TCORS: Center for the Assessment of Tobacco Regulations (CAsToR)

Personnel

Principal Investigators

  • Rafael Meza, PhD
    Rafael Meza, PhD
    British Columbia Cancer Research Institute
    Rafael Meza, PhD
    British Columbia Cancer Research Institute: Distinguished Scientist
    Positions: Administrative (ADMIN) Core; CAsToR Principal Investigator; Research Project 1; Research Project 4
    Dr. Meza is Principal Investigator of the Center for the Assessment of Tobacco Regulation (CAsToR) and the Coordinating Principal Investigator of the Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network (CISNET) Lung Working Group. Prior to joining BC Cancer, Dr. Meza was Professor of Epidemiology and Global Health at the University of Michigan and co-Leader of the Cancer Control and Population Sciences of the Rogel Cancer Center. Dr. Meza is a Distinguished Scientist at the British Columbia Cancer Research Institute and Distinguished Scholar in Lung Cancer Screening and Prevention at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Meza's research interests lie at the interface of epidemiology, biostatistics and biomathematics. He is an expert in lung cancer epidemiology and prevention and tobacco epidemiology and control. The goal of his research program is to characterize the impact of disease prevention and control interventions, informing stakeholders and policymakers as to the most effective and efficient ways to improve population health. In particular, he is interested in cancer risk assessment and the analysis of cancer epidemiology data using mechanistic models of carcinogenesis. He is also interested in the mathematical modeling of chronic and infectious disease dynamics and its applications in disease prevention public health policy design.
  • David Levy, PhD
    David Levy, PhD
    Georgetown University
    David Levy, PhD
    Georgetown University: Professor, Georgetown University Medical Center
    Positions: Administrative (ADMIN) Core; CAsToR Principal Investigator; Research Project 1; Research Project 3
    Dr. David Levy is PI for CAsToR at Georgetown University. Dr. Levy 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 International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project (the ITC Project) 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.
  • David Mendez, PhD
    David Mendez, PhD
    University of Michigan
    David Mendez, PhD
    University of Michigan: Professor of Health Management and Policy
    Positions: Administrative (ADMIN) Core; Career Enhancement Core (CEC); CAsToR Principal Investigator; Research Project 2
    Dr. David Mendez is PI for CAsToR at the University of Michigan and 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 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.

Project + Core Lead Investigators

  • Andrew F Brouwer, PhD, MS, MA
    Andrew F Brouwer, PhD, MS, MA
    University of Michigan
    Andrew F Brouwer, PhD, MS, MA
    University of Michigan: Assistant Research Scientist, Epidemiology
    Position: Data Analysis and Modeling (DAM) Core
    Roles: Junior Faculty, New Investigator, Pilot PI Alumni
  • Nancy Fleischer, PhD, MPH
    Nancy Fleischer, PhD, MPH
    University of Michigan
    Nancy Fleischer, PhD, MPH
    University of Michigan: Associate Professor of Epidemiology
    Position: Project Lead, Research Project 3 under TCORS 2.0
    Role: Co-Investigator
  • Abigail Friedman, PhD
    Abigail Friedman, PhD
    Yale University
    Abigail Friedman, PhD
    Yale University: Associate Professor of Health Policy
    Position: Research Project 3
  • Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, DPhil
    Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, DPhil
    University of Massachusetts Amherst
    Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, DPhil
    University of Massachusetts Amherst: Assistant Professor
    Position: Policy Analysis and Dissemination (PAD) Core
    Webpage: umass.​edu
  • Holly Jarman, PhD
    Holly Jarman, PhD
    University of Michigan
    Holly Jarman, PhD
    University of Michigan: Associate Professor, Health Management and Policy; Associate Professor of Global Public Health
    Position: Policy Analysis and Dissemination (PAD) Core
  • Jihyoun Jeon, PhD, MS
    Jihyoun Jeon, PhD, MS
    University of Michigan
    Jihyoun Jeon, PhD, MS
    University of Michigan: Associate Research Scientist
    Position: Data Analysis and Modeling (DAM) Core
  • Thuy Le
    Thuy Le
    University of Michigan
    Thuy Le
    University of Michigan: Assistant Research Scientist, Health Management and Policy
    Position: Research Project 2
    Roles: New Investigator, Pilot PI Alumni
  • Ritesh Mistry, PhD
    Ritesh Mistry, PhD
    University of Michigan
    Ritesh Mistry, PhD
    University of Michigan: Associate Professor, Health Behavior and Health Education, Associate Professor of Global Health
    Positions: Career Enhancement Core (CEC); Research Project 4
  • Luz Sanchez Romero
    Luz Sanchez Romero
    Georgetown University
    Luz Sanchez Romero
    Georgetown University: Assistant Professor
    Position: Research Project 1
    Roles: Co-Investigator, New Investigator, Research Scientist
  • Jamie Tam, PhD, MPH
    Jamie Tam, PhD, MPH
    Yale University
    Jamie Tam, PhD, MPH
    Yale University: Assistant Professor of Health Policy, Addiction Medicine
    Position: Research Project 4
    Role: Co-Investigator

