Summary
Jennifer Pearson’s research focuses on how regulation of tobacco and cannabis product characteristics, packaging and advertising affects consumer behavior and public health outcomes. She also investigates how e-cigarettes are used to help adult smokers quit smoking, particularly focusing on people who smoke and who use drugs. Pearson uses multiple methods, including human laboratory and experimental methods, policy review, store audits and qualitative and mixed methods. She is also the director of the Center for Drug Use, Equity and Policy Research (C-DEPR). The primary purpose of the center is to provide the research and mentorship infrastructure to enable faculty and students at the University of Nevada, Reno to conduct multidisciplinary research aimed at reducing morbidity and mortality from the use, regulation or commercialization of drugs, with a special focus on the rural West. A secondary goal is to train the next generation of substance use researchers and public health leaders by working with both undergraduate and graduate students.
Pearson has been the Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator on multiple National Institutes of Health and Food and Drug Administration funded studies (See below for currently funded studies). Pearson has authored over 130 peer-reviewed scientific articles on tobacco and cannabis policy and published in high-impact journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, the American Journal of Public Health, Tobacco Control and Nicotine and Tobacco Research.
Professional affiliations
- Member, Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco
- Member, National Institutes of Health Standing Study Section, Addictions Risks and Mechanisms (ARM)
Awards and major honors
- 2019 to 2024: Recognized by Web of Science as among the top 1% most cited researchers in social science
- 2023: Program chair, Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) Annual Conference
- 2020 to 2023: Commissioner and Chair of the Public Health Subcommittee, Nevada Cannabis Advisory Commission
- 2021: Nevada System of Higher Education University of Nevada, Reno Rising Researcher Award
- 2019 to 2023: Deputy Editor, Nicotine and Tobacco Research
- 2014 to 2019: Associate Editor, Nicotine and Tobacco Research
Classes taught
- PBH 341: Health Policy
- CHS 475: Public Health Impact of the War on Drugs
- CHS 710: Grant Writing for Public Health
Students supervised
Grants
Current
National Institute on Drug Abuse (Agency)
- Identifying No. 7R01CA231139-05
- Title: Evaluating implementation of Tobacco 21 laws in the U.S.
- Project period: January 2025 to December 2030
- Role: Co-Investigator
National Institute on Drug Abuse (Agency)
- Identifying No. 1R01DA058005-01
- Title: Cannabis legalization's effects on youth and adult nicotine and tobacco use
- Project period: September 2023 to July 2028
- Role: Co-Investigator
National Institute on Drug Abuse (Agency)
- Identifying No. HHSN271201600001C and 75N95024C00003
- Title: National longitudinal survey of tobacco use - Population assessment of tobacco health (PATH) study
- Project period: February 1, 2024 to November 30 2029
- Role: Sub-Contractor (PI: Andrew Hyland)
National Institute on Drug Abuse/Food and Drug Administration (Agency)
- Identifying No. R01
- Title: "Natural" and "organic" cigarette descriptors: Association with expectancies, subjective effects, topography and biomarkers of exposure among daily smokers"
- Project period: September 1, 2021 to August 31, 2025
- Role: Principal Investigator
Completed
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (Agency)
- Identifying No. U54GM104944 (pilot grant from Mountain West Clinical Translational Research – Infrastructure Network )
- Title: Feasibility and acceptability of switching to e-cigarettes among cigarette smokers engaged in substance use disorder treatment
- Project period: July 2023 to April 2025
- Role: Principal Investigator
National Institute on Drug Abuse (Agency)
- Identifying No. R01DA044125
- Title: Varenicline OTC trial on efficacy and safety
- Project period: September 1, 2017 to July 30, 2022
- Role: Co-Investigator (Principal Investigator: Scott Leischow)
National Institute on Drug Abuse (Agency)
- Identifying No. R15DA047606
- Title: Recreational cannabis legalization in Nevada: A multi-method approach to evaluating changes in adolescent cannabis use and the influence of dispensary and outdoor advertising density
- Project period: March 15, 2019 to February 28, 2022
- Role: Principal Investigator
National Institute on Drug Abuse & Food and Drug Administration (Agency)
