PhD
Assistant Professor, Health Behavior
UNC-Chapel Hill
Cancer Prevention and Control
Area of Interest
I am a behavioral scientist with expertise in the design and evaluation of communication strategies and policy solutions to prevent cancer and other chronic diseases. My program of research includes three main areas:
- Designing and evaluating policies to reduce tobacco use
- Designing and evaluating policies to prevent obesity
- Examining the impact of health policies on Latinx health disparities
My tobacco research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of pictorial cigarette pack warnings’ impact on behavior. In a newer line of cancer prevention research, I am leading several studies to experimentally examine the impact of obesity prevention policies such as sugar-sweetened beverage health warnings and taxes, with a focus on preventing childhood obesity among Latinx populations. These studies will take place in the UNC Convenience Store Lab, a life-sized replica of a store designed to allow researchers to evaluate the impact of cancer prevention policies and interventions on food, tobacco, and beverage purchasing behavior. My cancer prevention research has been funded by NIH and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Awards and Honors
- Junior Faculty Development Award, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2021
- Delta Omega Service Award, 2017
- Marci Kramish Campbell Dissertation Award, 2015
- Public Policy Network Award, Society for Research on Nicotine & Tobacco, 2015
- Harry A. Guess Scholarship, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2012
- Gillings Merit Award, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2011
- Phi Beta Kappa Honors Society, 2008
New and Stories
Pink ribbon marketing on alcohol reveals need for ‘pinkwashing’ awareness
Marissa Hall, PhD, and colleagues published study findings on pink ribbon marketing done by companies whose products have a direct link to breast cancer, such as alcohol.
NIH and FDA award $18.6M to UNC Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science
UNC TCORS was launched at UNC Lineberger in 2013 and provides scientific studies that inform FDA’s regulatory authority for tobacco products.
White House turns to UNC Lineberger for cancer prevention, smoking cessation insights
The White House Chief Science and Technology Advisor Arati Prabhakar, MS, PhD, visited Chapel Hill to discuss the fight against cancer at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.
UNC researchers find FDA Real Cost ads reduce teen openness to vaping
Seth Noar, PhD, and colleagues report in JAMA Network Open that the Food and Drug Administration's Real Cost ads lowered the extent to which teens were open to vaping.
