Research Summary

The overarching goal of our team's epidemiologic research program is to understand how various behaviors, biological attributes, and social circumstances influence health and disease distributions, often inequitably, across populations. Application of such knowledge aims to inform future public health practices, health policies, and clinical guidelines that elevate the health of patients and vulnerable communities. A research focus has been understanding tobacco use perceptions and behaviors among adolescents, particularly new and emerging products and in the context of evolving tobacco regulatory policies. Other areas of interest include engaging dental professionals in providing patients with tobacco cessation support, early-life experiences in relation to childhood oral health, and prevention-focused, patient-tailored approaches to manage oral disease.

Research Funding

  • March 1, 2024 - June 30, 2028 - Teens, Nicotine, and Tobacco Project , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: California Dept. Public Health, Sponsor Award ID: 23-10363
  • August 1, 2024 - April 30, 2028 - Economic Stressors and Opportunities as Influences of Emerging Adult Oral Health , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: U01DE033953
  • March 1, 2021 - February 29, 2024 - Teens, Nicotine, and Tobacco Project , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: California Dept. Public Health, Sponsor Award ID: 20-10026
  • September 1, 2018 - August 31, 2023 - Integrated Health, Behavioral and Economic Research on Current and Emerging Tobacco Products , Project Leader (Project 4) . Sponsor: NIH/NHLBI, Sponsor Award ID: U54 HL147127
  • October 1, 2017 - June 30, 2022 - Dental Public Health Training & Technical Assistance Center , Co-Investigator . Sponsor: California Dept. Public Health, Sponsor Award ID: 17-10592
  • September 1, 2013 - August 31, 2018 - Improved Models to Inform Tobacco Product Regulation , Project Leader (Project 3) . Sponsor: NIH/NCI, Sponsor Award ID: P50 CA180890
  • September 24, 2008 - May 31, 2017 - Center to Address Disparities in Children's Oral Health , Co-Investigator . Sponsor: NIH/NIDCR, Sponsor Award ID: U54 DE019285
  • July 1, 2011 - December 31, 2012 - Maternal Nutrition Education and Early Childhood Caries: A Randomized Field Trial , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: F30DE022208

Education

Williams College, Williamstown, BA, 06/2002, biology and chemistry
University of California San Francisco, DDS, 06/2008, dentistry
University of California Berkeley, MPH, 05/2009, epidemiology
University of California Berkeley, PhD, 05/2013, epidemiology

Honors & Awards

  • 2008
    American Association of Oral Biologists Oral Biology Award, UCSF
  • 2010
    Lloyd F. Richards Endowment Fund Public Health Dentistry Award, UC Berkeley
  • 2011
    Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award, UC Berkeley
  • 2012, 2013
    American Association for Dental Research Bloc Grant Travel Award
  • 2014
    American Association for Dental Research Hatton Award Finalist
  • 2014
    UCSF John C. Greene Society School of Dentistry Mentor of the Year
  • 2015
    UCSF 150th Anniversary Alumni Excellence Award
  • 2016
    American Association for Dental Education Olav Alvares Award
  • 2018
    Omicron Kappa Upsilon National Dental Honor Society Charles Craig Teaching Award

