Research Summary

My cancer-related research focuses on the prevention of tobacco-related cancer. Tobacco is responsible for 35% of cancer deaths, and my work aims to understand the strategies used to promote tobacco uptake and continued use by the tobacco industry, and how to counter-engineer these strategies to improve tobacco control and cancer prevention programs and policies. I am recognized internationally as an expert in tobacco marketing strategies targeting specific audiences, particularly young adults and women, and the use of social culture in tobacco marketing and counter-marketing campaigns. I have been Principal Investigator continuously funded by the National Cancer Institute since 2009 to study the marketing of tobacco products and improving and evaluating tobacco control and cessation programs for young people.

I am Director of the UCSF Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, and the Principal Investigator of the UCSF FDA Tobacco Center of Excellence on Regulatory Science (TCORS). I directed the Postdoctoral Fellowship Training Program at the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education from 2005-2020. I have supervised over 100 postdoctoral research fellows and students in a wide variety of disciplines including social and behavioral science, communication, anthropology, history, economics, clinical medicine, sociology, and health education. I am excited to continue to integrate tobacco research and training activities with the activities of SF CAN and the Cancer Control Program.

Research Funding

  • September 9, 2024 - August 31, 2029 - Social media support groups for adolescent vaping cessation , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA292971
  • July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2028 - Postdoctoral training in tobacco control , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: T32DA057216
  • August 1, 2022 - July 31, 2027 - Addressing disparities in tobacco-related diseases by understanding the tobacco industry strategies , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA268491
  • July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2025 - Understanding tobacco and cannabis co-use in young adult priority populations in California , Subcontract Principal Investigator . Sponsor: Tobacco Related Diseases Research Program, Sponsor Award ID: T32 IR4927
  • July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2024 - Social media intervention to stop nicotine and cannabis vaping among adolescents , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: Tobacco Related Diseases Research Program, Sponsor Award ID: T31 IR1910
  • September 19, 2013 - August 31, 2023 - Integrated Health, Behavioral and Economic Research on Current and Emerging Tobacco Products , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: U54HL147127
  • September 1, 2009 - July 31, 2021 - Understanding Smokeless Tobacco and Electronic Cigarette Marketing , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA141661
  • July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2021 - Postdoctoral training in tobacco control , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: T32CA113710

Education

Harvard & Radcliffe Colleges, A.B., 1990, History and Science
University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, M.D., 1996, Medicine
University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, M.P.H., 2000, Interdisciplinary Public Health
University of California San Francisco Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, 1999-2002, media interventions, social marketing

Honors & Awards

  • 1986
    National Merit Scholar
  • 1990
    Phi Beta Kappa, Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges, Harvard University
  • 1991
    Regent's Scholar, UCSF
  • 2004
    Stewart Trust Research Award, UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center
  • 2005
    Most important and influential papers in Tobacco Control. Three papers voted by peers into the top ten in youth and tobacco advertising categories
  • 2005, 2011, 2018
    Outstanding Mentorship Award. Nominee. Postdoctoral Scholar's Association, UCSF
  • 2008
    Best Young Clinician-Investigator Award. Society for General Internal Medicine California/Hawaii Region
  • 2012
    Robert H Crede Award Winner, Excellence in Research, Division of General Internal Medicine, UCSF
  • 2015
    UCSF 150th Anniversary Alumni Excellence Award Winner, Alumni Association of UCSF
  • 2016
    Member
    American Society for Clinical Investigation
  • 2020
    John Ziegler Mentoring Award Nominee, Masters in Global Health Program, UCSF
  • 2021
    Hal Luft Mentoring Award in Health Services Research, Institute for Health Policy Studies, UCSF

