Stella Tommasi

Dr. Stella Tommasi is an Associate Professor of Research in the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences at the University of Southern California (USC). She is a Full Member of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Genomic and Epigenomic Regulation Program. Her research focuses on molecular mechanisms of cancer and chronic diseases, particularly how lifestyle and environmental exposures (e.g., tobacco, vaping, air pollutants) alter genome and epigenome.

Dr. Tommasi’s work leverages

• Seq-based omics technologies
• Bioinformatics tools
• Molecular biology assays

to study the role of tobacco toxicants and environmental pollutants in cancer and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Her recent publications highlight epigenomic dysregulation in youth vapers, DNA damage from vaping parameters, and oxidative stress in disease progression.

Her research emphasizes the interplay between genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors to unravel disease complexity, with implications for prevention, early detection, and monitoring strategies. Key themes include mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, and transcriptional deregulation in tobacco and pollutant exposure models.