About

Dr. David B Abrams is a Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences with a career dedicated to systems and social learning frameworks aimed at enhancing population health. His expertise encompasses testing theory, research design, measuring mechanisms of behavior change and outcomes, and evaluating clinical trials involving behavioral and pharmacological interventions. His research interests span basic bio-behavioral mechanisms, clinical treatments, and policy issues across various risk factors and behaviors such as tobacco/nicotine use, alcohol consumption, obesity, and co-morbidity of medical and mental health conditions. He investigates disease states including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and HIV/AIDS across multiple levels—biological, individual, organizational, community, and global—and focuses on disparities among populations. His work converges in the domain of implementation science, where he provides scientific leadership in tobacco control, with a current emphasis on strengthening global and U.S. strategies for tobacco and nicotine management. Dr. Abrams advocates for harm minimization as a systems strategy to accelerate public health benefits from emerging technologies for cleaner nicotine delivery, aiming to reduce preventable deaths and health disparities driven by smoking. He has held prominent academic and leadership roles, including founding director of the Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine at Brown University Medical School, director of the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research at NIH, and Professor of Health Behavior and Society at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Abrams has published over 250 peer-reviewed articles, served on expert panels at NIH and the National Academies, and held leadership positions such as President of the Society of Behavioral Medicine. His educational background includes a BSc in Psychology and Computer Science from the University of the Witwatersrand, an MS and PhD in Clinical Psychology from Rutgers University, and a postdoctoral fellowship at Brown Medical School. His numerous awards recognize his contributions to tobacco research, behavioral medicine, and public health.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Demography
• Environmental health
• Internal medicine
• Psychiatry
• Geography

Selected publications

• Dazdotuftide: Novel Treatment for Noninfectious Uveitis with Superior Intraocular Pressure Safety Profile: A Randomized Clinical Trial

  American Journal of Ophthalmology · 2026-01-02 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of dazdotuftide (TRS01 eye drops), a novel, steroid-free, anti-inflammatory drug in patients with active anterior noninfectious uveitis (NIU), following previous studies in which it had shown a favorable risk/benefit profile with regards to safety and specifically intraocular pressure (IOP) safety profile. DESIGN: A randomized, double-masked, multicenter, active-controlled phase 3 trial. PARTICIPANTS: Adults (≤75 years of age) and pediatric patients, with active anterior NIU, with or without uveitic glaucoma, on stable medical therapy for NIU or who had received no prior therapy, requiring further treatment for an active NIU flare-up. Patients eligible for inclusion had Anterior Chamber Cell (ACC) Grade 2 or Grade 3 on Visual Analog Scale in the study eye. METHODS: Patients were randomized 2:1 to topical TRS01 1% or prednisolone acetate 1% administered 4 times daily for 28 days. Key ocular assessments included slit-lamp examination, ocular pain, Best Corrected Visual Acuity, IOP and dilated ophthalmoscopy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Resolution of inflammation (ACC = 0), clinically meaningful improvement of ACC, ocular pain, flare, and IOP changes on Day 28. RESULTS: The Full Analysis Set included 136 patients; the mean age was 43 years in the TRS01 arm and 42 years in the prednisolone acetate arm. 48% of TRS01 vs 68% of prednisolone acetate patients achieved ACC Grade = 0 on Day 28 (95.1% Confidence Interval (CI): -0.37, -0.02; P = .0311) and 64% of TRS01 vs 89% prednisolone acetate patients experienced clinically meaningful improvement of ACC Grade = 0 or 1, ie, ≤5 cells (95.1% CI: -0.33, -0.06; P = .0049). While TRS01 was found to be inferior to topical steroids to control ACC, TRS01 was noninferior to topical steroids to control flare and ocular pain and exhibited a superior IOP safety compared to topical steroids. For patients who reached ACC = 0, TRS01-treated patients benefited from statistically significantly improved safety outcomes for IOP (including change from baseline and at each IOP threshold evaluated [P < .05]) versus steroid-treated patients. CONCLUSIONS: TRS01 offers the potential to serve as an effective and safe treatment option in NIU that meets the urgent need for a drug that controls inflammation without the steroids' associated risk of IOP elevation.

