Maansi Bansal-Travers

Maansi Bansal-Travers, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Oncology in the Department of Health Behavior at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. She leads the Health Communications Testing Lab, focusing on evaluating tobacco product packaging, health warnings, and communication strategies. Her research explores smoker perceptions of tobacco products, design characteristics, and health effects. She contributes to the FDA-led Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study, analyzing tobacco use patterns among U.S. adults and youth. Additionally, she oversees tobacco cessation projects under the DSRIP Initiative and evaluates media campaigns for state health departments.

• Education: PhD in Epidemiology and Community Health (SUNY Buffalo)
• MS in Epidemiology (SUNY Buffalo)
• BS in Human Nutrition & Food Management (Ohio State University)

Research interests include correcting public misperceptions about tobacco risks, novel product perceptions (e.g., hookah, heat-not-burn devices), and effective health warning label design. She maintains a tobacco pack image database and uses methods like eye-tracking to assess material salience. Current projects include studying point-of-sale displays and anti-secondhand smoke ad efficacy.

She advises on New York State tobacco policy and collaborates with regional coalitions like the Erie-Niagara Tobacco-Free Coalition. Her work bridges epidemiological research with practical public health interventions to reduce tobacco-related harm.