Laura Struik

Laura Struik, PhD is an Associate Professor at the School of Nursing within the Faculty of Health and Social Development at the University of British Columbia Okanagan campus. She holds prestigious awards including the Michael Smith Health Research BC Scholar Award (2023-2028) and the Canadian Cancer Society Emerging Scholar Award (2021-2026), reflecting her significant contributions to tobacco control research.

Dr. Struik's research focuses on nicotine dependence, cancer prevention, tobacco control, and behavior change using digital technologies, with particular attention to youth and young adults and gender-sensitive approaches. Her work bridges public health, digital health interventions, and qualitative research methods to understand and address smoking and vaping behaviors. She has developed expertise in analyzing digital platforms and online communities related to tobacco cessation.

Her publication record shows a clear trajectory of increasingly influential work in tobacco control, with recent emphasis on vaping behaviors among youth, digital cessation interventions, and pandemic-related changes in substance use patterns. Her research employs primarily qualitative methods including content analysis, thematic analysis, and interviews to understand user experiences with cessation programs and the factors influencing tobacco use decisions.

• Michael Smith Health Research BC Scholar Award (2023-2028) - Innovating health promotion efforts in response to youth tobacco use
• Canadian Cancer Society Emerging Scholar Award (2021-2026) - Modernizing approaches to tobacco control

Dr. Struik leads the E-Prevention And Vaping (EPAV) project funded by a CIHR Project Grant (2023-2027), which mobilizes youth-generated evidence to co-produce digital e-cigarette interventions. She maintains an active media presence, frequently contributing expert commentary on CBC regarding tobacco control policy and youth vaping issues, demonstrating her commitment to translating research into public discourse and policy.