Dr. Shafer is an assistant professor in the Department of Health Law, Policy, and Management and co-director of the Boston University Medicaid Policy Lab. His research focuses on how health insurance and social safety net policies affect health, well-being, and equity. Do they work and are the benefits distributed equitably? If they don't work or have unintended consequences, why and how can we fix them? He is also an investigator with the Partnered Evidence-based Policy Resource Center at the VA Boston Healthcare System and research fellow with the Office of Personnel Management.
He previously served as a research economist at RTI International and junior fellow at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. He is a former Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholar, which amplified his commitment to policy-engaged scholarship and research translation. He holds a PhD in health policy and management with a concentration in health economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an MA in applied economics from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and a BA in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility
I endeavor to incorporate equity into everything I do—Think, Teach, and Do.
Think — The focus of my work is on health insurance and social safety net policies, which are inherently linked to equity and health. I perform rigorous evaluation of policies and campaigns to determine which are most effective and communicate what I learn beyond the research community––to policymakers and the public so they can advocate for and implement evidence-based and/or equitable policies. Often a lack of evidence is used to uphold a status quo that is a legacy of racist and discriminatory systems, unwittingly using science as a weapon to maintain them, which we should resist at every turn. I previously served as co-PI of a Commonwealth Fund grant ("A data-driven approach to ending racial inequity through health policy evaluation and innovation") to the Center for Antiracist Research, where I was a faculty affiliate from inception, supporting equity-focused health policy research and translation. I am currently working with the Office of Personnel Management, the human resources agency of the federal government, to understand affordability and equity in the Federal Employee Health Benefits program, the largest employer health insurance plan in the country.
Teach — I help train underrepresented scholars and bring their voices into the scientific and policymaking arenas. I support first-generation scholars, like me, and scholars of color that are coming up behind me, making the hidden curriculum more visible and investing the time that won’t show up in my CV but can make a difference in their career trajectory. I currently serve as a Terrier F1RSTS Advocate and previously served as BUSPH FirstGen Mentor and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholars Alumni Community Pillar. I was recognized as a Provost Mentor Fellow at BU in 2021 for my commitment to inclusive mentoring. I have advocated for students from non-traditional and underrepresented backgrounds on our PhD admissions and departmental DEIJ committees, knowing that reversing inequities in academia and research requires vision and investment. The safe choice is rarely the equitable one, but we can't keep doing things the same way and expect different outcomes.
Do — I continue educating myself on the history and theories of race, class, and inequality, and partner with scholars of different identities and lived experience when conducting research involving communities that I do not represent. Having, and instilling in students, humility and deep respect for the people who our work is informed and/or affected by should always guide our actions. We continue to fight for acknowledgment that systemic racism has causal impacts on health through differences in education, policing, and other factors, providing an understanding upon which policies and institutions can be rebuilt equitably. We clearly have much work to do on this front—the education of American history, universal access to voting, science, and public health have all become politicized and deeply polarized.
Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other
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Shafer PR, Palani S, Saeed I, Legler A, Barr K, Carvalho K, Pizer SD. Costs and Productivity Benefits of the Department of Veterans Affairs Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks Act Scribes Trial. Value Health. 2024 Mar 08.View Related Profiles. PMID: 38462222
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McCann NC, Dean LT, Bovell-Ammon A, Ettinger de Cuba S, Green T, Shafer PR, Raifman J. Association between Child Tax Credit advance payments and food insufficiency in households experiencing economic shocks. Health Affairs Scholar. 2024; 2(2):qxae011. View Publication
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Shafer PR, Palmer M, Cho A, Lynch M, Louis P, Skinner A. A dataset of geocoded Medicaid office locations in the United States. Data Brief. 2024 Apr; 53:110068. PMID: 38317730; PMCID: PMC10838700; DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2024.110068;
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Shafer PR, Anderson DM, Horný M, Dusetzina SB. The Practical Challenges Of Implementing Monthly Cost-Sharing Limits In Commercial Health Plans. Health Affairs Forefront. 2023. View Publication
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Palani S, Saeed I, Legler A, Sadej I, MacDonald C, Kirsh SR, Pizer SD, Shafer PR. Effect of a National VHA Medical Scribe Pilot on Provider Productivity, Wait Times, and Patient Satisfaction in Cardiology and Orthopedics. J Gen Intern Med. 2023 Jul; 38(Suppl 3):878-886.View Related Profiles. PMID: 37340268; PMCID: PMC10356725; DOI: 10.1007/s11606-023-08114-6;
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Anderson A, Lewis DF, Shafer P, Anderson J, LaVeist TA. Public trust is earned: Historical discrimination, carceral violence, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Health Serv Res. 2023 Aug; 58 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):218-228. PMID: 37279782; PMCID: PMC10339167; DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.14187;