  PublisherDOI

• Corrigendum to “Associations of risk factors of e-cigarette and cigarette use and susceptibility to use among baseline PATH study youth participants (2013–2014)” [Addict. Behav. 91 (2019) 51–60]

  Addictive Behaviors · 2025-03-27

  erratumOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Public misperception that very low nicotine cigarettes are less carcinogenic

  UNC Libraries · 2025-01-14 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  OBJECTIVE: The USA is considering a very low nicotine content (VLNC) cigarette standard. We sought to characterise the prevalence and correlates of the incorrect belief that VLNC cigarettes are less carcinogenic than current cigarettes, as this could reduce motivation to quit. METHODS: Participants were a nationally representative sample of 650 adult smokers in the USA. In 2015-2016, before the VLNC proposal became public, these smokers took part in an online survey. We used multivariate weighted analyses to calculate ORs and percentages and a &chi;² test to examine the association between variables. RESULTS: Overall, 47.1% of smokers believed that smoking VLNC cigarettes for 30 years would be less likely to cause cancer than smoking current cigarettes. This misperception was more common among smokers who were aged above 55 (56.6%) and black (57.4%). Additionally, 23.9% of smokers reported they would be less likely to quit if the USA adopted a VLNC standard. Thinking that VLNC cigarettes would be less carcinogenic was associated with smokers reporting they would be less likely to quit (P&lt;0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Many smokers had the misperception that smoking VLNC cigarettes is less likely to cause cancer, and some stated that they would be less likely to quit. A VLNC standard may be more effective if accompanied by a communication campaign that emphasises the continued dangers of smoking VLNC cigarettes due to the many toxic chemicals in smoke.

  PublisherDOI

• The Nicotine Metabolite Ratio and Response to Smoking Cessation Treatment Among People Living with HIV Who Smoke in South Africa

  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · 2025-06-30

  articleOpen access

  The nicotine metabolite ratio (NMR) has been informative in selecting treatment choices for nicotine dependence and increasing treatment efficacy in Western settings; however, the clinical utility of the NMR among smokers in low-resource settings remains unclear. Prospective analysis was conducted using data from a randomized controlled trial of smoking cessation among adults living with HIV, to examine the association between the NMR and response to smoking cessation treatment. NMR was assessed using bio-banked urine samples collected at baseline. Self-reported smoking at 6 months was verified using a urine cotinine test and exhaled breath carbon monoxide (CO). We found no associations between the NMR and smoking abstinence (adjusted risk ratio (aRR) = 0.82; 95% CI: 0.45, 1.49; p = 0.53). No evidence of effect modification by treatment conditions was observed on the multiplicative scale (aRR = 1.17; 95% CI: 0.32, 4.30; p = 0.81) or additive scale (adjusted relative excess risk due to interaction (aRERI) = 0.10; 95% CI: −1.16, 1.36; p = 0.44). Our results suggest that the NMR may not be a viable approach for selecting smoking cessation treatment in this setting, given the minimal variability in our sample and racial/ethnic makeup of this population.

  PublisherDOI

• Incomplete Conflict of Interest Disclosures

  American Journal of Preventive Medicine · 2024-08-13

  erratumOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A randomized trial for combination nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation among people with HIV in a low-resourced setting

