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, 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

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. Donaldson CD, Couch ET, Hoeft KS, Wilkinson ML, Guerra C, Gansky SA, Zhang X, Chaffee BW. Flavored Tobacco and Nicotine Use Among California Adolescents: Preferences by Use Experience and Survey Format Effects. J Adolesc Health. 2023 Jun 29.  View on PubMed
  2. Chaffee BW, Couch ET, Popova L, Halpern-Felsher B. Effects of a Reduced Risk Claim on Adolescents' Smokeless Tobacco Perceptions and Willingness to Use. J Adolesc Health. 2023 Jun 09.  View on PubMed
  3. Kalaigian A, Chaffee BW. Mental Health and Oral Health in a Nationally Representative Cohort. J Dent Res. 2023 Aug; 102(9):1007-1014.  View on PubMed
  4. Chaffee BW, Couch ET, Wilkinson ML, Donaldson CD, Cheng NF, Ameli N, Zhang X, Gansky SA. Flavors increase adolescents' willingness to try nicotine and cannabis vape products. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2023 05 01; 246:109834.  View on PubMed
  5. Neal L. Benowitz, Jonathan Samet, Neeloofar Soleimanpour, Benjamin W. Chaffee. Biomarkers of improved health outcomes after smoking cessation. Addiction Neuroscience. 2023 Mar 1; 5:100054.  View on PubMed
  6. Feldens CA, Braga VS, Kramer PF, Vítolo MR, Rodrigues PH, de Barros Coelho EMR, Chaffee BW. Primary Dentition caries patterns as predictors of permanent dentition caries: a prospective cohort study. Caries Res. 2023 Feb 13.  View on PubMed
  7. Croker JA, Werts M, Couch ET, Chaffee BW. Cannabis use among adolescents and emerging adults who use e-cigarettes: Findings from an online, national U.S. Sample. Addict Behav. 2023 05; 140:107620.  View on PubMed
  8. Couch ET, Halpern-Felsher B, Werts M, Chaffee BW. Use of Emerging and Conventional Oral Tobacco Among Adolescent and Young Adult E-Cigarette Users. Subst Use Misuse. 2023; 58(2):283-288.  View on PubMed
  9. Benowitz NL, Samet J, Soleimanpour N, Chaffee BW. Biomarkers of Improved Health Outcomes After Smoking Cessation. Addict Neurosci. 2022.  View on PubMed
  10. Silveira ML, Everard CD, Sharma E, Lauten K, Alexandridis AA, Duffy K, Taylor EV, Tolliver EA, Blanco C, Compton WM, Kimmel HL, Iafolla T, Hyland A, Chaffee BW. Tobacco Use and Incidence of Adverse Oral Health Outcomes Among US Adults in the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 12 01; 5(12):e2245909.  View on PubMed
  11. Nyamuryekung'e KK, Mlangwa MM, Chaffee BW. Perceived Patient Barriers to Tooth-Retaining Treatment in Tanzania. JDR Clin Trans Res. 2022 Sep 21; 23800844221121262.  View on PubMed
  12. Benelli KDRG, Chaffee BW, Kramer PF, Knorst JK, Ardenghi TM, Feldens CA. Pattern of caries lesions and oral health-related quality of life throughout early childhood: A birth cohort study. Eur J Oral Sci. 2022 10; 130(5):e12889.  View on PubMed
  13. Chaffee BW, Halpern-Felsher B, Croker JA, Werts M, Couch ET, Cheng J. Preferences, use, and perceived access to flavored e-cigarettes among United States adolescents and young adults. Drug Alcohol Depend Rep. 2022 Jun; 3.  View on PubMed
  14. Watkins SL, Pieper F, Chaffee BW, Yerger VB, Ling PM, Max W. Flavored Tobacco Product Use Among Young Adults by Race and Ethnicity: Evidence From the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study. J Adolesc Health. 2022 08; 71(2):226-232.  View on PubMed
  15. Chaffee BW, Lauten K, Sharma E, Everard CD, Duffy K, Park-Lee E, Taylor E, Tolliver E, Watkins-Bryant T, Iafolla T, Compton WM, Kimmel HL, Hyland A, Silveira ML. Oral Health in the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study. J Dent Res. 2022 08; 101(9):1046-1054.  View on PubMed
  16. Chaffee BW. National Surveillance of Youth Substance Use: Keeping Up With Changing Times. Am J Public Health. 2022 04; 112(4):564-566.  View on PubMed
  17. Benjamin W. Chaffee, Jared I. Fine, Yilak Fantaye, Kristin S. Hoeft, Rhodora Ursua, Ray Stewart, Suhaila Khan. A Dental Care Coordination System To Increase Access for Medicaid Dental Program Beneficiaries: Experiences in Alameda County, California. Journal of the California Dental Association. 2022 Mar 1; 50(3):147-158.  View on PubMed
  18. Chaffee BW, Fine JI, Fantaye Y, Hoeft KS, Ursua R, Stewart R, Khan S. A Dental Care Coordination System: Experiences in Alameda County, California. J Calif Dent Assoc. 2022; 50(3):147-158.  View on PubMed
  19. Vogel EA, Barrington-Trimis JL, Kechter A, Tackett AP, Liu F, Sussman S, Lerman C, Unger JB, Hughes Halbert C, Chaffee BW, Leventhal AM. Differences in Young Adults' Perceptions of and Willingness to Use Nicotine Pouches by Tobacco Use Status. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 02 25; 19(5).  View on PubMed
  20. Chaffee BW, Halpern-Felsher B, Jacob P, St Helen G. Biomarkers of nicotine exposure correlate with the Hooked on Nicotine Checklist among adolescents in California, United States. Addict Behav. 2022 05; 128:107235.  View on PubMed

Go to UCSF Profiles, powered by CTSI