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Shafer PR, Dusetzina SB, Sabik LM, Platts-Mills TF, Stearns SC, Trogdon JG. High Deductible Health Plans and Use of Free Preventive Services Under the Affordable Care Act. Inquiry. 2023; 60:469580231182512. PMID: 37329296; PMCID: PMC10278429; DOI: 10.1177/00469580231182512;
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Auty SG, Griffith KN, Shafer PR, Gee RE, Conti RM. Improving Access to High-Value, High-Cost Medicines: The Use of Subscription Models to Treat Hepatitis C Using Direct-Acting Antivirals in the United States. J Health Polit Policy Law. 2022 Dec 01; 47(6):691-708.View Related Profiles. PMID: 35867531; PMCID: PMC9789167; DOI: 10.1215/03616878-10041121;
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Dore EC, Livingston Iii MD, Shafer PR. Easing Cash Assistance Rules During COVID-19 Was Associated With Reduced Days Of Poor Physical And Mental Health. Health Aff (Millwood). 2022 Nov; 41(11):1590-1597. PMID: 36343321; DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2022.00740;
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Katchmar A, Shafer P, Siegel M. Analysis of state portrayals of the risks of e-cigarette use and the cause of the EVALI outbreak. Harm Reduct J. 2022 Oct 05; 19(1):112. PMID: 36199112; PMCID: PMC9535934; DOI: 10.1186/s12954-022-00694-6;
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Myerson R, Anderson DM, Baum LM, Fowler EF, Gollust SE, Shafer PR. Association of Funding Cuts to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Navigator Program With Privately Sponsored Television Advertising. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Aug 01; 5(8):e2224651. PMID: 35913740; PMCID: PMC9344363; DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.24651;
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Shafer PR, Hinde JM. Medicaid Applications Spike during Marketplace Open Enrollment: Lessons from Covered California. J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2022; 33(3):1155-1162. PMID: 36245153
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Horný M, Shafer PR, Dusetzina SB. Concordance of Disclosed Hospital Prices With Total Reimbursements for Hospital-Based Care Among Commercially Insured Patients in the US. JAMA Netw Open. 2021 12 01; 4(12):e2137390. PMID: 34902037; PMCID: PMC8669520; DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.37390;
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Wright B, Anderson D, Whitaker R, Shrader P, Bettger JP, Wong C, Shafer P. Comparing health care use and costs among new Medicaid enrollees before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Health Serv Res. 2021 Oct 25; 21(1):1152. PMID: 34696801; PMCID: PMC8544632; DOI: 10.1186/s12913-021-07027-6;
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Shafer PR. Expanded unemployment benefits and their implications for health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health Serv Res. 2022 02; 57(1):12-14. PMID: 34585742; PMCID: PMC8652454; DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.13881;
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Shafer PR, Anderson DM, Whitaker R, Wong CA, Wright B. Association Of Unemployment With Medicaid Enrollment By Social Vulnerability In North Carolina During COVID-19. Health Aff (Millwood). 2021 09; 40(9):1491-1500. PMID: 34495714; DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2021.00377;
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Shafer PR, Anderson DM, Baum LM, Fowler EF, Gollust SE. Changes in Marketplace competition and television advertising by insurers. Am J Manag Care. 2021 08; 27(8):323-328. PMID: 34460174
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Hoagland A, Shafer P. Out-of-pocket costs for preventive care persist almost a decade after the Affordable Care Act. Prev Med. 2021 09; 150:106690. PMID: 34144061; DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106690;
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Shafer PR, Garrido MM, Pearson E, Palani S, Woodruff A, Lyn AM, Williams KM, Kirsh SR, Pizer SD. Design and implementation of a cluster randomized trial measuring benefits of medical scribes in the VA. Contemp Clin Trials. 2021 07; 106:106455.View Related Profiles. PMID: 34048944; PMCID: PMC8319919; DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2021.106455;
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Chen S, Shafer PR, Dusetzina SB, Horný M. Annual Out-Of-Pocket Spending Clusters Within Short Time Intervals: Implications For Health Care Affordability. Health Aff (Millwood). 2021 02; 40(2):274-280. PMID: 33523742
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Huberfeld N, Shafer PR. In Its First 100 Days, The Biden Administration Must Restore The Soul Of Medicaid. Health Affairs Forefront. 2021. View Publication
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Shafer P, Frakt AB. To Truly Build the Affordable Care Act Into Universal Coverage, More Creativity Is Needed. JAMA. 2020 Nov 17; 324(19):1931-1932.View Related Profiles. PMID: 33201194
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Ellison J, Shafer P, Cole MB. Racial/Ethnic And Income-Based Disparities In Health Savings Account Participation Among Privately Insured Adults. Health Aff (Millwood). 2020 11; 39(11):1917-1925.View Related Profiles. PMID: 33136490
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Shafer PR, Horný M, Dusetzina SB. Rethinking Annual Deductibles: The Case For Monthly Cost-Sharing Limits. Health Affairs Forefront. 2020. View Publication
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Shafer PR, Dusetzina SB, Sabik LM, Platts-Mills TF, Stearns SC, Trogdon JG. Insurance instability and use of emergency and office-based care after gaining coverage: An observational cohort study. PLoS One. 2020; 15(9):e0238100. PMID: 32886675; PMCID: PMC7473517; DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0238100;
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Shafer PR, Anderson DM, Aquino SM, Baum LM, Fowler EF, Gollust SE. Competing Public and Private Television Advertising Campaigns and Marketplace Enrollment for 2015 to 2018. RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences. 2020; 2(6):85-112.
