Ashley L. Merianos

Dr. Ashley L. Merianos is a Professor in the School of Human Services at the University of Cincinnati and a Research Affiliate Member of the Thirdhand Smoke Research Consortium. Her expertise centers on health services research, with a focus on tobacco exposure epidemiology, pediatric healthcare interventions, and public health policy. She holds certifications as a Certified Health Education Specialist and Tobacco Treatment Specialist.

Dr. Merianos has secured significant NIH funding as Principal Investigator (PI) for grants including K01DA044313, R21ES032161, and R01ES030743. Her research examines the health and economic impacts of secondhand and thirdhand smoke exposure on children, as well as the role of electronic cigarette aerosol. Current projects include developing implementation strategies to reduce pediatric tobacco exposure in healthcare settings and evaluating policies to protect children from toxicant mixtures in household environments.

She has co-authored over 200 peer-reviewed publications and delivered numerous professional presentations. Her work integrates statistical methods to assess environmental health risks and translational approaches to improve clinical outcomes in pediatric populations.

Dr. Merianos leads major grants such as the NIH-funded 'Reducing Secondhand Smoke Exposure Among Pediatric Patients' (K01DA044313) and collaborates as a Site PI on 'Prevalence and Clinical Correlates of Thirdhand Smoke Exposure in a Pediatric Patient Population' (R01ES030743). Her research also addresses biomarker-based assessments of children’s exposure to tobacco smoke and e-cigarette aerosols nationwide (R21ES032161).

Her contributions bridge epidemiology, clinical practice, and public health policy, with a focus on vulnerable pediatric populations. The Thirdhand Smoke Resource Center further disseminates her consortium’s findings to inform evidence-based interventions.