Understanding People and Product Appeal – Electronic Cigarettes

Doctoral student Nicholas Goldenson conducts research as a member of the University of Southern California Health, Emotion, and Addiction Laboratory (USC-HEAL) and is a trainee in the USC Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science (USC TCORS).  His research is focused on understanding the determinants of e-cigarette appeal and dependence to provide the federal government with comprehensive data that will inform regulatory policies.

Creating comprehensive regulatory policy can be a fraught process in government, especially in response to new technology and products. Politics, private business, consumers, and media all seek to influence legislative outcomes, resulting in a murky and less than ideal decision making environment. Where does government turn for cutting-edge research and vetted information?

USC TCORS is one of 14 tobacco regulatory science centers nationwide doing their part to ensure government regulators and decision-makers have comprehensive data on which to build evidentiary-based policies to protect the health and well-being of the American people. Third-year PhD student, Nicholas Goldenson, is a member of the USC team working to ensure that the Federal Food and Drug Administration has the critical information to inform their activities regarding a new regulatory challenge, e-cigarettes.

With the guidance of his adviser Dr. Adam Leventhal, Assistant Professor of Preventive Medicine and Psychology, and faculty in the Department of Preventive Medicine, Goldenson is exploring the role flavorings play in e-cigarettes and how they influence consumer appeal of the product. E-cigarettes are often touted as a “safer” alternative to cigarettes given that users are not inhaling smoke or tar. However, e-cigarettes are still a fairly new phenomenon and the long-term effects of inhaling nicotine-filled vapor are unclear. Goldenson and TCORS are using their research to look at the broader context of addiction and how this new product, particularly the use of flavorings, may enhance their appeal.

“I’ve always been fascinated by people and wanting to understand their behavior,” Goldenson states. This curiosity led him to earn a bachelor of arts in psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2009. Post-graduation, he continued using his psychology and research skills for the benefit of other vulnerable populations, including as a health scientist specialist at the Veterans’ Administration West Los Angeles Healthcare System. Working with a multidisciplinary team, his work at the VA focused on research studies to provide better services for veterans with mental illnesses.

Goldenson loves doing research and wishes to continue in post-doctoral research after completing his PhD. But what Goldenson really appreciates both about his work experience and his research at USC TCORS is that it’s clear how his work is linked to implementation – one can understand the context in which the research will be used. “TCORS allows for a lot of great training and collaboration opportunities,” Goldenson and several of his colleagues have attended conferences in Washington, D.C. where they shared the results of their work. The center is interdisciplinary and while his research focuses specifically on the user experience of the product, another research team is examining how the use of social media advertising may influence product popularity.

Ultimately, TCORS and Goldenson understand that behavior, decisions, addiction, and human outcomes do not occur in a vacuum. Providing comprehensive data means viewing the details and finding the linkages in the big picture to provide better solutions for overall public health.

 

Funding for International Research Panel Recap

The Graduate School hosted a Research and Fellowships Week panel on the applying for international research fellowships and opportunities. Current USC PhD students working on dissertations that require travel and research abroad offered this advice on applying:

Victoria Montrose is a current Fulbright Graduate Fellow 2015-16. She has also been offered a Japan Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship 2015-16 (declined for Fulbright) and was a Blakemore Freeman Fellow for Advance Language Study 2014-15.

I want to dispel the myth that you have to have the perfect proposal. The reviewers of your application know your research will morph.

 

 

Carolyn Choi dissertation project examines the expansion of global English education in Asia by comparing the experiences of adult South Korean educational migrants studying abroad in the developed country of United States and the developing country of the Philippines.

Carolyn Choi dissertation project examines the expansion of global English education in Asia by comparing the experiences of adult South Korean educational migrants studying abroad in the developed country of United States and the developing country of the Philippines.

Utilize or organize writing groups within your department and workshop your application with your peers.

April Hovav is a PhD student in Sociology and Gender Studies. She was awarded the Social Science Research Council International Dissertation Research Fellowship.

April Hovav is a PhD candidate in Sociology and Gender Studies. She was awarded the Social Science Research Council International Dissertation Research Fellowship.

 

Have non-academics review your application to ensure that it is readable by everyone.

 

Sandra So Hee Chi Kim is a Ph.D. candidate in Comparative Literature with research specializations in critical ethnic studies and transcultural Korean/American studies.

Sandra So Hee Chi Kim is a Ph.D. candidate in Comparative Literature with research specializations in critical ethnic studies and transcultural Korean/American studies.

 

Writing fellowship applications is not separate from your research project. They are mutually reinforcing and mutually beneficial.

 

 

 

 

For more Research and Fellowships Week activities, find the schedule at: http://ahf.usc.edu/rfw

The USC Graduate School has a lot of resources for students looking for fellowships. A Fellowships and Awards database was recently launched at http://awardsdatabase.usc.edu/.

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program Panel Recap

The Graduate School hosted a Research and Fellowships Week panel on the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship program. Current USC NSF PhD students and Graduate School staff offered this advice on why and how apply for this prestigious fellowship:

Ignacio Cruz, 2nd year, Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, NSF Graduate Research Fellow.

Ignacio Cruz, 2nd year, Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, NSF Graduate Research Fellow.

Illustrate in your application an interdisciplinary approach to your research.

Kate Tegmeyer Assistant Director - USC the Graduate School

Kate Tegmeyer
Assistant Director – USC the Graduate School

 

Remember the NSF is funding the researcher, so there is some flexibility in the topic and evolution of your research.

Rebecca Gotlieb is a PhD student in USC's Rossier School of Education and affiliated with the USC Brain and Creativity Institute

Rebecca Gotlieb is a PhD student in USC’s Rossier School of Education and affiliated with the USC Brain and Creativity Institute

Get a lot of feedback on your application and focus on telling a cohesive story that connects your research to your personal statement.

 

 

Wilka Carvalho received a National Science Foundation Fellowship in Neuroscience

Wilka Carvalho received a National Science Foundation Fellowship in Neuroscience

 

Explain how you give the research community a new perspective to influence and view to their own and future research.

 

 

Laura Corrales-Diaz Pomatto is a fifth-year PhD Candidate at the USC Davis School of Gerontology.

Laura Corrales-Diaz Pomatto is a fifth-year PhD Candidate at the USC Davis School of Gerontology.

 

The NSF has opened new doors and given me credibility to get further funding for postdoc research opportunities.

 

 

 

Meredith Drake Reitan Associate Dean - USC the Graduate School

Meredith Drake Reitan
Associate Dean – USC the Graduate School

 

In August, we host an intensive fellowship writing Boot Camp, this is followed in October with faculty led proposal review clinics and a networking event in January for all students who applied for external funds.  We are also happy to put applicants in touch with awardees and we often visit programs and schools to talk about funding options.

The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program supports outstanding graduate students in STEM and Social Sciences who are pursuing research-based Master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited U.S. Institutions.

The USC Graduate School has a lot of resources for students looking for fellowships. A Fellowships and Awards database was recently launched at http://awardsdatabase.usc.edu/.