MERC faculty conduct research related to tobacco use, policies and impact on health, and health disparities.  We work to understand factors that underlie disparities in tobacco use, morbidity and mortality, and the role of the tobacco industry in exacerbating tobacco disparities.  The research includes innovative and inclusive approaches to smoking cessation, novel tobacco products such as electronic cigarettes, community-based participatory research and intervention research with Asian/Pacific Islander populations, lung cancer screening, and translating our research to policy initiatives that support equity.