Jennifer Cornacchione Ross, PhD
Associate Professor
Boston University School of Public Health
Health Law, Policy & Management

PhD, Michigan State University
MA, Michigan State University
BA, Alma College

Pronouns: she/her/hers



Jennifer Cornacchione Ross, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Law, Policy, and Management at Boston University School of Public Health. She is a communication scientist who uses persuasion and health communication theories and methods to develop and test effective messages to reduce tobacco use and understand message features that may influence beliefs, such as tobacco industry marketing. Much of her work is focused on tobacco policy and regulation among priority populations, including adolescents, young adults, and those identifying as Black or African American. Through her work, Dr. Ross seeks to reduce tobacco-related disparities and provide evidence for implementing equitable tobacco policies. She is PI/MPI for two R01 studies funded by the National Cancer Institute to optimize and test the effectiveness of warnings for cigarillos among young adults and adolescents. Dr. Ross earned her PhD in Communication from Michigan State University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in tobacco regulatory science at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility

As a public health researcher, I have a strong belief in health equity—that all individuals should have fair and equal access to healthcare and health information, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, economic status, geographic location, or education. Health equity and diversity go hand-in-hand—health equity cannot be achieved without considering the lived experiences and cultures of diverse populations. I seek to create space for and support those who are marginalized, whether they are research participants, colleagues, or students, in achieving their health or academic goals.

Much of my research focuses on addressing health disparities. In my work in tobacco prevention and control, I have focused on tobacco products that have received less public health attention but that are used most frequently by priority populations, including those identifying as Black or African American, LGBTQ-identifying individuals, and those with lower incomes. Tobacco use disparities are significant, and my research is focused on how to effectively communicate the risks of tobacco products, particularly little cigars and cigarillos (LCCs), to reduce tobacco use among these priority populations. Ultimately, my work could inform equitable policies, such as effective product warning labels, marketing restrictions, and strategies that may help make counter-tobacco messaging more effective at reducing use.

I believe strongly in fostering diverse student voices and creating an inclusive culture within my classroom and office. I also believe in diversity and representation with subject material; students can benefit from seeing different perspectives and seeing the achievements of communication and public health scientists from diverse backgrounds to help them see themselves as future scientists in the field. Overall, I believe strongly in the value of training a diverse generation of scholars who can bring unique perspectives and ideals to the field of public health.


Adolescent exposure to nicotine and tobacco content on social media: incorporating adolescent experiences and social media analytics to inform exposure assessment
02/15/2026 - 01/31/2031 (Key Person / Mentor)
PI: Lynsie Renee Ranker, PhD, MPH
NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse
1K01DA064820-01

The Impact of Product Packaging on Appeal, Knowledge and Risk Perceptions of Cannabis Edibles
09/01/2022 - 02/28/2026 (Subcontract PI)
Wake Forest University Health Sciences NIH NIDA
5R01DA053209-04

Strengthening Cigar Warnings to Prevent Adolescent Use
09/01/2022 - 08/31/2025 (Subcontract PI)
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill NIH NCI
5R01CA260822-03

The Impact of Cigarillo Warnings on Purchasing and Smoking Behaviors Among Young Adult Cigarillo Users
09/01/2022 - 04/30/2025 (PI)
NIH/National Cancer Institute
5R01CA260460-04

Communicating Waterpipe Tobacco Harms to Reduce Use among Young Adults
09/01/2022 - 03/31/2025 (Subcontract PI)
Wake Forest University Health Sciences NIH NCI
5R01CA241420-05

Little Cigar and Cigarillo Warnings to Reduce Tobacco-Related Cancers and Disease
09/01/2022 - 08/31/2024 (Subcontract PI)
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill NIH NCI
5R01CA240732-05



Title

Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.

iCite Analysis       Copy PMIDs To Clipboard

  1. Sutfin EL, Noar SM, Lazard AJ, Belina SP, Zizzi AR, Jebai R, Suerken CK, Reboussin BA, Wagoner KG, Cornacchione Ross J. Development and Testing of Waterpipe Tobacco Text and Pictorial Warnings Among Young Adults in the United States. Nicotine Tob Res. 2026 Apr 22; 28(5):731-741.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40796257; DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntaf170;
     
