Robin Mermelstein

Robin Mermelstein (Photo: Jenny Fontaine/University of Illinois Chicago)

Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. Understanding why people use tobacco or nicotine products and what interventions work best to reduce harms across the full lifespan is a focus of Robin Mermelstein’s research.

A psychologist and health-behavior researcher, Mermelstein studies how people use both conventional cigarettes and newer tobacco and nicotine products, such as e-cigarettes. She also studies how non-combustible forms of nicotine, such as in e-cigarettes, may help people quit smoking cigarettes completely and reduce their health risks. Mermelstein’s research also focuses on the health implications of using both cannabis and nicotine, with the goal of helping to inform policy and practice.

Mermelstein also serves as co-director of the Center for Clinical and Translational Science, a unit devoted to helping health and research breakthroughs reach the world faster.

Watch Mermelstein’s 3-minute talk on clinical and translational science at UIC, delivered at SparkTalks, UIC’s take on faculty lightning talks.