National Academy of Medicine and FDA announce the 2019 Tobacco Regulatory Science Fellows

WASHINGTON — The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) along with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) have named the 2019-2020 class of FDA Tobacco Regulatory Science Fellows. Four individuals were selected through a highly selective national competition based on their exceptional, diverse professional qualifications to contribute to the work of CTP.

The 12-month fellowship will begin in September at CTP headquarters in Maryland, where each fellow will be assigned to an office within CTP. The fellows will lead specific projects related to tobacco-product regulation, as well as actively participate in the development of CTP’s science-based public health strategies. In addition, they will participate in structured orientation and professional development activities, including opportunities to meet with FDA, CTP, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services leadership. The fellows will also receive mentorship from senior staff at CTP who will guide them throughout the fellowship. The goal of the experience is to enrich the fellows’ understanding of tobacco products, including their health consequences, and provide opportunities to learn about and contribute to the tobacco regulatory activities of a prominent public health regulatory agency.

“Now in its seventh year, this fellowship provides a distinct opportunity for exceptional professionals to learn directly from the country’s top leaders in tobacco-product regulation and apply their diverse skills and knowledge to this important public health work,” said NAM President Victor J. Dzau. “The NAM is proud to work alongside the Center for Tobacco Products to offer this synergistic program for these four emerging leaders in tobacco regulatory science.”

The 2019-2020 fellows are:

• Ravi Choudhuri, M.P.H., advocacy manager, American Lung Association, Orange County, California
• Reema Goel, Ph.D., research associate, department of public health sciences, College of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey
• Marzena Hiler, M.S., doctoral student, Center for the Study of Tobacco Products, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond
• Deeba Syed, Ph.D., M.B.B.S., research scientist, department of dermatology, University of Wisconsin, Madison

“CTP is excited to welcome this new class of fellows, especially at this pivotal time in tobacco regulatory science,” said Mitch Zeller, director of FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. “The fellowship program provides a unique public health experience for these talented individuals to be immersed into critically important science-based research, policy and regulatory actions, and to work first-hand with our expert staff here at the agency.”

Launched in 2012, the FDA Tobacco Regulatory Science Fellowship Program aims to provide an opportunity for mid-career professionals to gain experience and expertise to further define and develop the field of regulatory science as it relates to tobacco products and FDA’s authorities under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. For more information, visit https://www.tobaccoregulatorysciencefellowship.org.

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The National Academy of Medicine, established in 1970 as the Institute of Medicine, is an independent organization of eminent professionals from diverse fields including health and medicine; the natural, social, and behavioral sciences; and beyond. It serves alongside the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering as an adviser to the nation and the international community. Through its domestic and global initiatives, the NAM works to address critical issues in health, medicine, and related policy and inspire positive action across sectors. The NAM collaborates closely with its peer academies and other divisions within the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

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