Dr. Sabrina L. Smiley received her PhD from the Department of Sociology and Criminology at Howard University in 2014. Her training as a medical sociologist combines a doctorate in social inequality and health with a Master’s degree in public health. Dr. Smiley’s research interests lie principally at the intersection of race/ethnicity, health disparities, and health equity. Her dissertation research sought to understand how globalization shapes poverty, HIV prevalence, and risk behaviors among women in Uganda. Following her PhD, Dr. Smiley held a postdoctoral position at the Schroeder Institute for Research and Tobacco Control Policy Studies at Truth Initiative, under the mentorship of Drs. Jennifer L. Pearson and David B. Abrams. Dr. Smiley said that working at the Schroeder Institute “just clicked,” as she learned about tobacco industry documents related to menthol cigarette target marketing and its detrimental impact on Black communities. Sometimes, a promising career comes in ways you least expect it.
Dr. Smiley’s work in menthol cigarette target marketing, e-cigarettes, and health disparities projects at the Schroeder Institute, and more recently, the USC Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science, has greatly influenced her research interests as they relate to health equity. Dr. Smiley has been a recipient of the prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, and her research has been funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Cancer Institute, California Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program, and the California HIV/AIDS Research Program.
In the Spring of 2021, Dr. Smiley was selected to serve as the inaugural Health Equity Co-Chair of the Society for Research on Nicotine & Tobacco’s (SRNT) Annual Program Committee. SRNT is the only membership organization providing publication and presentation, educational, networking and leadership opportunities to researchers working exclusively in the field of nicotine and tobacco. As an advocate for evidence-based research, SRNT’s reach is felt in more than 40 countries around the globe. As discussed by SRNT: “SRNT’s Racial Equity Task Force held meetings with several stakeholder groups, including the topical Networks and the past Program Co-Chairs and the need to formally include health equity research in future SRNT conferences was a message that was received loud and clear. When the recommendation was brought to the Board of Directors, it was unanimously, and enthusiastically approved. The Health Equity research track aims to address and advance the understanding of the science and practice of health disparities and health equity in nicotine and commercial tobacco research. When we advance the equity of those populations who are historically excluded, marginalized, or oppressed, we advance the health of the entire population. I look forward to driving systemic change in this inaugural co-chair role.”
Dr. Smiley is passionate about building the next generation of tobacco control scholars. We take for granted that students in this field have access to the experiences, resources, and mentors to advance their career, but many may not, especially students who are of low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented racial/ethnic backgrounds. She is committed to addressing that inequity and helping students see themselves on a professional path that fits their interest. Also, given the changing commercial tobacco landscape and novel tobacco control policies, like menthol cigarette and other tobacco product flavor bans, there is a need for students at the local and state level to work on research that merges advocacy and community engagement.