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Shafer PR, Huberfeld N, Golberstein E. Medicaid Retroactive Eligibility Waivers Will Leave Thousands Responsible For Coronavirus Treatment Costs. Health Affairs Forefront. 2020. View Publication
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Ngo-Metzger Q, Zuvekas S, Shafer P, Tracer H, Borsky AE, Bierman AS. Statin Use in the U.S. for Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease Remains Suboptimal. J Am Board Fam Med. 2019 Nov-Dec; 32(6):807-817. PMID: 31704749
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Hassmiller Lich K, O'Leary MC, Nambiar S, Townsley RM, Mayorga ME, Hicklin K, Frerichs L, Shafer PR, Davis MM, Wheeler SB. Estimating the impact of insurance expansion on colorectal cancer and related costs in North Carolina: A population-level simulation analysis. Prev Med. 2019 12; 129S:105847. PMID: 31666187; PMCID: PMC7065511; DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.105847;
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Anderson D, Shafer P. The Trump Effect: Postinauguration Changes in Marketplace Enrollment. J Health Polit Policy Law. 2019 10 01; 44(5):715-736. PMID: 31199870; DOI: 10.1215/03616878-7611623;
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Shafer P. Impact of US Smoke-free Air Laws on Restaurant and Bar Employment, 1990-2015. Nicotine Tob Res. 2019 03 30; 21(4):547-550. PMID: 29309684
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Gertner AK, Rotter JS, Shafer PR. Association Between State Minimum Wages and Suicide Rates in the U.S. Am J Prev Med. 2019 05; 56(5):648-654. PMID: 30905484
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Shafer JS, Shafer PR, Haley KL. Caregivers navigating rehabilitative care for people with aphasia after stroke: a multi-lens perspective. Int J Lang Commun Disord. 2019 07; 54(4):634-644. PMID: 30884057; PMCID: PMC6609487; DOI: 10.1111/1460-6984.12467;
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Shafer PR, Borsky A, Ngo-Metzger Q, Miller T, Meyers D. The Practice Gap: National Estimates of Screening and Counseling for Alcohol, Tobacco, and Obesity. Ann Fam Med. 2019 03; 17(2):161-163. PMID: 30858260; PMCID: PMC6411410; DOI: 10.1370/afm.2363;
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Davis MM, Shafer P, Renfro S, Hassmiller Lich K, Shannon J, Coronado GD, McConnell KJ, Wheeler SB. Does a transition to accountable care in Medicaid shift the modality of colorectal cancer testing? BMC Health Serv Res. 2019 Jan 21; 19(1):54. PMID: 30665396; PMCID: PMC6341697; DOI: 10.1186/s12913-018-3864-5;
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Shafer PR, Fowler EF, Baum L, Gollust SE. Television Advertising and Health Insurance Marketplace Consumer Engagement in Kentucky: A Natural Experiment. J Med Internet Res. 2018 10 25; 20(10):e10872. PMID: 30361198; PMCID: PMC6234351; DOI: 10.2196/10872;
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Trogdon JG, Shafer P, Lindsay B, Coyne-Beasley T. Determinants of the receipt of the 9-valent human papillomavirus vaccine in the first year after introduction in North Carolina. Vaccine. 2018 02 28; 36(10):1310-1315. PMID: 29366705; DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2018.01.014;
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Trogdon JG, Shafer P, Lindsay B, Coyne-Beasley T. Impact of introduction of the 9-valent human papillomavirus vaccine on vaccination coverage of youth in North Carolina. Vaccine. 2018 02 28; 36(10):1304-1309. PMID: 29395530; DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2018.01.013;
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Agaku IT, Davis K, Patel D, Shafer P, Cox S, Ridgeway W, King BA. A longitudinal study of the relationship between receptivity to e-cigarette advertisements and e-cigarette use among baseline non-users of cigarettes and e-cigarettes, United States. Tob Induc Dis. 2017; 15:42. PMID: 29142532; PMCID: PMC5674854; DOI: 10.1186/s12971-017-0145-8;
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Davis KC, Patel D, Shafer P, Duke J, Glover-Kudon R, Ridgeway W, Cox S. Association Between Media Doses of the Tips From Former Smokers Campaign and Cessation Behaviors and Intentions to Quit Among Cigarette Smokers, 2012-2015. Health Educ Behav. 2018 02; 45(1):52-60. PMID: 28497703; PMCID: PMC6193261; DOI: 10.1177/1090198117709316;