External Advisory Committee

  • Neal Benowitz, MD
    Neal Benowitz, MD
    University of California - San Francisco
    Neal Benowitz, MD
    University of California - San Francisco: Professor, Medicine
    Roles: Consultant, External Advisory Committee
  • Kenneth Cummings, PhD, MPH
    Kenneth Cummings, PhD, MPH
    University of South Carolina
    Kenneth Cummings, PhD, MPH
    University of South Carolina: Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
    Role: External Advisory Committee
  • Cristine Delnevo, PhD, MPH
    Cristine Delnevo, PhD, MPH
    Rutgers University
    Cristine Delnevo, PhD, MPH
    Rutgers University: Professor, Health Behavior, Society and Policy
    Role: External Advisory Committee
    Institute for Nicotine & Tobacco Studies: ints.​rutgers.​edu
  • Ross Hammond, PhD
    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: External Advisory Committee
  • Lisa Henriksen, PhD
    Lisa Henriksen, PhD
    Stanford University
    Lisa Henriksen, PhD
    Stanford University: Senior Research Scientist
    Role: External Advisory Committee
  • Scott Leischow, PhD
    Scott Leischow, PhD
    Arizona State University
    Scott Leischow, PhD
    Arizona State University: Research Professor, College of Health Solutions
    Role: External Advisory Committee
  • Robin J. Mermelstein, PhD
    Robin J. Mermelstein, PhD
    University of Illinois - Chicago
    Robin J. Mermelstein, PhD
    University of Illinois - Chicago: Professor of Psychology and IHRP Director
    Role: External Advisory Committee
  • Nancy Ann Rigotti, MD
    Nancy Ann Rigotti, MD
    Harvard University
    Nancy Ann Rigotti, MD
    Harvard University: Professor
    Role: External Advisory Committee

Center Administrative Staff

  • Molly Coeling
    Molly Coeling
    University of Michigan
    Molly Coeling
    University of Michigan: Project Coordinator
  • Amanda Dudley
    Amanda Dudley
    University of Michigan
    Amanda Dudley
    University of Michigan: CAsToR Center Manager
  • Evelyn Jimenez Mendoza
    Evelyn Jimenez Mendoza
    University of Michigan
    Evelyn Jimenez Mendoza
    University of Michigan: Research Area Specialist Intermediate
  • Sukhinder Khattra
    Sukhinder Khattra
    British Columbia Cancer Research Institute
    Sukhinder Khattra
    British Columbia Cancer Research Institute: Staff
  • Nargiz Travis
    Nargiz Travis
    Georgetown University
    Nargiz Travis
    Georgetown University: Project Director
  • Robin Wylie
    Robin Wylie
    University of Michigan
    Robin Wylie
    University of Michigan: Web Developer / Administrator