Traci Hong

Traci Hong is a Professor of Media Science at Boston University College of Communication, specializing in health communication and new media technologies. Her research leverages social media and AI to promote behavioral change, focusing on tobacco prevention, vaping cessation, and vaccine hesitancy. She is affiliated with the Hariri Institute for Computing as a Core Faculty Member and Research Fellow, and contributes to public health initiatives at the Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases Policy & Research.

• PhD in Communication, University of Southern California
• MA in Communication, University of Southern California
• BA in Communication and Biological Sciences, University of California at Davis

Hong’s research bridges health communication theory with digital tools, examining peer influence in virtual environments and developing AI-driven strategies for public health messaging. She has pioneered studies on social media analytics for tobacco and vaping prevention and has advised on policy frameworks for synthetic nicotine regulation.

Her recent publications analyze social media’s role in shaping youth health behaviors, including TikTok’s potential for cessation campaigns, Twitter-based co-use patterns of vaping and alcohol, and Instagram advertising compliance with FDA guidelines. These works emphasize machine learning applications and normative messaging.

• Cited in Surgeon General Report on Tobacco Health Disparities
• Research Fellow at Hariri Institute for Computing and Computational Science & Engineering

Hong mentors first-generation students as a Chapter Faculty Advisor for Tri-Alpha and serves on the American Heart Association’s Greater Boston Board of Directors. Her research has received funding from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Ford Foundation. She also leads Trust and Public Health Communication initiatives at Boston University’s Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases Policy & Research.