- Title: Greenwashing cigarettes: Perceptual and behavioral evidence of inaccurate modified risk advertising
- Proposed dates: April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2023
- Role: Consultant (Principal Investigator: Moran)
National Institute on Drug Abuse/Food and Drug Administration, Center for Tobacco Products (Agency)
- Identifying No. U54CA229973
- Title: Examining the effects of advertising, packaging and labeling on perceptions, use and exposure of combustible tobacco products
- Project period: September 14, 2018 to August 31, 2023
- Role: September 14, 2018 to August 31, 2023: Co-Investigator; September 14, 2018 to present: Consultant
Competitive Pilot Funding Awarded Through Parent Center Grant (Agency)
- Title: The “organic” descriptor and its association with expectancies, subjective effects and smoking topography: A pilot study
- Project period: June 1, 2019 to May 31, 2020
- Role: Principal Investigator
National Institute on Drug Abuse/Food and Drug Administration, Center for Tobacco Products (Agency)
- Identifying No. K01DA037950
- Title: EMA and lab assessment of nicotine dependence among dual ENDS users
- Project period: September 1, 2019 to August 31, 2019
- Role: Principal Investigator
National Institute on Drug Abuse/Food and Drug Administration (Agency)
- Title: Perceptions of nicotine and relative harm of tobacco products in U.S. young adults
- Project period: August 1, 2017 to July 30, 2019
- Role: Consultant (Principal Investigator: Andrea Villanti)
Selected publications
2025
- Pearson, J., Gratale, S. K., Ganz, O., Erinoso, O. A., Ohman-Strickland, P. & Wackowski, O. A. (2025). Longitudinal relationship between relative harm perceptions, beliefs about organic and additive-free tobacco and cigarette brand switching among Natural American Spirit, Camel and Marlboro cigarette smokers. Tobacco Control, 34 (1), 71-77.
2024
- Drake, C., Starcevich, K., Wackowski, O., Gratale, S. K., Ganz, O., Ohman-Strickland, P. & Pearson, J. L. (2024). Sociodemographic and smoking characteristics associated with low perceived harm of "organic" and "additive-free" tobacco products among US adults. Nicotine & Tobacco Research.
- Erinoso, O., Watts, T., Koning, S., Lu, M., Wagner, K. D. & Pearson, J. (2024). Choice of smoking cessation products among people with substance use problems in the US: Findings from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study Wave 6. Addictive Behaviors, 158, Article 108104.
- Drake, C. S.**, Sloan, K.**, Anderson, M.**, Clements-Nolle, K. D., & Pearson, J. L. (2024). "I like the vibes it gives": Adolescent perspectives on cannabis billboards and print advertising in Nevada. Journal of Drug Issues, 54 (2), 238-252.
2022
- Stanton, C., Tang, Z., Sharma, E., Seaman, E., Gardner, L., Silveira, M., Hatsukami, D., Day, H., Michael, C., Goniewicz, M., Limpert, J., Everard, C., Bansal-Travers, M., Ambrose, B., Kimmel, H., Borek, N., Compton, W., Hyland, A. & Pearson, J. (2022). Predictors of e-cigarette and cigarette use trajectory classes from early adolescence to emerging adulthood across four years (2013-2017) of the PATH Study. Nicotine & Tobacco Research.
- Pearson, J. & Smiley, S. (2022). E-cigarettes, harm reduction and smoking cessation: where are we now? Nicotine & Tobacco Research.
- Clements-Nolle, K., Lensch, T., Drake, C. & Pearson, J. (2022). Adverse childhood experiences and past 30-day cannabis use among middle and high school students: The protective influence of families and schools. Addictive Behaviors, 130. 107280.
2021
- Pearson, J., Ganz, O., Ohman-Strickland, P. & Wackowski, O. (2021). Shifts in preference for Natural American Spirit and associated belief that one’s own cigarette brand might be less harmful than other brands: results from Waves 1–4 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study (2013–2018). Tobacco Control.
- Pearson, J., Giovenco, D., Lewis, M., Moran, M. & Ganz, O. (2021). Natural American Spirit launches ‘Sky’, the brand’s first commercial organic cigarette with a charcoal filter. Tobacco Control.
- Pearson, J., Watanabe, M., Sanchez, J., Mann, S., Drake, C. & Mercincavage, M. (2021). The “Organic” Descriptor and Its Association With Commercial Cigarette Health Risk Expectancies, Subjective Effects and Smoking Topography: A Pilot Human Laboratory Study. Nicotine & Tobacco Research: official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco, 24.
- Marks, C., Pearson, J., Zúñiga, M., Martin, N., Werb, D. & Smith, L. (2021). Articulating the Trauma‐Informed Theory of Individual Health Behavior. Stress and Health, 38.
