Congratulations to Jiaxi Wu, CRC graduate fellow and rising third-year student in the Emerging Media Studies doctoral program! She has just been awarded a two-year $100,000 fellowship from the American Heart Association’s Tobacco Center for Regulatory Sciences. Dr. Traci Hong (COM) and Dr. Jessica Fetterman (Medicine) will be co-mentors and direct the core research studies funded by the fellowship: “The Appeal of Flavored Cigars on Social Media for Youths and Vulnerable Populations.”

Jiaxi will utilize a mixed-methods approach (i.e., big data analysis, survey, content analysis) to examine how flavored cigars are promoted on Instagram and other social media platforms. Research findings will be submitted to the FDA to inform the agency’s oversight of tobacco products. Jiaxi will also attend weekly seminars to develop a deeper understanding of regulatory science and policies related to tobacco prevention.