Ziming Xuan, ScD, SM, MA
Professor
Boston University School of Public Health
Community Health Sciences

ScD, Harvard University
SM/ScM, Harvard University
MA, University of Connecticut
BA, Nanjing University



Ziming Xuan is a Professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences and the Department of Epidemiology at the Boston University School of Public Health. He is a faculty member of the Primary Care Academic Fellowship Program, and a faculty member of the Transformative Training Program in Addiction Science (TTPAS) at Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine. He is a faculty member of the Injury Prevention Center, and a member of the Health Equity Accelerator at Boston Medical Center. He is a Frederick Pardee Faculty Research Fellow at Boston University.

He is a social epidemiologist who is interested in understanding the influence of social-contextual determinants, especially policy determinants on health, particularly among vulnerable populations (i.e., youth, patients with substance abuse, and women). He is also interested in the methodologies involved in social-behavioral interventions to promote healthy behavioral changes and enhance community well-being. His research interests include health policies related to alcohol, marijuana, other substance use and guns, youth health, alcohol advertising, impaired driving, substance use disorders, mental health and addiction. He received his Doctor of Science Degree (Sc.D.) in public health in 2010 and Master’s Degree (S.M.) in Biostatistics in 2008 from Harvard University.

He has led multiple R01 studies examining policy determinants on substance use and injury outcomes in the United States, and has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institute of Justice, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the American Cancer Society. He has co-authored over 180 peer-reviewed articles.

Dr. Xuan is currently serving as a member of the SPH Appointments and Promotions Committee. His prior university activities include serving the Director of Health Communication and Promotion certificate for the MPH program, a member of the Faculty Senate, and the Boston University Faculty Council Nominating Committee. At Boston University School of Public Health, he has been teaching SB822: Quantitative Methods for Program Evaluation. He is the Director of the Program on Adolescent Behavior & Health at SPH.

Dr. Xuan has provided research expertise to various health agencies including the World Health Organization, and Innovations for Poverty Action among others. His research has been featured by Reuters, CNN, US News & World Report, and the Boston Globe among others. Dr. Xuan has served in study sections of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, including special study section on COVID-19 and Consequences of Alcohol Use. Currently he is serving on the editorial board for the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs and the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Professor
Boston University School of Public Health
Epidemiology




THRIVE-DM: Improving Diabetes Care with Strategies for Addressing Health-Related Social Needs and Community Partnerships
08/12/2024 - 06/30/2027 (Subcontract PI)
Boston Medical Center Corporation NIH NIDDK
1R01DK140570-01

The Confluence of State Bullying Policies and Firearm Policies in Reducing Youth Gun Carrying and Fatality
09/30/2023 - 09/29/2026 (PI)
HHS/Center for Disease Control


NATIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE AWARD
07/01/2021 - 06/30/2026 (Subcontract PI)
Boston Medical Center Corporation HHS HRSA


Adapting and evaluating a brief advice tobacco intervention in high-reach, lowresource settings in India
06/01/2020 - 05/31/2026 (Subcontract PI)
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute NIH NCI
5R01CA230355-05

Digital Health Supported Weight Management Intervention Delivered by Community Health Workers among Public Housing Residents
12/01/2023 - 03/31/2026 (Subcontract PI)
Tufts Medical Center, Inc. NIH NCI
5R01CA238335-06

Integrating responses to stimulant overdose among post-overdose programs
09/30/2021 - 09/29/2025 (Subcontract PI)
Boston Medical Center Corporation HHS CDC NIOSH


Digital Health Supported Weight Management Intervention Delivered by Community Health Workers among Public Housing Residents
02/14/2020 - 08/31/2023 (Subcontract PI)
Boston Medical Center Corporation NIH NCI
5R01CA238335-03

Identifying and Testing Post-Overdose Outreach Adaptations to Enhance Survivor Engagement During the COVID-19 Pandemic
06/15/2021 - 05/31/2023 (Subcontract PI)
Boston Medical Center Corporation NIH NIDA
5R21DA053307-02

Alcohol Use and HIV Among Married Couples in India: A Two-Wave Cross-sectional Study from 2006 to 2016
07/01/2020 - 06/30/2022 (Subcontract PI)
The Miriam Hospital NIH NIAID
5P30AI042853-22

A Behavioral Intervention to Engage Emerging Adults in Addiction Treatment after a Non-fatal Opioid Overdose
07/15/2017 - 06/30/2022 (Subcontract PI)
Boston Medical Center Corporation NIH NIDA
5K23DA044324-05

Showing 10 of 17 results. Show All Results

The Alcohol Policy Environment and Leading Causes of Alcohol Related Mortality
09/15/2014 - 02/28/2019 (Activity-level PI)
PI: Timothy Naimi, MD, MPH
NIH-NIAAA
5R01AA023376-03


Title


Yr Title Project-Sub Proj Pubs
2025 Alcohol taxation, policy environment, and alcohol health services 1R01AA031590-01A1
2024 RFA-CE-23-006, The Confluence of State Bullying Policies and Firearm Policies in Reducing Youth Gun Carrying and Fatality 5R01CE003622-02
2023 RFA-CE-23-006, The Confluence of State Bullying Policies and Firearm Policies in Reducing Youth Gun Carrying and Fatality 1R01CE003622-01
2016 The Alcohol Policy Environment and Leading Causes of Alcohol Related Mortality 5R01AA023376-03 12
2015 The Alcohol Policy Environment and Leading Causes of Alcohol Related Mortality 5R01AA023376-02 12
2014 The Alcohol Policy Environment and Leading Causes of Alcohol Related Mortality 1R01AA023376-01 12

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.

