Jamie Tam, PhD, MPH (she/her/hers)
Biography
Jamie Tam, Ph.D., M.P.H., is an associate professor in the Department of Health Behavior, Society and Policy at the Rutgers School of Public Health and core faculty at the Rutgers Institute for Nicotine & Tobacco Studies. Dr. Tam uses simulation modeling methods to evaluate and understand the impact of tobacco regulations on tobacco use disparities, with a focus on populations with behavioral health conditions. In addition, she is a lead investigator with the Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network (CISNET) Lung Working Group and the Center for the Assessment of Tobacco Regulations (CAsToR), both NCI-funded cooperative agreements.
Dr. Tam received her M.P.H. and Ph.D. in Health Policy from the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Prior to joining Rutgers, she was an Assistant Professor of Public Health at Yale University.
Research Interests
Dr. Tam’s research interests include behavioral health comorbidities and the health and economic consequences of substance co-use and addiction. She examines how smoking and mental health comorbidities shape long-term health outcomes and how policy interventions can be designed to optimize public health. Utilizing simulation modeling methods, she evaluates the impact of tobacco regulations on tobacco use disparities, with a particular focus on populations with behavioral health conditions.
Currently, Dr. Tam is investigating the potential effects of policies, such as reducing nicotine levels in cigarettes and implementing flavor restrictions, on tobacco-related health disparities across mental health status, race and ethnicity, and socioeconomic background.
Through this research, she has developed simulation models at both the state and national levels to project the effects of various regulations on smoking behaviors and population health outcomes. These findings are shared through the Tobacco Control Policy Tool, an interactive, web-based platform that enables users to explore the projected impact of different tobacco control policies across the U.S.