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Kim A, Nonnemaker J, Guillory J, Shafer P, Parvanta S, Holloway J, Farrelly M. Antismoking Ads at the Point of Sale: The Influence of Ad Type and Context on Ad Reactions. J Health Commun. 2017 06; 22(6):477-487. PMID: 28441097; DOI: 10.1080/10810730.2017.1311970;
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Shafer PR, Dusetzina SB. Looking Ahead To 2018: Will A Shorter Open Enrollment Period Reduce Adverse Selection In Exchange Plans?. Health Affairs Forefront. 2017. View Publication
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Caraballo RS, Shafer PR, Patel D, Davis KC, McAfee TA. Quit Methods Used by US Adult Cigarette Smokers, 2014-2016. Prev Chronic Dis. 2017 04 13; 14:E32. PMID: 28409740; PMCID: PMC5392446; DOI: 10.5888/pcd14.160600;
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Davis KC, Shafer PR, Rodes R, Kim A, Hansen H, Patel D, Coln C, Beistle D. Does Digital Video Advertising Increase Population-Level Reach of Multimedia Campaigns? Evidence From the 2013 Tips From Former Smokers Campaign. J Med Internet Res. 2016 09 14; 18(9):e235. PMID: 27627853; PMCID: PMC5040867; DOI: 10.2196/jmir.5683;
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Patel D, Davis KC, Cox S, Bradfield B, King BA, Shafer P, Caraballo R, Bunnell R. Reasons for current E-cigarette use among U.S. adults. Prev Med. 2016 12; 93:14-20. PMID: 27612572; PMCID: PMC5316292; DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2016.09.011;
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Farrelly MC, Shafer PR. Comparing Trends Between Food Insecurity and Cigarette Smoking Among Adults in the United States, 1998 to 2011. Am J Health Promot. 2017 Sep; 31(5):413-416. PMID: 27493199
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Trogdon JG, Shafer PR, Shah PD, Calo WA. Are state laws granting pharmacists authority to vaccinate associated with HPV vaccination rates among adolescents? Vaccine. 2016 08 31; 34(38):4514-4519. PMID: 27496275; PMCID: PMC4996696; DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.07.056;
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Davis KC, Duke J, Shafer P, Patel D, Rodes R, Beistle D. Perceived Effectiveness of Antismoking Ads and Association with Quit Attempts Among Smokers: Evidence from the Tips From Former Smokers Campaign. Health Commun. 2017 08; 32(8):931-938. PMID: 27435919; DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2016.1196413;
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Neff LJ, Patel D, Davis K, Ridgeway W, Shafer P, Cox S. Evaluation of the National Tips From Former Smokers Campaign: the 2014 Longitudinal Cohort. Prev Chronic Dis. 2016 Mar 24; 13:E42. PMID: 27010845; PMCID: PMC4807436; DOI: 10.5888/pcd13.150556;
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Shafer PR, Davis KC, Patel D, Rodes R, Beistle D. Association Between Media Dose, Ad Tagging, and Changes in Web Traffic for a National Tobacco Education Campaign: A Market-Level Longitudinal Study. J Med Internet Res. 2016 Feb 17; 18(2):e39. PMID: 26887959; PMCID: PMC4776023; DOI: 10.2196/jmir.5343;
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Shafer PR, Loomis BR. Economic Impact of Smoke-Free Air Laws in North Dakota on Restaurants and Bars. Nicotine Tob Res. 2016 08; 18(8):1798-801. PMID: 26889004; DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntw038;
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Davis KC, Allen J, Duke J, Nonnemaker J, Bradfield B, Farrelly MC, Shafer P, Novak S. Correlates of Marijuana Drugged Driving and Openness to Driving While High: Evidence from Colorado and Washington. PLoS One. 2016; 11(1):e0146853. PMID: 26800209; PMCID: PMC4723241; DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146853;
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Nonnemaker J, Kim A, Shafer P, Loomis B, Hill E, Holloway J, Farrelly M. Influence of point-of-sale tobacco displays and plain black and white cigarette packaging and advertisements on adults: Evidence from a virtual store experimental study. Addict Behav. 2016 May; 56:15-22. PMID: 26785362; DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2016.01.001;
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Lee YO, Shafer PR, Eggers ME, Kim AE, Parvanta SA, Nonnemaker JM. Effect of a voluntary e-cigarette warning label on risk perceptions. Tobacco Regulatory Science. 2016; 2(1):82-93.
