Omar El Shahawy

Omar El Shahawy is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Population Health at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. His research focuses on alternative tobacco product use among vulnerable populations, including those with substance use disorders, HIV/AIDS, and serious mental illness. He leads projects on smoking harm reduction, cessation strategies, and patient-physician shared decision-making.

Education:

• PhD in Public Health, Virginia Commonwealth University
• MPH in Global Health, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
• MD, Ain Shams University

Research Interests: El Shahawy prioritizes interventions targeting marginalized groups, including studies on e-cigarette efficacy for harm reduction in opioid users, HIV-positive populations, and individuals with chronic diseases. He employs innovative methods like ecological momentary assessment via text messaging to track smoking behavior in real-time.

Clinical Trials:

• Testing e-cigarette counseling for harm reduction in opioid use disorder patients
• Evaluating e-cigarettes for smoking harm reduction in serious mental illness patients
• Pilot study on home urinalysis testing for lupus nephritis risk

Lab Affiliation: Director of the IDEAS Lab, focusing on tobacco control and addiction science.