Tracy Taylor Smith

Dr. Tracy Smith is an Associate Professor at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), affiliated with the College of Medicine and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. She co-leads the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center and leads the Team IMPACT lab, focusing on tobacco regulatory science to inform FDA policies. Her research spans nicotine reduction strategies, e-cigarettes as harm-reduction tools, and behavioral economics approaches to tobacco control.

• Education: B.S., College of Charleston

Dr. Smith's work examines regulations to reduce combustible tobacco harms, including menthol bans and nicotine level adjustments. She has conducted large-scale clinical trials like ESCAPE (e-cigarette flavoring impact) and MINT (menthol regulation effects). Her research also explores dual-use dynamics and remote clinical trial methodologies.

Recent publications analyze e-cigarette flavoring, nicotine pouch usage, and biomarker responses in low-nicotine cigarette trials. She mentors trainees from high school to postdoctoral levels and has secured funding from National Cancer Institute, NIDA, and NIH. Notable awards include the 2020 Jarvik-Russell Early Career Award for nicotine research contributions.

• Scientific Awards:
  • Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco Jarvik-Russell Early Career Award (2020)

Dr. Smith's lab, Team IMPACT, collaborates with Dr. Matthew Carpenter on studies like ADAPT (adaptive cessation treatments) and Switch or Quit (e-cigarette vs. medication efficacy). She has mentored alumni now in academia, including Dr. Margaret Fahey (Middle Tennessee State University) and Dr. Bryan Heckman (Meharry Medical College).