Wasim Maziak, MD, PHD
Bio
Current research focus?
My research focuses on tobacco control, especially the study of emerging tobacco products among youth such as hookah and e-cigarettes. I do both population-based and clinical studies in my NIH/FDA-funded clinical laboratory at FIU.
Exciting ongoing project(s)?
I currently lead 5 ongoing funded projects.
1. Developing and testing health warning labels on the ENDS (e-cigarettes) device.
This project will guide policymakers into the effective application of HWLs for ENDS and will develop warning messages and pictorials that national and state stakeholders can use in counter-marketing campaigns to protect young people and discourage harmful ENDS use.
2. Developing and testing waterpipe-specific health warning labels targeting young people in Florida.
This project will provide health warnings adapted for young waterpipe smokers in Florida to advance policies and disseminate knowledge about waterpipe harmful effects to young people in Florida and nationally.
3. Translating evidence and building capacity to support waterpipe control in the EMR.
This project builds on our ongoing collaboration with Lebanon (American University of Beirut) and Tunisia (University of Tunis), in order to develop and implement effective HWLs for the WP and help these countries build their national capacity in tobacco control policy research.
4. Investigating nicotine reduction strategies to reduce dependence and exposure to toxicants among young e-cigarette users.
5. Project SMART (Social Media Anti-Vaping Messages to Reduce ENDS Use Among Sexual and Gender Minority Teens) aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an SGM-tailored social media intervention to prevent vaping initiation among SGM youth ages 13-18 years.
Relevant current dissertations I am chairing?
- Characterizing the development of nicotine dependence among a cohort of waterpipe and cigarette smokers.
- Poly-tobacco use among youth and adults in the United States. Effect of waterpipe-specific pictorial health warning labels on smoking beliefs and perceptions among young adults in Lebanon.
- Changes of harm perception and effect of health warnings on electronic cigarette use in U.S youth.
- Trajectories and determinants of waterpipe smoking among youth in the US.
- Developing and testing health warning labels for e-cigarettes and hookah smoking.
Proud moments about my mentees?
All my former PhD students were successful at getting prestigious post-docs and or faculty positions immediately or even before their graduation.