Research Summary

Dr. Apollonio is Professor in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy at the University of California, San Francisco. She has served as an instructor and research mentor in the UCSF School of Pharmacy since 2004, and has earned multiple teaching awards. Her research focus is the translation of research into policy. She is particularly interested in the political and marketing activities of industries implicated in the spread of non-communicable diseases, which include tobacco, pharmaceuticals, cannabis, alcohol, and food. Her recent work addresses tobacco control in vulnerable populations, the combined use of tobacco and cannabis, the spread of laws addressing new tobacco and cannabis delivery systems, and policies that allow substitution of cannabis for opiates. Her research also considers the ways that clinical findings are used in developing policy interventions and communicating knowledge from scientists to the public, and identifies methods to increase the role of evidence in making public health policy decisions. The analysis underlying these findings relies on multiple data sources (including clinical research findings, surveillance datasets, internal industry documents, administrative datasets, and interviews) and uses both qualitative and quantitative methods to identify how policies affecting public health are made. Her work has been published in journals across disciplines, including law, medicine, pharmacy, political science, public health, and public policy. Her training includes a postdoctoral appointment at the UCSF Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master in Public Policy from Harvard University.

Research Funding

  • September 15, 2024 - May 31, 2029 - Using opioid industry documents to understand marketing of addictive medications , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH/NIDA, Sponsor Award ID: 1R01DA058687-01A1
  • July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2028 - Postdoctoral Training in Tobacco Control , Multiple Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH/NIDA, Sponsor Award ID: T32DA057216
  • August 1, 2022 - July 31, 2027 - Addressing disparities in tobacco-related diseases by understanding the tobacco industry strategies , Co-Investigator . Sponsor: NIH/NCI, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA268491
  • July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2026 - Improving pharmacy-based tobacco cessation services in California’s Central Valley , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: California Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program, Sponsor Award ID: T33IR6471
  • September 1, 2021 - August 31, 2023 - California cannabis poisonings under Proposition 64 , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: California Department of Cannabis Control, Sponsor Award ID: RG-1603070583-553
  • July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2023 - Effect of minimum floor price laws on tobacco consumption , Co-Investigator . Sponsor: California Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program, Sponsor Award ID: 31KT-1894
  • January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2022 - Characterizing online tobacco product marketing , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: US Food and Drug Administration Tobacco Centers of Regulatory Science, Sponsor Award ID: U54CA180890 (pilot)
  • January 1, 2021 - December 31, 2021 - Effect of local tobacco flavor bans on consumption , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: US Food and Drug Administration Tobacco Centers of Regulatory Science, Sponsor Award ID: U54CA180890 (pilot)
  • July 1, 1994 - June 30, 2021 - Effect of Tobacco Advocacy at the State Level , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH/NIDA, Sponsor Award ID: R01DA043950
  • February 1, 2019 - January 31, 2021 - Linking local variation in marijuana and opioid policies to health outcomes , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R21DA046051
  • July 1, 2017 - June 30, 2019 - Effects of California’s 2016 tobacco policies on initiation, use, & quitting , PI . Sponsor: California Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program, Sponsor Award ID: 26IR-0014
  • November 1, 2016 - June 30, 2019 - Measuring combined tobacco, e-cigarette, and marijuana use in California , Co-PI . Sponsor: California Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program, Sponsor Award ID: 25IR-0025
  • July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2019 - San Francisco Cancer Initiative (SF-CAN) , Co-investigator . Sponsor: UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sponsor Award ID:
  • July 1, 2015 - December 1, 2016 - Uses of evidence in health policy , PI . Sponsor: UCSF Research Allocation Program, Sponsor Award ID:
  • September 13, 2011 - August 31, 2016 - Translating Research into Systemic Interventions for Tobacco Cessation , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: K07CA140236
  • October 1, 2014 - September 3, 2015 - State and local policies addressing the use and sale of non-cigarette tobacco products , Co-investigator . Sponsor: NIH/NCI, Sponsor Award ID: U01 CA 154240
  • January 1, 2014 - December 31, 2014 - Partnership to Advance Breast Cancer Research , Co-investigator on subaward . Sponsor: California Breast Cancer Research Program, Sponsor Award ID:
  • July 1, 2010 - December 31, 2011 - Creating systemic tobacco control interventions in marginalized populations , PI . Sponsor: American Cancer Society, Sponsor Award ID: A114962

Education

Macalester College, St. Paul, MN, BA, 1992, Political Science, History
Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, MA, MPP, 1994, Health Policy
University of California, Berkeley, CA, PhD, 2003, Political Science
University of California, San Francisco, CA, Postdoctoral, 2003-2006, Health Policy

Honors & Awards

  • 1995
    Henry Robert Braden Fellowship, UC Berkeley
  • 2000-2001
    Graduate Dissertation Fellowship, UC Berkeley
  • 2003-2005
    American Legacy Foundation Fellowship, UCSF School of Medicine
  • 2005
    Certificate in Health Services Research, UCSF School of Medicine
  • 2008
    Academic Senate Travel Grant, UCSF
  • 2008
    Dean's Recognition for Excellence in Teaching Award, UCSF School of Pharmacy
  • 2009
    Regulation and Governance Prize for the best article published in the journal in 2007 or 2008