  AIDS · 2024-12-16 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access

  OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of combination nicotine replacement therapy (c-NRT) for smoking cessation among people with HIV (PWH) in South Africa. DESIGN: We conducted an open-label, individually randomized clinical trial. METHODS: Using a two-armed approach, PWH who smoke were randomized to receive either intensive antismoking behavioral counselling or intensive antismoking behavioral counseling plus c-NRT (nicotine patches augmented by nicotine gum). Self-reported smoking abstinence was biochemically validated with exhaled breath carbon monoxide (CO) and urine cotinine at 6 months. Recruitment, provision of trial interventions, and follow-up of participants took place in March 2014 through June 2016. RESULTS: We randomly assigned 280 participants to the behavioral counseling arm and 281 participants to the behavioral counseling + c-NRT arm. Four hundred and thirty-eight (78%) participants were men and 123 (22%) were women. For our primary outcome of biochemically verified abstinence at 6 months, 41 (15%) were quit in the behavioral counseling + c-NRT arm vs. 28 (10%) in the behavioral counseling arm, resulting in a 5% [95% confidence interval (CI) -1 to 10%] absolute difference in relative risk and an adjusted odd ratio of 1.47 (95% CI 0.86-2.52) comparing the behavioral counseling + c-NRT to the behavioral counseling arm. CONCLUSION: Although our results did not reach statistical significance, we found augmentation of behavioral counseling with c-NRT to increase smoking abstinence at 6 months, which is consistent with performance in the general population. PWH in low-resource settings may benefit from the addition of c-NRT to existing tobacco cessation interventions.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Changes in Tobacco Dependence and Association With Onset and Progression of Use by Product Type From Waves 1 to 3 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study

  Nicotine & Tobacco Research · 2023-07-06 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access

  INTRODUCTION: This study examined trajectories of tobacco dependence (TD) in relationship to changes in tobacco product use, and explored the effects of product-specific adding, switching, or discontinued use on dependence over time. AIMS AND METHODS: Data were analyzed from the first three waves from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study, a nationally representative, longitudinal study of adults and youth in the United States. Data included 9556 wave 1 (2013-2014) adult current established tobacco users aged 18 or older who completed all three interviews and had established use at ≥2 assessments. Mutually exclusive groups included: users of cigarettes only, e-cigarettes only, cigars only, hookah only, any smokeless only, cigarette + e-cigarette dual users, and other multiple product users. A validated 16-item scale assessed TD across product users. RESULTS: People who used e-cigarettes exclusively at wave 1 had small increases in TD through wave 3. Wave 1 multiple product users' TD decreased across waves. TD for all other wave 1 user groups remained about the same. For wave 1 cigarette only smokers, switching to another product was associated with lower levels of TD than smokers whose use stayed the same. Movement to no established use of any tobacco product was consistently associated with lower TD for all product users. CONCLUSIONS: Except for wave 1 e-cigarette only users (who experienced small increases in TD), TD among U.S. tobacco product users was stable over time, with daily users less likely to vary from baseline. IMPLICATIONS: The level of TD among most U.S. tobacco users was stable over the first three waves of the PATH Study and trends in levels of TD were predominantly unrelated to changes in patterns of continued product use. Stable levels of TD suggest a population at persistent risk of health impacts from tobacco. Wave 1 e-cigarette users experienced small increases in levels of TD over time, perhaps due to increases in quantity or frequency of their e-cigarette use or increasing efficiency of nicotine delivery over time.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Indicators of Tobacco Dependence Among Youth: Findings From Wave 1 (2013–2014) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study

  Nicotine & Tobacco Research · 2023-05-09 · 10 citations

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Prior work established a measure of tobacco dependence (TD) among adults that can be used to compare TD across different tobacco products. We extend this approach to develop a common, cross-product metric for TD among youth. METHODS: One thousand one hundred and forty-eight youth aged 12-17 who used a tobacco product in the past 30 days were identified from 13 651 youth respondents in Wave 1 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study. FINDINGS: Analyses confirmed a single primary latent construct underlying responses to TD indicators for all mutually exclusive tobacco product user groups. Differential Item Functioning analyses supported the use of 8 of 10 TD indicators for comparisons across groups. With TD levels anchored at 0.0 (standard deviation [SD] = 1.0) among cigarette only (n = 265) use group, mean TD scores were more than a full SD lower for e-cigarette only (n = 150) use group (mean = -1.09; SD = 0.64). Other single product use group (cigar, hookah, pipe, or smokeless; n = 262) on average had lower TD (mean = -0.60; SD = 0.84), and the group with the use of multiple tobacco products (n = 471) experienced similar levels of TD (mean = 0.14; SD = 0.78) as the cigarette only use group. Concurrent validity was established with product use frequency among all user groups. A subset of five TD items comprised a common metric permitting comparisons between youth and adults. CONCLUSION: The PATH Study Youth Wave 1 Interview provided psychometrically valid measures of TD that enable future regulatory investigations of TD across tobacco products and comparisons between youth and adult tobacco product use group. IMPLICATIONS: A measure of tobacco dependence (TD) has been established previously among adults to compare TD across tobacco products. This study established the validity of a similar, cross-product measure of TD among youth. Findings suggest a single latent TD construct underlying this measure, concurrent validity of the scale with product use frequency across different types of tobacco users, and a subset of common items that can be used to compare TD between youth and adults who use tobacco.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the Nicotine Metabolite Ratio and Its Association with Sociodemographic and Smoking Characteristics among People with HIV Who Smoke in South Africa

