TCORS 2.0: Personnel

Principal Investigators

Rafael Meza, PhD
University of Michigan
Rafael Meza, PhD
University of Michigan: Professor, Epidemiology; Professor of Global Public Health; Co-Leader, Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Program, UM Rogel Cancer Center
Position: CAsToR Principal Investigator
Webpage: sph.umich.edu
Dr. Rafael Meza is PI for CAsToR at the University of Michigan and co-Lead of Projects 1 - 2, as well as the Data Analysis and Dissemination Core. He is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Michigan, as well as Co-Lead the Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Program at the UM Rogel Cancer Center. His research utilizes mathematical modeling to assess risk of and develop screening tools for cancer. Dr. Meza has extensive experience in tobacco simulation modeling and has developed models as Coordinating PI for the Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network (CISNET) lung group.
David Levy, PhD
Georgetown University
David Levy, PhD
Georgetown University: Professor, Georgetown University Medical Center
Position: CAsToR Principal Investigator
Webpage: globalhealth.georgetown.edu
Dr. David Levy is PI for CAsToR at Georgetown University and co-Lead of Projects 1 - 3, and the Research Assessment and Input Development Core. He received his PhD in Economics from UCLA (USA), and is currently a Professor of Oncology at Georgetown University. He has published over 250 articles, in renowned journals such as the American Economic Review, BMJ, AJPH, JAMA, The Lancet, Tobacco Control, and PLOS Medicine. He has been principal investigator of grants from the CDC, WHO, the National Cancer Institute, and Bloomberg/Gates Foundation. Dr. Levy currently oversees the design and development of the SimSmoke tobacco policy simulation model, for which he has developed models for over 40 countries covering 85% of the world’s population, and has recently developed models of smokeless tobacco and e-cigarette use. In addition to being a principal investigator on the TCORS grant, he is currently a principal investor on a National Cancer Institute grant with the InternationalTobaccoControl Policy Evaluation Project (theITCProject) in which he has developed models of e-cigarette use for Canada, England and France; and is a principal investigator on the National Cancer Institute CISNET Lung Group. He has recently published articles providing a public health framework for evaluating e-cigarettes and showing the potential benefits of e-cigarettes, as well as papers on the cigarette and e-cigarette markets.

