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

PhD, Michigan State University

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.


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

The Impact of Product Packaging on Appeal, Knowledge and Risk Perceptions of Cannabis Edibles
09/01/2022 - 02/28/2025 (Subcontract PI)
Wake Forest University Health Sciences NIH NIDA
5R01DA053209-03

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. Ozga JE, Cornacchione Ross J, Hrywna M, Sharma A, Ling PM, Stanton CA. Oral nicotine product marketing expenditures in the USA from 2016 to 2023: trends over time by brand and targeted media outlets. Tob Control. 2025 May 15; 34(3):382-385. PMID: 38485232; PMCID: PMC12128758; DOI: 10.1136/tc-2023-058537;
     
  2. Lyu JC, Ozga JE, Stanton CA, Hrywna M, Ganz O, Cornacchione Ross J, Sharma A, Ling PM. Advertising the leading US nicotine pouch brand: a content analysis of ZYN advertisements from 2019 to 2023. Tob Control. 2025 May 07. PMID: 40335264; DOI: 10.1136/tc-2024-059145;
     
  3. 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 May 02. PMID: 40312823; DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntaf094;
     
  4. Motta M, Callaghan T, Ross JC, Gargano L, Yokum D. Promoting RSV vaccine confidence through reversal narrative (RN) messaging. Vaccine. 2025 May 22; 56:127178.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40311215
     
  5. Clark SA, Kowitt SD, Jarman KL, Lazard AJ, Queen TL, Ranney LM, Cornacchione Ross J, Sheeran P, Thrasher JF, Goldstein AO. The Role of Harm Visibility for Pictorial Health Warning Labels on Cigars. Nicotine Tob Res. 2025 Mar 24; 27(4):714-721. PMID: 38918001; PMCID: PMC11931216; DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntae113;
     
  6. Jebai R, Sutfin EL, Cassidy RN, Zizzi AR, Reboussin BA, Cornacchione Ross J. Relative Efficacy of Cigarillo Warning Statements in Text and Pictorial Formats: An Experimental Study Among a Sample of US Young Adults. Nicotine Tob Res. 2025 Feb 24; 27(3):525-533.View Related Profiles. PMID: 39320986; PMCID: PMC11847773; DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntae228;
     
  7. Motta M, Callaghan T, Padmanabhan M, Ross JC, Gargano LM, Bowman S, Yokum D. Identifying and mitigating the public health consequences of meta-ignorance about "Long COVID" risks. Public Health. 2025 Apr; 241:19-23.View Related Profiles. PMID: 39938278
     
  8. Jebai R, Hong T, Ranker LR, Wu J, Rohila A, Fetterman JL, Cornacchione Ross J. Social Media Engagement and Quit Intentions among Youth with Exclusive E-cigarette Use: The Moderating Role of Social Norms. Nicotine Tob Res. 2025 Feb 06.View Related Profiles. PMID: 39912206; DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntaf031;
     
  9. Soule EK, Cornacchione Ross J, Lazard AJ, Jang H, Suerken CK, Kimes CM, Zizzi AR, Wagoner KG, Reboussin BA, Sutfin EL. Digital Marketing Strategies Used to Promote Waterpipe Tobacco Among Retailers and Manufacturers. Subst Use Misuse. 2025; 60(5):640-647. PMID: 39815410; PMCID: PMC11870796; DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2024.2446736;
     
  10. Ganz O, Ross JC. A topical examination of Cigar Aficionado magazine content, 2023. Tob Prev Cessat. 2024; 10. PMID: 39669262; PMCID: PMC11635648; DOI: 10.18332/tpc/196229;
     
Showing 10 of 94 results. Show More

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

Bar chart showing 94 publications over 14 distinct years, with a maximum of 22 publications in 2024

YearPublications
20102
20111
20121
20132
20165
20174
20186
20197
20206
202112
202210
20237
202422
20259

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

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715 Albany St
Boston MA 02118
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