Selected Publications

  1. Chaffee BW, Couch ET, Shiboski C, Hoyt LT, Cohen AK, Cheng J. A brief xerostomia inventory for young adults. PLoS One. 2026; 21(5):e0349869. View on PubMed
  2. Chaffee BW. A Mouthful of Gratitude for My Pediatric Dentists. Journal of the California Dental Association. 2026. View on PubMed
  3. Chaffee BW, Couch ET, Guerra C, Farooq O, Cheng NF, Gansky S, Alli K, Donaldson CD, Zhang X, Hoeft K. Tobacco-free generation policy support among California adolescents and young adults. Tob Control. 2026 Apr 17. View on PubMed
  4. Logo DD, Kodali PB, Anaman-Torgbor J, Chaffee BW, Ling PM, Bialous S, Owusu-Dabo E. Factors associated with adolescent use of tobacco products in the Upper East Region of Ghana: A cross-sectional study. Tob Induc Dis. 2026; 24. View on PubMed
  5. Yalif IU, Hoyt LT, Calderón L, Bidopia T, Burke NL, Chaffee BW, Gamba R, Atherwood S, Bae J, Cohen AK. The accuracy of self-reported height, weight and BMI in a sample of emerging adult college students across California: an observational study. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2026 Jan 12; 26(1):28. View on PubMed
  6. Chaffee BW, Donaldson CD, Couch ET, Andersen-Rodgers E, Guerra C, Cheng NF, Ameli N, Stupplebeen D, Farooq O, Wilkinson M, Gansky S, Zhang X, Hoeft K. "I think we can do without [tobacco]": support for policies to end the tobacco epidemic among California adolescents. Tob Control. 2025 Dec 19; 34(e1):e17-e24. View on PubMed
  7. Chaffee BW, Couch ET, Cheng NF, Alli K, Gansky SA. Results of the California Teens Nicotine and Tobacco Project Online Survey 2024. 2025. View on PubMed
  8. Arriola-Pacheco F, Chaffee BW, Jessani A, Lawrence HP. Cannabis and Oral Health Implications for 3 Priority Populations: A Special Communication. JDR Clin Trans Res. 2025 Sep 15; 23800844251366974. View on PubMed
  9. Yang A, Chaffee BW, Star JM. Parental Preference for Telehealth Post-Operative Visits Following Dental Rehabilitation With General Anesthesia. Pediatr Dent. 2025 Sep 15; 47(5):334-339. View on PubMed
  10. Chaffee BW. Associations of Current Cigarette, E-Cigarette, and Cannabis Use with Xerostomia. JDR Clin Trans Res. 2025 Sep 05; 23800844251364158. View on PubMed
  11. Lisha NE, Vora M, Chaffee BW, Cheng J. Identifying and Understanding Use Trajectories of Cigarettes and E-Cigarettes. Subst Use Misuse. 2025; 60(14):2201-2213. View on PubMed
  12. Chaffee BW, Donaldson CD, Couch ET, Guerra Castillo C, Farooq O, Cheng NF, Ameli N, Wilkinson ML, Gansky SA, Zhang X, Hoeft KS. Flavored Tobacco Product Use Among California Adolescents Before and Immediately After a Statewide Flavor Ban. Nicotine Tob Res. 2025 May 22; 27(6):1035-1042. View on PubMed
  13. Peres KG, Nascimento GG, Sarawagi S, Gambetta-Tessini K, Kalhan AC, Li H, Feldens CA, Chaffee BW, Barros AJD, Rugg-Gunn A, Peres MA, GLOBICS Group. The Global Consortium of Oral Health Birth Cohort Studies-GLOBICS. J Dent Res. 2025 Jul; 104(7):697-703. View on PubMed
  14. BW Chaffee. Saving Teeth, Three (Points) at a Time. Journal of the California Dental Association. 2025; 53(1). View on PubMed
  15. EL Han, BW Chaffee, PM Ling. Tobacco and Oral Health Misinformation on Twitter (X): Implications for Dental Professionals. Journal of the California Dental Association. 2025; 53(1). View on PubMed
  16. Chaffee BW, Farooq O, Couch ET, Donaldson CD, Cheng NF, Gansky SA, Zhang X. Inequitable exposure to tobacco product litter among adolescents in California, USA. Tob Prev Cessat. 2025; 11. View on PubMed
  17. Chaffee BW, Guerra Castillo C, Couch ET, Urata J, Halpern-Felsher B, Hoeft KS. Adolescents' perceptions, experiences, and reactions to "fake" vaping devices. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2025 Feb 01; 267:112534. View on PubMed
  18. Peres KG, Kalhan AC, Sarawagi S, Peres MA, Feldens CA, Chaffee BW, Barros AJD, Rugg-Gunn A, Nascimento GG. An International Research Agenda for Oral Health Birth Cohort Studies. J Dent Res. 2025 Feb; 104(2):147-154. View on PubMed
  19. Chaffee BW. ‘Don’t Get Old, Kid’ – Dentistry and Choosing to Age Wisely. Journal of the California Dental Association. 2024; 52(1). View on PubMed
  20. Guerra Castillo C, Hoeft KS, Couch ET, Urata J, Halpern-Felsher B, Chaffee BW. Adolescents' Experiences and Perceptions of E-Cigarettes and Nicotine Addiction. Subst Use Misuse. 2024; 59(13):1981-1989. View on PubMed

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