Project + Core Lead Investigators

Clifford Douglas, JD
University of Michigan
Clifford Douglas, JD
University of Michigan: Researcher
Position: Core Lead, Research Assessment and Input Development Core (RAID)
Role: Co-Investigator
Webpage: sph.umich.edu
Clifford Douglas, JD
Dr. Clifford Douglas is Project Lead for the Research Assessment and Input Development Core (RAID). He is the Director of the University of Michigan Tobacco Research Network, an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, as well as Director of the Center for Tobacco Control at the American Cancer Society. A tobacco control expert and public policy advocate since 1988, he has written and spoken extensively on a wide range of policy, legal and scientific issues, most recently focusing on regulation of smoking in work places and public places and on regulation of tobacco products and tobacco product marketing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Nancy Fleischer, PhD, MPH
University of Michigan
Nancy Fleischer, PhD, MPH
University of Michigan: Associate Professor of Epidemiology
Position: Project Lead, Research Project 3
Role: Co-Investigator
Webpage: sph.umich.edu
Nancy Fleischer, PhD, MPH
Dr. Nancy Fleischer is Project Lead forResearch Project 3 and a member of the CAsToR Steering Committee. Dr. Fleischer is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Michigan. She is a social epidemiologist, whose research examines how the broader social and policy environments affect health and health disparities in the U.S. and around the world. Much of her research focuses on the role of tobacco control policies on health equity, including smoking behaviors, polytobacco use, and downstream health outcomes. More broadly, Dr. Fleischer is interested in the growing burden of non-communicable diseases globally, and the role tobacco plays in that growth.
Abigail Friedman, PhD
Yale University
Abigail Friedman, PhD
Yale University: Associate Professor of Health Policy
Positions: Co-Investigator, Data Analysis and Dissemination Core (DAD); Co-Investigator, Research Project 1
Role: Co-Investigator
Webpage: ysph.yale.edu
Abigail Friedman, PhD
Dr. Abigail Friedman is Co-Investigator of Project 1 and the Data Analysis and Dissemination Core (DAD), and co-PI of the Yale CAsToR site. An Associate Professor of Health Policy at the Yale School of Public Health and a faculty affiliate of the Yale Program in Addiction Medicine, she is a health economist by training, with interests focused on the policy determinants of nicotine and tobacco use. Thus, much of her work applies quasi-experimental research designs to estimate the effects of state and local policies on these behaviors and disparities therein, in order to inform policymaking to improve public health and health equity.
Jihyoun Jeon, PhD, MS
University of Michigan
Jihyoun Jeon, PhD, MS
University of Michigan: Associate Research Scientist
Position: Core Lead, Data Analysis and Dissemination Core (DAD)
Roles: Co-Investigator, Junior Faculty
Webpage: sph.umich.edu
Jihyoun Jeon, PhD, MS
Dr. Jihyoun Jeon is Project Lead for the Data Analysis and Dissemination Core (DAD). She is an Assistant Research Scientist in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health and a member of the Rogel Cancer Center’s Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Program. Dr. Jeon has been an instrumental member of several consortia focused on developing modeling tools to characterize cancer risk, such the Lung Cancer group of the NCI consortium ‘Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network (CISNET)’ and the Colorectal Transdisciplinary (CORECT) Study in the Genetic Associations and Mechanisms in Oncology (GAME-ON). Her modeling expertise incorporates risk prediction and cancer etiology to evaluate screening methods to effectively reduce cancer incidence.
David Mendez, PhD
University of Michigan
David Mendez, PhD
University of Michigan: Associate Professor
Positions: Core Lead, Career Enhancement Core (CEC); Project Lead, Research Project 2
Role: Co-Investigator
Webpage: sph.umich.edu
David Mendez, PhD
Dr. David Mendez is Core Lead for the Career Enhancement Core (CEC) and Project Lead for Research Project 2. He is also a member of the CAsToR Steering Committee. Dr. Mendez is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Management and Policy at the University of Michigan. His research focuses on modeling trends of cigarette smoking cessation or switching to e-cigarettes. Dr. Mendez’s research also investigates the financial implications of these trends, with specific focus on tobacco control in the United States.
Ritesh Mistry, PhD
University of Michigan
Ritesh Mistry, PhD
University of Michigan: Associate Professor, Health Behavior and Health Education, Associate Professor of Global Health
Position: Core Lead, Career Enhancement Core (CEC)
Role: Co-Investigator
Webpage: sph.umich.edu
Ritesh Mistry, PhD
Dr. Ritesh Mistry is Core Lead for the Career Enhancement Core (CEC) and a member of the CAsToR Steering Committee. Dr. Mistry is an Associate Professor of Health Behavior and Health Education, Associate Professor of Global Health at the University of Michigan. His research focuses on evaluating health disparities in smoking trends, as well as adolescent tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposures in global settings.
Jamie Tam, PhD, MPH
Yale University
Jamie Tam, PhD, MPH
Yale University: Assistant Professor of Health Policy, Addiction Medicine
Positions: Co-Investigator, Data Analysis and Dissemination Core (DAD); Co-Investigator, Research Project 1
Role: Co-Investigator
Webpage: ysph.yale.edu
Pilot: tcors.umich.edu
Jamie Tam, PhD, MPH
Dr. Jamie Tam is Co-Investigator of Project 1, Data Analysis and Dissemination Core (DAD), and co-PI of the Yale CAsToR site. She is a co-Investigator for the NCI-funded Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network (CISNET) lung group, as well as a member of the Yale Cancer Center and the Yale Program in Addiction Medicine. Her research uses modeling methods to evaluate long-term population health outcomes and related disparities associated with changes in the tobacco policy, treatment, and regulatory environment, particularly for people with mental and behavioral health conditions.
Kenneth E. Warner, PhD
University of Michigan
Kenneth E. Warner, PhD
University of Michigan: Avedis Donabedian Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of Public Health; Professor Emeritus of Health Management & Policy; Dean Emeritus of Public Health
Position: Co-Investigator, Research Project 2
Role: Co-Investigator
Webpage: sph.umich.edu
Kenneth E. Warner, PhD
Dr. Kenneth Warner is Co-Investigator for Research Project 2 and a member of the CAsToR Steering Committee. Dr. Warner is the Avedis Donabedian Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of Public Health, Professor Emeritus of Health Management & Policy, and Dean Emeritus of Public Health at the University of Michigan. His expertise surrounds policy implications on tobacco use and cessation trends, in addition to tobacco-related health outcomes resulting from tobacco harm reduction strategies.

