David Strong

David Strong is a Professor at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health & Human Longevity Science at the University of California San Diego (UCSD), where he also serves as Director of the UCSD/SDSU Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health. His research focuses on behavioral interventions for tobacco use reduction, obesity management, and health equity. His work emphasizes regulatory science, graphic warning label efficacy, and population health strategies targeting vulnerable groups like low-income communities and cancer patients.

Education:

• M.A. in Psychology (2007), Brown University
• Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (1997), Pacific Graduate School of Psychology
• M.S. in Clinical Psychology (1994), Pacific Graduate School of Psychology
• B.A. in Psychology (1988), University of Colorado, Boulder

Research Interests: Dr. Strong leads studies on tobacco dependence assessment, vaping trends among youth, and family-based treatments for pediatric obesity. His work bridges clinical interventions with public health policy, such as evaluating packaging regulations and electronic health record integration for smoking cessation. Recent projects include the CASA trial on graphic warning labels and the EMPACT-Us study to improve tobacco cessation in underserved populations.

Grants & Trials:

• NIH R01CA190347: The Effect of Packaging on Smoking Perceptions and Behavior (2015-2021)
• NIH R01DA017947: Mood Management Phone Counseling in Smoking Cessation (2005-2009)
• NIH R01AA014193: Brief Intervention to Reduce Drinking among Batterers (2003-2010)

Collaborations: Active partnerships include the Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute, UCSD/SDSU JDP, and community health centers like EMPACT-Us. His labs focus on behavioral medicine, translational research, and health disparities reduction.