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McAfee T, Davis KC, Shafer P, Patel D, Alexander R, Bunnell R. Increasing the dose of television advertising in a national antismoking media campaign: results from a randomised field trial. Tob Control. 2017 01; 26(1):19-28. PMID: 26678518; PMCID: PMC5108680; DOI: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2015-052517;
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Davis KC, Alexander RL, Shafer P, Mann N, Malarcher A, Zhang L. The Dose-Response Relationship Between Tobacco Education Advertising and Calls to Quitlines in the United States, March-June, 2012. Prev Chronic Dis. 2015 Nov 05; 12:E191. PMID: 26542143; PMCID: PMC4651112; DOI: 10.5888/pcd12.150157;
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Kim AE, Nonnemaker JM, Loomis BR, Shafer PR, Shaikh A, Hill E, Holloway JW, Farrelly MC. Influence of point-of-sale tobacco displays and graphic health warning signs on adults: evidence from a virtual store experimental study. Am J Public Health. 2014 May; 104(5):888-95. PMID: 24625149; PMCID: PMC3987611; DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301723;
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Kim AE, Lee YO, Shafer P, Nonnemaker J, Makarenko O. Adult smokers' receptivity to a television advert for electronic nicotine delivery systems. Tob Control. 2015 Mar; 24(2):132-5. PMID: 24092599; DOI: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2013-051130;
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Loomis BR, Shafer PR, van Hasselt M. The economic impact of smoke-free laws on restaurants and bars in 9 States. Prev Chronic Dis. 2013 Aug 01; 10:E128. PMID: 23906328; PMCID: PMC3733478; DOI: 10.5888/pcd10.120327;
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Kim AE, Nonnemaker JM, Loomis BR, Baig A, Hill E, Holloway JW, Farrelly MC, Shafer PR. Influence of tobacco displays and ads on youth: a virtual store experiment. Pediatrics. 2013 Jan; 131(1):e88-95. PMID: 23209108; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2012-0197;
This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown,
or last author.
| Year | Publications |
|---|
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 2 |
| 2016 | 11 |
| 2017 | 6 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 8 |
| 2020 | 8 |
| 2021 | 13 |
| 2022 | 9 |
| 2023 | 9 |
| 2024 | 5 |
2024 Health Affairs Scholar:
Peer Review Board
2023 Health Services Research:
Editorial Board
2022 Boston University:
Teach Award
2022 Tradeoffs:
Research Council
2021 Health Services Research:
Outstanding Reviewer
2021 AcademyHealth:
Best of Annual Research Meeting
2021 AcademyHealth:
Best of Health Economics Interest Group
2021 Boston University:
Provost Mentor Fellow
2020 Boston University:
Early Career Catalyst Award
2019 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill:
Jean G. Yates Outstanding Doctoral Student Award
2019 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill:
Impact Award
2018 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill:
Harry T. Phillips Award for Outstanding Teaching by a Doctoral Student
2017-2019 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill:
Graduate Tuition Incentive Scholarship
2017 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill:
Delta Omega Academic Excellence Award
2016-2019 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation:
Health Policy Research Scholar
2016 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill:
Future Faculty Fellowship
2015 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill:
Doctoral Merit Assistantship
2014 RTI International:
President's Award
2014 RTI International:
Highly Published Author Award
2012 RTI International:
Annual Award
2011 University of North Carolina at Greensboro:
Omicron Delta Epsilon