- Edwards, K., Naz, T., Stanton, C., Goniewicz, M., Hatsukami, D., Smith, D., Wang, L., Villanti, A., Pearson, J., Blount, B., Bansal-Travers, M., Feng, J., Niaura, R., Manderski, M., Sosnoff, C., Delnevo, C., Duffy, K., Valle-Pinero, A., Rostron, B. & Hyland, A. (2021). Urinary Cotinine and Cotinine + Trans-3′-Hydroxycotinine (TNE-2) Cut-points for Distinguishing Tobacco Use from Nonuse in the United States: PATH Study (2013–2014). Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention, 30. cebp.0997.2020.
- Pearson, J., Waa, A., Siddiqi, K., Edwards, R., Nez Henderson, P. & Hooper, M. (2021). Naming Racism, not Race, as a Determinant of Tobacco-Related Health Disparities. Nicotine & Tobacco Research: Official Journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco, 23.
- Wright, K., Lucero, J., Ferguson, J., Granner, M., Devereux, P., Pearson, J. & Crosbie, E. (2021). The influence of cultural food security on cultural identity and well-being: a qualitative comparison between second-generation American and international students in the United States. Ecology of Food and Nutrition, 60. 1-27.
- Pearson, J., Yang, Y., Drake, C., Lensch, T. & Clements-Nolle, K. (2021). Past 30-Day Use of Alcohol, Marijuana and E-cigarettes Characterize Poly Substance Users in Middle And High School: Results From A Latent Class Analysis of the 2019 Nevada YRBS. Journal of Adolescent Health, 68.
2020
- Amato, M.S., Bottcher, M.M., Cha, S., Jacobs, M.A., Pearson, J.L. & Graham, A.L. (2020). “It’s really addictive and I’m trapped”: A qualitative analysis of the reasons for quitting vaping among treatment-seeking young people. Addictive Behaviors, 106599.
- Amroussia, N., Watanabe, M. & Pearson., J.L. (2020). Seeking safety: a focus group study of young adults’ cannabis-related attitudes and behavior in a state with legalized recreational cannabis. Harm Reduction Journal. Accepted 11/9/2020.
- Glasser, A., Johnson, A., Niaura, R., Abrams, D. & Pearson JL. (2020). Youth vaping and tobacco use in context in the United States: results from the 2018 National Youth Tobacco Survey. Nicotine & Tobacco Research.
- Iles, I., Pearson, J.L., Lindblom, E. & Moran, M. (2020). “Tobacco and water”: testing the health halo effect of Natural American Spirit Cigarette ads and its relationship with perceived absolute harm and use intentions. Health Communication.
- Lensch, T., Sloan,K., Ausmus, J., Pearson, J.L., Clements-Nolle, K., Goodman, S. & Hammond, D. (2020). Cannabis use and driving under the influence: behaviors and attitudes by state-level legal sale of recreational cannabis. Preventive Medicine. Accepted 11/3/2020.
- Pearson, J.L., Sharma, E., Rui, N., Halenar, M., Johnson, A.L., Cummings, M.K., Hammad, H., Kaufman, A.R., Tworek, C., Goniewicz, M.L., Kimmel, H.L., Tanski, S., Compton, W.M., Day, H., Ambrose, B.K., Bansal-Travers, M., Silveira, M.L., Abrams, D.B., Limpert, J., Travers, M.J., Borek, N., Hyland, A.J. & Stanton, C.A. (2020). The impact of ENDS use on smoking progression or reduction one year later among young adult ever cigarette smokers: results from Waves 1-3 (2013-2016) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study. JAMA Open Network. Accepted 6/25/2020.
- Pearson, J.L. & Villanti, A.C. (2020). It's past time to consider cannabis in vaping research. Nicotine & Tobacco Research.
- Wackowski, O.A., O’Connor, R.J. & Pearson, J.L. (2020). Smokers’ exposure to perceived modified risk claims for e-cigarettes, snus and smokeless tobacco in the United States. Nicotine & Tobacco Research.
2019
- Amroussia, N., Gustafsson, P. & Pearson, J.L. (2019). Do inequalities add up? Intersectional inequalities in smoking by sexual orientation and education among U.S. adults. Preventive Medicine Reports.
- Amroussia, N., Pearson, J.L. & Gustafsson, P.E. (2019). What drives us apart? Decomposing intersectional inequalities in cigarette smoking by education and sexual orientation among U.S. adults. International Journal for Equity Health, 18(1), 109.