  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · 2023-03-14 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access

  The nicotine metabolite ratio (NMR) is associated with race/ethnicity but has not been evaluated among smokers in the African region. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from a large randomized, controlled trial for smoking cessation among people with HIV (PWH) in South Africa. Urine samples were analyzed for the NMR and evaluated as a binary variable using a cutoff value of the fourth quartile to determine the fastest metabolizers. The median NMR was 0.31 (IQR: 0.31, 0.32; range: 0.29, 0.57); the cut-point for fast metabolizers was ≥0.3174 ng/mL. A high NMR was not associated with the number of cigarettes per day (OR = 1.10, 95% CI: 0.71, 1.70, p = 0.66) but was associated with 40% lower odds of a quit attempt in the past year (OR = 0.69; 95% CI: 0.44, 1.07, p = 0.09) and alcohol use (OR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.32, 1.06, p = 0.07). No association was seen with marijuana or HIV clinical characteristics. As we found only minimal variability in the NMR and minimal associations with intensity of smoking, NMR may be of limited clinical value in this population, although it may inform which individuals are less likely to make a quit attempt.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Do Cops Know Who to Stop? Assessing Optimizing Models of Police Behavior with a Natural Experiment

  National Bureau of Economic Research · 2023-08-01 · 5 citations

  reportOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  The standard economic model of police stops implies that the contraband hit rate should rise when the number of stops or searches per officer falls, ceteris paribus. We provide empirical corroboration of such optimizing models of police behavior by examining changes in stops and frisks around two extraordinary events of 2020: the COVID-19 pandemic onset and the nationwide protests following the killing of George Floyd. We find that hit rates from pedestrian and vehicle stops generally rose as stops and frisks fell dramatically. Using detailed data, we are able to rule out a number of alternative explanations, including changes in street population, crime, police allocation, and policing intensity. We find mixed evidence about the changes in racial disparities, and evidence that police stops do not decrease crime, at least in the short run. The results are robust to a number of different specifications. Our findings provide quantitative estimates that can contribute to the important goals of improving and reforming policing.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant P01CA050087

  NIH · $6.0M · 2000

• NIH Grant R01CA038309

  NIH · $1.4M · 1990

• NIH Grant R01AA011211

  NIH · $3.1M · 2002

• NIH Grant R01HL032318

  NIH · $2.5M · 2002

Frequent coauthors

• Yori Gidron

  University of Haifa

  1020 shared

• J. Rick Turner

  764 shared

• Raymond Niaura

  New York University

  695 shared

• Amy Jo Marcano‐Reik

  Cleveland Clinic

  633 shared

• Linda C. Baumann

  University of Cologne

  627 shared

• William Whang

  Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

  621 shared

• Akihisa Mitani

  The University of Tokyo

  615 shared

• Alyssa Karel

  615 shared

Labs

• Student Affairs TeamPI

Awards & honors

• Research Laureate Award, American Academy of Health Behavior…
• Joseph W. Cullen Memorial Award for Tobacco Research, Americ…
• Distinguished Alumni Award: Rutgers University, The Graduate…
• The Musiker-Miranda Distinguished Service Award, American Ps…
• Distinguished Service Award, Society of Behavioral Medicine…