Expert Advisory Committee

Neal Benowitz, MD
University of California - San Francisco
Neal Benowitz, MD
University of California - San Francisco: Professor in Residence
Role: Expert Advisory Committee
Webpage: profiles.ucsf.edu
Frank J. Chaloupka, PhD
University of Illinois - Chicago
Frank J. Chaloupka, PhD
University of Illinois - Chicago: Research Professor
Role: Expert Advisory Committee
Webpage: ihrp.uic.edu
Kenneth Cummings, PhD, MPH
University of South Carolina
Kenneth Cummings, PhD, MPH
University of South Carolina: Professor
Role: Expert Advisory Committee
Webpage: education.musc.edu
Ross Hammond, PhD
Brookings Institution • Washington University in St. Louis
Ross Hammond, PhD
Brookings Institution: Director, Center on Social Dynamics and Policy
Washington University in St. Louis: Associate Professor
Role: Expert Advisory Committee
Ross Hammond, PhD
Dr. Hammond is the Betty Bofinger Brown Distinguished Associate Professor in Public Health and Social Policy in the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. He is also Director of the Center on Social Dynamics & Policy and a Senior Fellow in Economics at The Brookings Institution. His research applies complex systems science to challenging policy problems. Current topics include pandemic containment, obesity, tobacco control, the food system, health disparities, and decision-making. He has authored numerous articles in top journals such as Lancet, Science, JAMA, Nature Medicine, PNAS, Tobacco Control, and the American Journal of Public Health. His work has been featured in The Atlantic Monthly, the New Scientist, and Salon, and covered by NPR, The Wall Street Journal, the Associated Press, and major news outlets. Ross is an advisory Special Government Employee at the FDA Center for Tobacco Products, and serves on the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academies of Science. He has been a member of multiple large-scale NIH scientific networks focused on computational modeling, and served on several National Academy of Sciences consensus panels as well as the recent Lancet Commission on Obesity. He holds additional academic appointments at the Harvard School of Public Health, the Santa Fe Institute, and the Australian National University.
Lisa Henriksen, PhD
Stanford University
Lisa Henriksen, PhD
Stanford University: Senior Research Scientist
Roles: Co-Investigator, Expert Advisory Committee
Webpage: prevention.stanford.edu
Robin J. Mermelstein, PhD
University of Illinois - Chicago
Robin J. Mermelstein, PhD
University of Illinois - Chicago: Professor of Psychology and IHRP Director
Role: Expert Advisory Committee
Webpage: ihrp.uic.edu
Nancy Ann Rigotti, MD
Harvard University
Nancy Ann Rigotti, MD
Harvard University: Professor
Role: Expert Advisory Committee
Webpage: massgeneral.org

Center Administrative Staff

Molly Coeling
University of Michigan
Molly Coeling
University of Michigan: Project Coordinator
Molly Coeling
Molly Coeling is the Project Coordinator for CAsToR’s Career Enhancement Core (CEC) and Project 2. She holds a Master of Public Health degree in Health Management & Policy from the University of Michigan. Molly has extensive project management experience; her previous work includes primary data collection and intervention work in youth violence prevention research at the University of Chicago and community-based cancer prevention research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She was also a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic. Molly is responsible for coordinating all trainee activities through the CEC, such as organizing training events and workshops, administering the pilot funds program, and managing program reporting and evaluation. Molly also coordinates the activities of Project 2.
Amanda Dudley
University of Michigan
Amanda Dudley
University of Michigan: CAsToR Center Manager
Amanda Dudley
Amanda Dudley is the Center Manager for the University of Michigan and Georgetown University, Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science (CAsToR). Amanda has a master’s degree in medical sociology with an emphasis in use of information technology in addressing health disparities. Amanda has over 20+ years research administrative experience and was the lead administrator on two other NIH funded centers in the past. Amanda is primarily responsible for the administrative oversight of the center overall, it’s three research projects, four support cores and the numerous subcontracts operating within the center.
Evelyn Jimenez Mendoza
University of Michigan
Evelyn Jimenez Mendoza
University of Michigan: Research Area Specialist Intermediate
Evelyn Jimenez Mendoza
Evelyn Jimenez Mendoza, is the Data Coordinator of the Data Analysis and Dissemination (DAD) Core of the Center. She is a Research Assistant at the University of Michigan with a Master's degree in Epidemiology. Evelyn worked previously in the Tobacco Control Center at the National Institute of Public Health in Mexico and participated in the design and implementation of a nationally representative survey. Her main responsibilities are to ensure uniformly high standards of data collection, as well as consistent measures of tobacco use across research projects.
Nargiz Travis
Georgetown University
Nargiz Travis
Georgetown University: Project Director
Nargiz Travis
Nargiz Travis is a Project Director for CAsToR’s Projects 1 and 3 as well as for the Research Assessment and Input Development (RAID) Core at Georgetown University. She has a master’s degree in Public Health with focus on Epidemiology from Freie University Berlin in Germany and over 9 years of professional experience in cardiovascular epidemiology and healthcare research. Prior to joining CAsToR, she has collaborated in a number of international EC-funded public health projects. Her responsibilities at the Center include day to day project coordination and support in conducting scientific work and in model development.