Selected Publications

  1. Eileen L. Han, Benjamin W. Chaffee, Pamela M. Ling. Tobacco and Oral Health Misinformation on Twitter (X): Implications for Dental Professionals. Journal of the California Dental Association. 2025 Mar 11; 53(1):2474830.  View on PubMed
  2. Timothy Regan, Janardan Devkota, Julia McQuoid, Kekoa Lopez-Paguyo, Nhung Nguyen, Meredith Meacham, Pamela Ling, Johannes Thrul. M37 Real-Time Predictors of Cannabis Use Among Young Adults: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 2025 Feb 1; 267:111631.  View on PubMed
  3. Ling PM, Glantz SA. Historical and political context for Philip Morris International's continuing medical education courses on harm reduction. Tob Control. 2025 Jan 03.  View on PubMed
  4. Jackler RK, Ling PM. The Tobacco Industry Has No Business Funding Continuing Medical Education. JAMA. 2024 Dec 24; 332(24):2059-2060.  View on PubMed
  5. Nguyen N, Keyhani S, Marcus GM, Do VV, Halliday DM, Herbst ED, Ling PM. Vaping nicotine and cannabis on the same occasion is linked to increased vaping consumption among young adults: A smartphone-based daily diary study. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2025 Jan 01; 266:112517.  View on PubMed
  6. Sharma A, Belton A, Ozga JE, Ling P, Hrywna M, Cornacchione Ross J, Ganz O, Bold KW, Stanton C. Marketing strategies in business-to-business advertisements for oral nicotine products. Tob Control. 2024 Nov 28.  View on PubMed
  7. Seidenberg AB, Donovan E, Azadi M, Goyette R, Ling PM. Quitting Smoking With … Smoke? Unauthorized Claims Used by Herbal Cigarette Manufacturers. Nicotine Tob Res. 2024 Nov 22; 26(12):1708-1713.  View on PubMed
  8. Afolabi A, Cheung E, Lyu JC, Ling PM. Short-Form Video Informed Consent Compared With Written Consent for Adolescents and Young Adults: Randomized Experiment. JMIR Form Res. 2024 Nov 22; 8:e57747.  View on PubMed
  9. Pravosud V, Glantz S, Keyhani S, Ling PM, Lempert LK, Hoggatt KJ, Hasin D, Nguyen N, Graham FJL, Cohen BE. Cannabis legalization and changes in cannabis and tobacco/nicotine use and co-use in a national cohort of U.S. adults during 2017-2021. Int J Drug Policy. 2024 Dec; 134:104618.  View on PubMed
  10. Graham FJL, Keyhani S, Ling P, Pravosud V, Nguyen N, Hasin D, Cohen BE. Changes in Sources of Information about the Risks and Benefits of Cannabis in a National Cohort of US Adults from 2017 - 2021. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2024 Oct 23.  View on PubMed
  11. Nguyen N, Koester KA, Tran C, Ling PM. Desires and Needs for Quitting Both e-Cigarettes and Cigarettes Among Young Adults: Formative Qualitative Study Informing the Development of a Smartphone Intervention for Dual Tobacco Cessation. JMIR Form Res. 2024 Oct 22; 8:e63156.  View on PubMed
  12. Pravosud V, Ling PM, Halpern-Felsher B, Gribben V. Social Media Exposure and Other Correlates of Increased e-Cigarette Use Among Adolescents During Remote Schooling: Cross-Sectional Study. JMIR Pediatr Parent. 2024 Oct 21; 7:e49779.  View on PubMed
  13. Ling PM, Goetzl EJ. A Practical Guide to Smoking Cessation. Am J Med. 2025 Mar; 138(3):379-381.  View on PubMed
  14. Rastogi K, Czaplicki L, Spindle TR, Moran MB, Ozga JE, Stanton CA, Lyu JC, Ling PM. Affiliate marketing for nicotine products: Juice Head 'Share a Sale' programme and its implications. Tob Control. 2024 Oct 04.  View on PubMed
  15. Nguyen N, Koester KA, Kim M, Watkins SL, Ling PM. "I'm both smoking and vaping": a longitudinal qualitative study of US young adults who tried to quit smoking cigarettes by using electronic cigarettes. Tob Control. 2024 Sep 25; 33(5):596-602.  View on PubMed
  16. McQuoid J, Regan T, Devkota J, Cheney MK, Kumar V, Oehlers J, Lopez-Paguyo K, Nguyen N, Meacham MC, Ling PM, Thrul J. Situations and roles of cannabis versus cigarette use: Integrating ecological momentary assessment with qualitative mapping interviews. Health Place. 2024 Sep; 89:103314.  View on PubMed
  17. Do VV, Ling PM, Chaffee BW, Nguyen N. Concurrent Use of Tobacco and Cannabis and Internalizing and Externalizing Problems in US Youths. JAMA Netw Open. 2024 07 01; 7(7):e2419976.  View on PubMed
  18. Do VV, Spears CA, Ling PM, Eriksen MP, Weaver SR, Pechacek TF, Nyman AL, Emery SL, Berg CJ, Huang J. Racial/ethnic disparities in exposure to e-cigarette advertising among U.S. youth. Public Health. 2024 May; 230:89-95.  View on PubMed
  19. Ozga JE, Cornacchione Ross J, Hrywna M, Sharma A, Ling PM, Stanton CA. Oral nicotine product marketing expenditures in the USA from 2016 to 2023: trends over time by brand and targeted media outlets. Tob Control. 2024 Mar 14.  View on PubMed
  20. Waring JJC, Nguyen N, Ling PM, Thrul J. Quantity of cigarettes smoked when co-used with alcohol and cannabis: Consideration of different definitions of co-use based on daily diary data. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2024 May 01; 258:111264.  View on PubMed

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