  2. Jebai R, Ranker LR, Fetterman JL, Chen HY, Hong T, Ross JC. How effective are national tobacco prevention and cessation campaigns in reaching youth? Population assessment of tobacco and health, Wave 7 insights. Addict Behav. 2026 Feb 24; 178:108651.View Related Profiles. PMID: 41762946
     
  3. Kowitt SD, Clark SA, Jetsupphasuk M, Jarman KL, Jebai R, Goldstein AO, Cornacchione Ross J, Ranney LM. Examining the influence of descriptors used to market unflavoured cigarillos: an experiment with a sample of youth and young adults from the USA. Tob Control. 2026 Jan 08.View Related Profiles. PMID: 41506908; PMCID: PMC12888922; DOI: 10.1136/tc-2025-059806;
     
  4. Sharma A, Belton A, Ozga JE, Ling P, Hrywna M, Cornacchione Ross J, Ganz O, Bold KW, Stanton C. Marketing strategies in business-to-business advertisements for oral nicotine products. Tob Control. 2026 Jan 08; 35(1):125-128. PMID: 39613332; PMCID: PMC12116845; DOI: 10.1136/tc-2024-058826;
     
  5. Chen HY, Zhuang Y, Jebai R, Beaudoin C, Ranker LR, Fetterman JL, Cornacchione Ross J, Hong T. Systematic review of eye-tracking experiments evaluating tobacco health warning labels. Tob Control. 2025 Dec 30.View Related Profiles. PMID: 41469201; DOI: 10.1136/tc-2025-059510;
     
  6. Cornacchione Ross J, Jebai R, Gray JC, Rosellini AJ, Little MA, Adams RS. Tobacco Product Use and Type by Military Veteran Status: Findings from the National Health Interview Survey, 2021-2023. Nicotine Tob Res. 2025 Dec 23; 28(1):79-89.View Related Profiles. PMID: 41035128; PMCID: PMC12723235; DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntaf142;
     
  7. Cornacchione Ross J, Denlinger-Apte RL, Bello MS, Tidey JW, Colby SM, Cassidy RN. The Relationship between Cannabis Use and Demand for Cigarettes in Adolescents who Smoke Cigarettes. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2025 Dec 01; 277:112959. PMID: 41260022; DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2025.112959;
     
  8. Jebai R, Kowitt SD, Ranney LM, Cornacchione Ross J. Psychological Distress is Associated With Blunt Use Among Youth in the United States: Insights From the 2021-2023 National Youth Tobacco Surveys. Nicotine Tob Res. 2025 Sep 23; 27(10):1760-1768.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40037399; PMCID: PMC13010150; DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntaf049;
     
  9. Ganz O, Delnevo CD, Villanti AC, Schroth KRJ, Cornacchione Ross J. Letter to the Editor: Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) Star Athlete Kelsey Plum Gets Signature Premium Cigar Amidst Record-Breaking WNBA Viewership. Nicotine Tob Res. 2025 Sep 23; 27(10):1856-1857. PMID: 40312823; PMCID: PMC12453667; DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntaf094;
     
  10. Cornacchione Ross J, Ranker LR, Fetterman JL, Benjamin EJ, Hong T. Public Support for Warning Label Policies on Social Media Among U.S. Adults in 2024. Am J Prev Med. 2025 Dec; 69(6):108067.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40854337; DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2025.108067;
     
Showing 10 of 106 results. Show More

This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown, or last author.

Bar chart showing 106 publications over 15 distinct years, with a maximum of 21 publications in 2024

YearPublications
20102
20111
20121
20132
20165
20174
20186
20197
20206
202112
202210
20237
202421
202518
20264

In addition to these self-described keywords below, a list of MeSH based concepts is available here.

Cigar
Smoking
Smoking, Cigar
Tobacco Products
Communication
Cannabis
Campaigns, Health
Tobacco regulatory science

Available to Mentor as: (Review Mentor Role Definitions):
  • Advisor
  • Career Mentor
  • Co-Mentor or Peer Mentor
  • Project Mentor
  • Research / Scholarly Mentor
Contact for Mentoring:
  • Email (see 'Contact Info')

715 Albany St
Boston MA 02118
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