Research Summary

Dr. Nguyen is a substance use researcher whose work centers on reducing the co-use of tobacco and cannabis. Her research program employs innovative methods to address critical questions related to substance use, including ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and sensors for real-time data collection and human-centered design (HCD) to develop smartphone-based interventions. Her current projects harness mobile health (mHealth) technologies, wearable devices, machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), and implementation science to create and test interventions aimed at helping young people quit vaping and reduce co-use of tobacco and cannabis. Her work has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the California Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Health Services, and the Hellman Fellowship Program.

Dr. Nguyen founded the HEARTY Lab, which is dedicated to generating actionable insights and impactful solutions to reduce substance use and promote public health.

A dedicated mentor, Dr. Nguyen has guided trainees across all levels, including high school students, undergraduates, PhD students, medical students, and postdoctoral fellows.

Research Funding

  • February 15, 2024 - January 31, 2029 - Developing a smartphone-based intervention targeting high-risk situations of nicotine vaping among young adults , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH/NIDA, Sponsor Award ID: K01DA056693
  • August 1, 2022 - July 31, 2026 - Real-time predictors of nicotine and cannabis vaping among young adults , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: California Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program - New Investigator Award, Sponsor Award ID: T32KT5071
  • July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023 - Developing a smartphone-based tobacco cessation intervention for young adults who use both cigarettes and e-cigarettes , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: UCSF RAP-CTSI Pilot Award, Sponsor Award ID: UL1 TR001872-06
  • July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2023 - Tobacco and cannabis co-use among young adults: A multi-method analytic approach , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: California Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program - Postdoctoral Fellowship Award, Sponsor Award ID: T31FT1564
  • September 1, 2020 - August 31, 2021 - Impact of new e-cigarette devices and harm perception on tobacco use behavior among young adults , Leader of Rapid Response Project . Sponsor: UCSF Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science, Sponsor Award ID: U54HL147127

Education

2023 - Innovations for Substance Use Disorders, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School
2021 - mHealth Training Institute, University of California, Los Angeles
PhD, 2014 - Epidemiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
BS, 2008 - Pharmacy, Hanoi University of Pharmacy, Vietnam

Honors & Awards

  • DigiStars Scholar, University of Utah Digital Health Initiative, 2025
  • Hellman Fellowship, Hellman Fellows Program, 2024-2026
  • Research in Implementation Science for Equity (RISE) Fellowship, NHLBI’s Program to Increase Diversity among Individuals Engaged in Health-Related Research, 2024
  • Diversity Institute for Emerging Leaders, Society of Behavioral Medicine, 2024
  • Outstanding Abstract Award, Society of Behavioral Medicine, 2023
  • Emerging Health Equity Scholar Award, UCSF Multiethnic Health Equity Research Center, 2023
  • NIDA Diversity Scholars Network Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2021
  • Meritorious Abstract Award, Society of Behavioral Medicine, 2021
  • T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship, National Cancer Institute, 2018-2020
  • International Fellowship, American Association of University Women, 2012
  • Predoctoral Fellowship, Vietnam Education Foundation, 2010-2012

Selected Publications

  1. Do VV, Núñez ER, Wilder FG, Nguyen N Negative social determinants of health are linked to lung cancer screening underutilization.  View on PubMed
  2. Tran TPT, Tran C, Ling PM, Popova L, Nguyen N Applying Human-Centered Design to Develop Smartphone-Based Intervention Messages to Help Young Adults Quit Using E-Cigarettes and Cigarettes: A Remote User Testing Study.  View on PubMed
  3. Do VV, Ta Park VM, Nguyen N, Ling PM, Tzuang M, Nam B, Dougan MM, Meyer OL, Tsoh JY Use of Cigarettes, Cannabis, and Alcohol Among Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Adults: Community-Based National Survey Analysis.  View on PubMed
  4. Do VV, Ling PM, Keyhani S, Marcus GM, Thrul J, Nguyen N Real-Time Antecedents of Young Adults' Vaping and Co-Vaping of Nicotine and Cannabis: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study.  View on PubMed
  5. Temourian AA, Ling PM, Do VV, Nguyen N Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Cannabis Use Among U.S. Youth Who Use Tobacco: Findings From the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study.  View on PubMed
  6. Regan T, Devkota J, McQuoid J, Lopez-Paguyo K, Nguyen N, Meacham MC, Ling PM, Thrul J. Real-time antecedents of cannabis use among young adults: An Ecological Momentary Assessment study. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2025 May 05.  View on PubMed
  7. Halliday DM, Song AV, Nguyen N. E-cigarette and cannabis use among current and recently quit smokers: Co-use and Co-cessation. Addict Behav Rep. 2025 Jun; 21:100611.  View on PubMed
  8. 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
  9. Nguyen N, Leonard S, Cohen BE, Herbst ED, Hoggatt KJ, Keyhani S. Receipt of Smoking Cessation Medications and Smoking Abstinence Among Veterans Prescribed Opioid Analgesics With and Without Cannabis Use. J Gen Intern Med. 2025 May; 40(7):1672-1675.  View on PubMed
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. Nguyen N, Bold KW, McClure EA. Urgent need for treatment addressing co-use of tobacco and cannabis: An updated review and considerations for future interventions. Addict Behav. 2024 Nov; 158:108118.  View on PubMed
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. 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
  18. Glantz SA, Nguyen N, Oliveira da Silva AL. Population-Based Disease Odds for E-Cigarettes and Dual Use versus Cigarettes. NEJM Evid. 2024 Mar; 3(3):EVIDoa2300229.  View on PubMed
  19. Lyu JC, Meacham MC, Nguyen N, Ramo D, Ling PM. Factors Associated With Abstinence Among Young Adult Smokers Enrolled in a Real-world Social Media Smoking Cessation Program. Nicotine Tob Res. 2024 Feb 15; 26(Supplement_1):S27-S35.  View on PubMed
  20. Nguyen N, Islam S, Llanes KD, Koester KA, Ling PM. Classification of patterns of tobacco and cannabis co-use based on temporal proximity: A qualitative study among young adults. Addict Behav. 2024 05; 152:107971.  View on PubMed

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