- Leavens, E.L., Stevens, E., Brett, E., Hebert, E., Villanti, A.C., Pearson, J.L., Wagener, T.L. (2019). JUUL electronic cigarette use patterns, other tobacco product use and reasons for use among ever users: Results from a convenience sample. Addictive Behaviors. 95, 178-183. DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.02.011.
- Pearson, J.L., Moran, M., Delnevo, C.D., Villanti, A.C. & Lewis, M.J. (2019). Widespread belief that organic and additive-free tobacco products are less harmful than regular tobacco products: Results from the 2017 US Health Information National Trends Survey. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 21(8).
- Stanton, C.A., Bansal-Travers, M., Johnson, A.L., Sharma, E., Katz, L., Ambrose, B.K., Silveira, M.L., Day, H., Sargent, J., Borek ,N., Compton, W.M., Johnson, S., Kimmel, H., Kaufman, A.R., Limpert, J., Abrams, D., Cummings, K.M., Goniewicz, M.L., Tanski, S., Travers, M.J., Hyland, A.J. & Pearson. J.L. (2019). Longitudinal e-cigarette and cigarette use among US youth in the PATH Study (2013-2015). Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 111. 1088-1096.
2018
- Abrams, D.A., Glasser, A.M., Pearson, J.L., Villanti, A.C., Collins, L.K. & Niaura, R.S. (2018). Harm minimization and tobacco control: reframing societal views of nicotine use to rapidly save lives. Annual Review Public Health, 39, 193-213.
- Abrams, D.B., Glasser, A.M., Villanti, A.C., Pearson, J.L., Rose, S. & Niaura, R.S. (2018). Managing nicotine without smoke to save lives now: Evidence for harm minimization. Preventive Medicine. 117, 88-97.
- Cohn, A., Johnson, A.L., Rose, S.W., Pearson, J.L., Villanti, A.C. & Stanton, C. (2018). Population-level patterns and mental health and substance use correlates of alcohol, marijuana and tobacco use and co-use in US young adults and adults: Results from the population assessment for tobacco and health. American Journal on Addictions. 27(6), 491-500.
- Coleman, B., Rostron, B., Johnson, S.E., Persoskie, A., Pearson, J.L., Stanton, C., Choi, K., Anic, G., Goniewicz, M., Cummings, K.M., Kasza, K., Silveira, M., Delnevo, C., Niaura, R., Abrams, D., Kimmel, H., Borek, N., Compton, W. & Hyland, A. (2018). Transitions in electronic cigarette use among adults in the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study, Waves 1 and 2 (2013-2015). Tobacco Control. 28(1), 50-59.
- Collins, L., Glasser, A.M., Abudayyeh, H., Pearson, J.L. & Villanti, A.C. (2018). E-cigarette marketing and communication: how e-cigarette companies market e-cigarettes and the public engages with e-cigarette information. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 21(1), 14-24.
- Moran, M.B., Brown, J., Lindblom, E., Kennedy, R., Cohn, A.M., Lagasse, L. & Pearson, J.L. (2018). Beyond 'natural': Cigarette ad tactics that mislead about relative risk. Tobacco Regulatory Science, 4(5), 3-19.
- Pearson, J.L., Reed, D.M. & Villanti, A.C. (2018). Vapes, e-cigs and mods: what do young adults call e-cigarettes? Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 21(11), 1349-1400.
- Sawdey, M.D., Day, H.R., Coleman, B.N., Gardner, L.D., Johnson, S.E., Limpert, J., Hammad, H.T., Goniewicz, M.L., Abrams, D.B., Stanton, C., Pearson, J.L., Kaufman, A., Kimmel, H.L., Delnevo, C., Compton, W., Bansal-Travers, M., Niaura, R., Hyland, A. & Ambrose, B.K. (2018). Associations of risk factors of e-cigarette and cigarette use and susceptibility to use among baseline PATH Study youth participants (2013–2014). Addictive Behaviors, 91, 51-60.
- Smiley, S., Kiersted, E.C., Harvey, E., Abudayyeh, H. & Pearson, J.L. (2018). An exploratory analysis of adult daily smokers’ experience using e-cigarettes in smoke-free places. Tobacco Induced Diseases, 16,54.
2017
- Glasser, A.M., Katz, L., Pearson, J.L., Abudayyah, H., Niaura, R.S., Abrams, D.A. & Villanti, A.C. (2017). Overview of electronic nicotine delivery systems: A systematic review. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 52(2), e33-e66.
