Leading tobacco and e-cigarette researcher named distinguished professor
Originally published on FIU News
Wasim Maziak trained and worked in his native Syria as a respiratory
physician passionate about
researching tobacco use. “When you’re in a developing country, you cannot escape smoking—it’s just everywhere,” he says. Even for nonsmokers, “Life can be miserable because you are often exposed to cigarette smoke in the workplace, public places and while using public transportation. Without policy and regulations in place, the health burden from smoking to smokers and nonsmokers is second to no other risk factor.”
While completing a fellowship in Germany, Maziak learned of an opportunity to conduct collaborative work back home as part of an initiative by the World Health Organization and the National Institutes of Health. He partnered with scholars in the United States on a proposal that led to his establishing and directing the Syrian Center for Tobacco Studies. The connections that made that possible, however, would also be the cause of Maziak’s fleeing in 2006. Tense U.S.-Syria relations during the Iraq War turned his ties with American researchers into a liability. Out of concern for his safety, those same collaborators helped him relocate to the United States.
A surprise at the time, Maziak’s earlier focus on the addictive and harmful properties of hookah smoking soon found new relevance. “All of a sudden, the hookah epidemic that I was studying became a global phenomenon,” he recalls. “I was one of the very few specialists who knew anything about this topic.” His career took off.
He has since broadened his work to include a related area of study: e-cigarettes. With funding from the NIH, which has continuously supported him since 2001, Maziak built a state-of-the art lab at FIU that doubles as a national hub for regulatory and policy research related to e-cigarette use. His work has included developing and testing warning labels and testing addiction reduction strategies.
Learn more about Dr. Maziak
Dr. Shanna Burke, associate professor at the School of Social Work at FIU Stempel College, awarded the 2024 Faculty Convocation Award for Excellence in Advising & Mentorship
As a public health social worker, Dr. Burke’s resear
ch focuses on cognition and cognitive impairment, including neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Burke sees the value of being a good mentor to her students and postdocs at FIU, giving them access to research opportunities, inspiring them to pursue their own scholarly endeavors, and encouraging them to grow in their respective fields.
Hear firsthand from one of her mentees, Adrienne Grudzien, an FIU Stempel College alumna, about her experience with Dr. Burke:
“Dr. Burke's mentorship style is characterized by her patience, empathy, and humor. She creates a nurturing and inclusive environment where mentees feel comfortable seeking advice and sharing ideas. As a PhD student and now as a postdoctoral associate, I deeply appreciate the skills and experience I developed as her mentee and believe that they will allow me to become a productive and successful independent researcher. I am grateful for the opportunity to have been mentored by Dr. Burke, and I am confident that she will continue to positively impact the lives of countless students and researchers in the years to come.”