Selected Publications

  1. Wakefield T, Bialous S, Ling P, Apollonio DE Efforts to secure nicotine and cannabis product placements in popular media by Ploom, Pax, and Juul: an analysis of tobacco industry documents.  View on PubMed
  2. Mohammadi SM, Ling P, Apollonio DE, Bialous S A framework for researching the waterpipe tobacco business sector in the United States.  View on PubMed
  3. Wakefield TD, Iniguez R, Bialous S, Ling P, Apollonio DE Tobacco industry efforts to harness the voice and influence of community organisations.  View on PubMed
  4. Schmidt LA, Jacobs LM, Matthay EC, Roake J, Lewis J, Ho R, Apollonio DE Characteristics and Trends in Child Cannabis Exposures During Legalization in California.  View on PubMed
  5. Mohammadi SM, Ling PM, Apollonio DE, Bialous S Utilisation of waterpipe tobacco imagery in cigarette advertising: a case study of American tobacco company and RJ Reynolds tobacco company.  View on PubMed
  6. Schneider S, Durazo A, Rodriguez S, Chan-Golston AM, Wakefield T, Halliday DM, Tracy D, Song AV, Apollonio DE Perceptions of pharmacist-furnished nicotine replacement therapy among participants who smoke in California.  View on PubMed
  7. Ho RY, Regelman H, Ma A, Lee SY, Sandhu S, Shapiro S, Lewis J, Tsutaoka B, Apollonio DE Changes in Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist (GLP-1 RA) Exposures Following Recent Demand for Weight Management: A Retrospective Review of California Poison Control System Data.  View on PubMed
  8. Kabella D, Apollonio D, Young H, Knight KR The Rise of Clinical Decision Support Algorithms in Pain Management 2009-2024.  View on PubMed
  9. White JS, Atherwood S, Apollonio DE. Effect of a minimum floor price law for tobacco products on tobacco sales in Oakland, California, USA: a synthetic difference-in-differences analysis. Tob Control. 2025 Jan 19.  View on PubMed
  10. Kui K, Hailozian C, Thai M, Chakravarty D, Apollonio DE, Kroon L, Vijayaraghavan M. Tobacco cessation, mental health, and substance use in a community pharmacist-linked cessation program for people experiencing homelessness. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2025 Feb 01; 267:112527.  View on PubMed
  11. Charris R, Ahern J, Apollonio DE, Jent V, Jacobs LM, Jung S, Schmidt LA, Gruenewald P, Matthay EC Examining the Interactive Associations of Cannabis and Alcohol Outlets With Self-harm Injuries in California: A Spatiotemporal Analysis.  View on PubMed
  12. Gac B, Tavares K, Yakubi H, Khan H, Apollonio DE, Crosbie E Pharmaceutical industry use of key opinion leaders to market prescription opioids: A review of internal industry documents.  View on PubMed
  13. Apollonio DE, Dennehy CE, Tsourounis C, Wakefield T An Observational Study of Regulatory Violations Related to Online Tobacco Product Marketing and Retailer Responses to US FDA Warning Letters.  View on PubMed
  14. Matthay EC, Charris R, Ahern J, Apollonio DE, Jent V, Jacobs LM, Jung S, Schmidt LA, Gruenewald P Interactive associations of cannabis and alcohol outlet densities with assault injuries in California: A spatiotemporal analysis.  View on PubMed
  15. Lee C, Tsui A, Xu S, Apollonio DE Evaluation of the strategies opioid manufacturers used to recruit health professionals and encourage overprescribing: an analysis of industry documents.  View on PubMed
  16. Herron G, Leong A, Patel K, Rasekhi K, Apollonio DE Assessment of PrEP and PEP furnishing in San Francisco Bay Area pharmacies: An observational cross-sectional study.  View on PubMed
  17. Matthay EC, Mousli LM, Sun C, Lewis J, Jacobs LM, Heard S, Ho R, Schmidt LA, Apollonio DE Associations of Local Cannabis Control Policies With Harmful Cannabis Exposures Reported to the California Poison Control System.  View on PubMed
  18. Madan K, Schmidt S, Chami RF, Ho R, Lewis JC, Apollonio DE Reported exposures to derived cannabis products in California before and after the 2018 federal reclassification of hemp.  View on PubMed
  19. Wakefield TD, Guillory J, Ling P, Apollonio DE. Descriptive cross-sectional survey of tobacco and cannabis restrictions on state and local film incentives in the USA. Tob Control. 2023 Nov 21.  View on PubMed
  20. Ghai A, Sabour E, Salonga R, Ho R, Apollonio DE Exposures to Bleach, Peroxide, Disinfectants, Antimalarials, and Ivermectin Reported to the California Poison Control System Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic, 2015-2021.  View on PubMed

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