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

CAsToR Online Course: Tobacco & Nicotine: Public Health, Science, Policy, and Law

Please note: The content of the Massive Open Online Course, “Tobacco & Nicotine: Public Health, Science, Policy, and Law,” is solely the responsibility of the authors and contributors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH or the Food and Drug Administration.

The Center for the Assessment of Tobacco Regulations (CAsToR), in collaboration with the University of Michigan Center for Academic Innovation, has produced a Massive Open Online Course, “Tobacco & Nicotine: Public Health, Science, Policy, and Law” available now on Coursera. Through a series of lectures, interviews, readings, and assessments, the course tells the story of smoking and tobacco and nicotine product use, focusing on the United States while also presenting important information and insights relating to the global epidemic and key examples of the experiences of, and actions taken by, other nations. This online, asynchronous, seven-module course is designed to be taken over a seven-week period but can be completed at your own pace. You can opt to earn a certificate via Coursera for $49, or you can audit the course free of charge. University of Michigan faculty, students, and staff can earn the Coursera certificate for free by signing up through Michigan Online.

Hosted by lead instructor and former CAsToR co-investigator Cliff Douglas* of the University of Michigan School of Public Health, the course features 18 noted experts via recorded lectures, original interviews, and a closing panel discussion on the future of tobacco control. Expert contributors include, among others, Mitch Zeller, former Director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products; Mike Moore, former Attorney General of Mississippi who led the litigation that resulted in the historic Master Settlement Agreement; Dr. Ken Warner, Professor Emeritus and Dean Emeritus at the University of Michigan School of Public Health and an expert on the history and public health story of tobacco control; Dr. Robert Proctor, Professor of History at Stanford University who specializes in scientific controversy; Dr. Howard Koh, Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health and former U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health; and Dr. Mike Cummings, Professor at the Medical University of South Carolina and an authority on industry behavior and tobacco litigation. A complete list of guest contributors can be found on this page.

* Cliff Douglas, the lead instructor for this course, was, throughout the entire period of the development of the course and at the time of its launch (May 2023), the Director of the University of Michigan Tobacco Research Network (UMTRN), as well as a Co-investigator with the Center for the Assessment of Tobacco Regulations (CAsToR) at the University of Michigan, Georgetown University, and the BC Cancer Research Institute. As of October 2023, he released his affiliations with UMTRN and CAsToR and is now the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, Inc The content of this course was not affected by his new role.

Alphabetical Listing of Expert Course Contributors

  • Chris Bostic, JD
    Chris Bostic, JD
    Chris Bostic, JD
    Action on Smoking & Health, Policy Director
    Webpage: ash.​org
  • 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
  • William Farone, PhD, MS
    William Farone, PhD, MS
    William Farone, PhD, MS
    Chemist, Whistleblower, Former Director of Applied Research at Philip Morris
  • Abigail Friedman, PhD
    Abigail Friedman, PhD
    Yale University
    Abigail Friedman, PhD
    Yale University: Associate Professor of Health Policy
  • Howard Koh, MD, MPH
    Howard Koh, MD, MPH
    Harvard University
    Howard Koh, MD, MPH
    Harvard University: Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Former Assistant Secretary for Health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  • Ann McNeill, PhD
    Ann McNeill, PhD
    King’s College London
    Ann McNeill, PhD
    King’s College London: Professor of Tobacco Addiction
  • David Mendez, PhD
    David Mendez, PhD
    University of Michigan
    David Mendez, PhD
    University of Michigan: Professor of Health Management and Policy
  • Rafael Meza, PhD
    Rafael Meza, PhD
    British Columbia Cancer Research Institute
    Rafael Meza, PhD
    British Columbia Cancer Research Institute: Distinguished Scientist
  • Richard Miech, PhD
    Richard Miech, PhD
    University of Michigan
    Richard Miech, PhD
    University of Michigan: Research Professor and Principal Investigator, Monitoring the Future, University of Michigan
  • Mike Moore, JD
    Mike Moore, JD
    Mike Moore, JD
    Former Attorney General of Mississippi
  • Chad Morris, PhD
    Chad Morris, PhD
    University of Colorado
    Chad Morris, PhD
    University of Colorado: Professor of Psychiatry, Anschutz Medical Campus
  • Robert Proctor, PhD
    Robert Proctor, PhD
    Stanford University
    Robert Proctor, PhD
    Stanford University: Professor of the History of Science and, by courtesy, of Medicine, Stanford University
  • Ruoyan Sun, PhD
    Ruoyan Sun, PhD
    University of Alabama - Birmingham School of Public Health
    Ruoyan Sun, PhD
    University of Alabama - Birmingham School of Public Health: Assistant Professor
    Webpage: uab.​edu
  • Kenneth E. Warner, PhD
    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
  • Ben Youdan
    Ben Youdan
    Ben Youdan
    Action on Smoking & Health New Zealand and Youdan Consulting
  • Dan Zegart
    Dan Zegart
    Dan Zegart
    Author of Civil Warriors: The Legal Siege on the Tobacco Industry
  • Mitch Zeller, JD
    Mitch Zeller, JD
    Mitch Zeller, JD
    Former Director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Tobacco Products
    Webpage: fda.​gov