Serena Tonstad

Serena Tonstad, MD, PhD, MPH is a Professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine at Loma Linda University School of Medicine and holds an adjunct position at the School of Public Health. Her academic roles include teaching, research, and clinical guidance in preventive cardiology, smoking cessation, and metabolic health.

• Education:
  • MD from Loma Linda University (1979)
  • MPH from Loma Linda University (1990)
  • PhD from University of Oslo (1997)

Her research focuses on cardiovascular disease prevention, tobacco control, metabolic syndrome, and dietary interventions. Key areas include evaluating smoking cessation strategies, metabolic changes post-cessation, and cardiometabolic risk in special populations (e.g., severe mental illness patients).

Recent articles emphasize clinical trials for smoking cessation therapies, metabolic health algorithms, and guideline adherence in heart disease follow-up. She has contributed to major guidelines like the 2021 ESC Cardiovascular Prevention Guidelines.

• Grants & Projects:
  • Principal Investigator for studies on smoking cessation and metabolic syndrome
  • Evaluating interventions for obesity and cardiovascular outcomes
  • Assessment of diet and persistent organic pollutants in overweight individuals

Professional affiliations include the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco and the European Association for the Study of Obesity. Her work bridges clinical practice and population health, with over 379 publications since 1987.