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  1. Ramanadhan S, Mahtani SL, D'Costa M, Mandal G, Jagiasi D, Chawla R, Minsky S, Xuan Z, Mulhern Lopez M, Gupte H. Adaptation drivers of evidence-based brief advice/counselling for tobacco use in high-reach, low-resource settings in Mumbai: a qualitative exploration with patients, practitioners and policymakers. BMJ Open. 2025 Oct 06; 15(10):e101969. PMID: 41057188; PMCID: PMC12506186; DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-101969;
     
  2. Ranker LR, Katz-Wise SL, Gordon AR, Korkodilos R, Xuan Z, Nelson KM. Sexual orientation identity and attraction changes among youth: prospective versus retrospective measurement. Ann Epidemiol. 2025 Oct 06; 112:8-14. PMID: 41061832; DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2025.10.006;
     
  3. Walley AY, Wang J, To C, Duska M, Murray S, Wiggins M, Rolles A, Yan S, Kosakowski S, Bagley SM, Xuan Z, Hyde J, Formica SW. Post-overdose outreach programs in Massachusetts before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. J Subst Use Addict Treat. 2025 Dec; 179:209799.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40939693; DOI: 10.1016/j.josat.2025.209799;
     
  4. Xuan Z, Xuan WY, Kaplan MS. Sex Differences in Trends of Firearm Suicide Among Older Adults, 2014 to 2023. JAMA Netw Open. 2025 Aug 01; 8(8):e2528709.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40853663; PMCID: PMC12379079; DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.28709;
     
  5. Haley DF, So-Armah K, Justice AC, Kidwai-Khan F, Xuan Z, Sayko Adams R, Fox MP, Edelman EJ, Wrona A, Silverberg MJ, Satre DD, Trickey A, Ingle SM, McGinnis KA. Cannabis Use Disorder Among People With and Without HIV. J Addict Med. 2025 May 13.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40358026
     
  6. Ran H, Lu J, Li Q, Shi Y, Zheng G, He Y, Liu S, Xiang Y, Xuan WY, Xiao Y, Xuan Z. Exposure to childhood parental bereavement and risk of school bullying victimization. J Affect Disord. 2025 Jul 01; 380:87-93. PMID: 40120953; DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.03.105;
     
  7. Ranker LR, Korkodilos R, Conti J, Nelson KM, Xuan Z, Gordon AR, Katz-Wise SL. One-in-ten adolescents and young adults report changes in their sexual orientation identity over 2-month follow-up: Results from a longitudinal cohort study. Psychol Sex Orientat Gend Divers. 2025 Jan 02. PMID: 41048463; PMCID: PMC12490429; DOI: 10.1037/sgd0000782;
     
  8. Austad K, Thai C, Zavatti A, Nguyen N, Bautista-Hurtado D, Kenney P, Lugo N, Lee JH, Lanney H, Xuan Z, Cordova-Ramos EG, Drainoni ML, Jack B. Tools to improve discharge equity: Protocol for the pilot TIDE trial. Contemp Clin Trials Commun. 2025 Feb; 43:101419.View Related Profiles. PMID: 39810841; PMCID: PMC11731754; DOI: 10.1016/j.conctc.2024.101419;
     
  9. Wu J, Ranker LR, Origgi JM, Ma J, Hao D, Benjamin EJ, Cornacchione Ross J, Xuan Z, Wijaya D, Fetterman JL, Hong T. Protecting historically marginalized groups or targeted marketing? A computational analysis of individuals engaging with public and protected cigar-branded tweets. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2025 Jan 01; 266:112516.View Related Profiles. PMID: 39689499; PMCID: PMC11844820; DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2024.112516;
     
  10. Ranker LR, Tofu DA, Lu M, Wu J, Bhatnagar A, Robertson RM, Wijaya D, Hong T, Fetterman JL, Xuan Z. Concurrent Mentions of Vaping and Alcohol on Twitter: Latent Dirichlet Analysis. J Med Internet Res. 2024 Nov 12; 26:e51870.View Related Profiles. PMID: 39531640; PMCID: PMC11599884; DOI: 10.2196/51870;
     
Showing 10 of 128 results. Show More

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

Bar chart showing 127 publications over 16 distinct years, with a maximum of 20 publications in 2021

YearPublications
20091
20102
20121
20134
20143
20156
20162
20176
201813
201916
202013
202120
20227
202312
202414
20257


Once Again, Our Nation Is Forced to Talk to Children about Guns, Deaths

BU Today 3/28/2023

Health Equity Accelerator: A Health System’s Approach

NEJM Catalyst 6/7/2022

Can background checks curb gun violence?

ABC News 10/29/2021

Police violence takes most years of life from youth and people of color

Reuters 5/7/2018

2022 Boston University School of Public Health: Established Investigator Innovation Award
2018-2021 Boston University: Federick S. Pardee Faculty Research Fellow
2018 Boston University: Mid-Career Faculty Leadership Program
2016 Boston University School of Public Health: Established Investigator Innovation Award
2014 Boston University School of Public Health: Early Career Catalyst Award
2013 Boston University School of Public Health: Mentor, Research Day MPH Research Winner “Binge Drinking and Gun Ownership"
2013 Boston University School of Medicine: Academy for Faculty Advancement
2005-2010 Harvard University: Presidential Scholar
In addition to these self-described keywords below, a list of MeSH based concepts is available here.

Child and adolescent health
Community-based research and intervention
Public health policies (Alcohol, gun, marijuana)
Social epidemiology
Substance use disorders and prevention

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