My research focuses on understanding disparities in tobacco use behaviors and identifying how programs and policies may address tobacco-related disparities in the population, especially those living at or below the poverty level. I am currently the Principal Investigator of a R01 grant from the National Cancer Institute to evaluate the Housing and Urban Development’s (HUDs) smokefree rule in public housing in the District of Columbia. I have broad experience in empirical work and methodological approaches to assess substance use behaviors and cessation. I recently completed two clinical trials to assess novel smoking cessation aids. Furthermore, I have served as Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator on numerous other research projects, funded by both nonprofit organizations (PI, ‘New Tobacco Investigator Award’ from ClearWay Minnesota) and NIH, to examine patterns of tobacco use among adolescents and young adults, and multilevel factors that influence tobacco use behaviors (e.g., neighborhood and school characteristics, social environment). The findings from my work have been published in premier public health and medical journals including CHEST, American Journal of Public Health, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, and Preventive Medicine.