Nancy C. Jao

Dr. Nancy C. Jao is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science's College of Health Professions. She serves as the Director of the Health, Behaviors, and Tobacco Use (HaBiT) Research Lab, where she leads innovative research on tobacco products and their impact on health outcomes.

Dr. Jao received her PhD in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Behavioral Medicine/Health Psychology from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She completed her clinical psychology internship at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and served as an NIH Post-Doctoral Research Fellow funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) T32 Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine Research Fellowship.

Dr. Jao's research program utilizes a translational science approach to understand the impact of tobacco products and characteristics on dependence and health outcomes. She specializes in examining underlying biobehavioral relationships to understand how smoking affects biological processes, contributing to nicotine dependence and health disparities. Her work particularly focuses on tobacco use in vulnerable and minoritized populations including pregnant women, racial minorities, and clinical populations. Current research examines the behavioral and health effects of characterizing flavors in combustible tobacco products to inform regulatory policies, with a primary clinical trial studying menthol cigarette effects on cardiovascular health.

Dr. Jao's publication record demonstrates consistent growth in tobacco research, with increasing focus on vulnerable populations and regulatory implications. Her work spans multiple methodologies including clinical trials, epidemiological studies, and biomarker analysis, with recent publications emphasizing racial disparities, pregnancy outcomes, and policy implications of tobacco product characteristics.

Dr. Jao has received significant recognition for her work:

• NIH Post-Doctoral Research Fellow (NHLBI T32 Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine Research Fellowship)

As a dedicated mentor, Dr. Jao advises multiple graduate students in Clinical Psychology PhD and Clinical Counseling MS programs. Her research is supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, demonstrating her commitment to advancing knowledge in tobacco control and public health policy. She actively engages with the community through the HaBiT Research Lab's Instagram page (@rfuhabitlab) to share research findings and promote awareness about tobacco-related health risks.

Dr. Jao leads the Health, Behaviors, and Tobacco Use (HaBiT) Research Lab, which employs diverse methodologies including biospecimen collection, longitudinal clinical trials, ecological momentary assessments, and laboratory experimental studies. The lab is particularly focused on populations disproportionately affected by cigarette smoking, including various minoritized and clinical populations who continue to experience high smoking rates despite overall declines in tobacco use in the US.