policy. She conducted foundational work on long-acting reversible contraception and emergency contraception access, helping transform reproductive care for adolescents and reduce teen pregnancy rates. She led a multi-site study on TDV that informed state-level initiatives and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention prevention models. As Co-Chair of the Research Workgroup for the Philadelphia ACEs Task Force, she co-authored a widely cited paper on expanded ACEs and is currently studying the health impacts of community stressors and intergenerational transmission.
With a commitment to improving clinical care, she has integrated TDV content into Penn’s graduate nursing curriculum, trained health care workers in diverse settings, and educated international clinicians on research methods to enhance evidence-based practice. She also serves on the board of the Academy on Violence and Abuse and is active in the American Public Health Association’s Family Violence Prevention Caucus.
Dedicated to supporting future leaders, Forke mentors across all academic levels. Her mentees have secured funding, presented internationally, published in peer-reviewed journals, and advanced to leadership roles in academia and public health. She earned her PhD in Epidemiology and MSN in Pediatric Primary Care Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania.