- Kasza, K.A., Ambrose, B.K., Conway, K.P., Borek, N., Taylor, K., Goniewicz, M.L., Cummings, K.M., Sharma, E., Pearson, J.L., Green, V.R., Kaufman, A.R., Bansal-Travers, M., Travers, M.J., Kwan, J., Tworek, C., Cheng, Y.C., Yang, L., Pharris-Ciurej, N., van Bemmel, D.M., Backinger, C.L., Compton, W.M. & Hyland, A.J. (2017). Tobacco-product use by adults and youths in the United States in 2013 and 2014. New England Journal of Medicine, 376(4), 342-353.
- Pearson, J.L., Elmasry, H., Das, B., Smiley, S.L., Rubin, L., DeAtley, T., Harvey, E., Niaura, R. & Abrams, D.B. (2017). Comparison of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) versus direct measurement of e-cigarette use with a Bluetooth-enabled e-cigarette: A pilot study. JMIR Research Protocols, 6(5), e84.
- Pearson, J.L., Hitchman, S.C., Brose, L.S., Bauld, L., Glasser, A.M., Villanti, A.C., McNeill, A., Abrams, D.B. & Cohen, J.E. (2017) Recommended core items to assess e-cigarette use in population-based surveys. Tobacco Control. Advanve online publication.
- Pearson, J.L., Johnson, A., Villanti, A., Glasser, A.M., Collins, L., Cohn, A.M., Rose, S.W., Niaura, R. & Stanton. C.A. (2017). Misperceptions of harm among American Spirit smokers: Results from Wave 1 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study, 2013-2014. Tobacco Control, 26(e1): e61-e67.
- Pearson, J.L., Johnson, A.L., Johnson, S.E., Stanton, C.A., Villanti, A,C., Niaura, R.S., Glasser, A.M., Wang, B., Abrams, D.B., Cummings, K.M. & Hyland, A. (2017). Adult interest in using a modified risk tobacco product (MRTP): Findings from Wave 1 of the PATH Study (2013-2014). Addiction. Advance online publication.
- Smiley, S.L., DeAtley, T., Rubin, L.F., Harvey, E., Kierstead, E.C., Webb Hooper, M., Niaura, R.S., Abrams, D.B. & Pearson, J.L. (2017). Early subjective sensory experiences with "cigalike" e-cigarettes among African American menthol smokers: A qualitative study. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 20(9), 1069-1075.
- Villanti, A.C., Feirman, S.P., Niaura, R.S., Pearson, J.L., Glasser, A.M., Collins, L.K. & Abrams, D.B. (2017). How do we determine the impact of e-cigarettes on cigarette smoking cessation or reduction? Review and recommendations for answering the research question with scientific rigor. Addiction, 113(3), 391–404.
2016
- Pearson, J.L., Smiley, S.L., Rubin, L.F., Anesetti-Rothermel, A., Elmasry, H., Davis, M., DeAtley, T., Harvey, E., Kirchner, T. & Abrams. D.B. (2016). The Moment Study: protocol for a mixed-method observational cohort study of the Alternative Nicotine Delivery Systems (ANDS) initiation process among adult cigarette smokers. BMJ Open, 6(4):e011717.
- Pearson, J.L., Richardson, A., Feirman, S.P., Villanti, A.C., Cantrell, J., Cohn, A., Tacelosky, M. & Kirchner, T.R. (2016). American Spirit pack descriptors and perceptions of harm: a crowdsourced comparison of modified packs. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 18(8), 1749-1756.
2014
- Pearson, J.L., Stanton, C.A., Cha, S., Niaura, R.S., Luta, G. & Graham, A.L. (2014). E-cigarettes and smoking cessation: insights and cautions from a secondary analysis of data from a study of online treatment-seeking smokers. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 17(10), 1219-27.
2013
- Pearson, J.L., Abrams, D.B., Niaura, R.S., Richardson, A. & Vallone, D.M. (2013). Public support for mandated nicotine reduction in cigarettes. American Journal of Public Health, 103(3), 562-7.
2012
- Pearson, J.L., Richardson, A., Niaura, R.S., Vallone, D.M. & Abrams, D.B. (2012). E-cigarette awareness, use and harm perceptions in US adults. American Journal of Public Health, 102(9),1758-66.
2009
- Pearson, J.L., Windsor, R., El-Mohandes, A. & Perry, D.C. (2009). Evaluation of the immediate impact of the Washington, D.C., smoke-free indoor air policy on bar employee environmental tobacco smoke exposure. Public Health Reports, 124(Suppl 1), 134-42.
Education
- Ph.D., Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 2011
- MPH, Community Health, George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, 2007
- B.A., English, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2002