Cristine Delnevo, PhD, MPH
Biography
Cristine D. Delnevo, PhD, MPH, is Founding Director of the Rutgers Institute for Nicotine and Tobacco Studies, Distinguished Professor of Health Behavior, Society, and Policy at the Rutgers School of Public Health, and Associate Vice Chancellor for Health Policy and Regulatory Science at Rutgers Health. An internationally recognized leader in tobacco control, tobacco regulatory science, health policy, and population health, she has dedicated her career to advancing evidence-based approaches to reducing tobacco-caused disease and improving public health through research, policy, mentorship, and institutional leadership.
Dr. Delnevo has been continuously employed within the Rutgers-UMDNJ academic enterprise since 1989. She joined the faculty of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in 1998 and later became a faculty member at the Rutgers School of Public Health, where she rose through the ranks to Distinguished Professor. Throughout her career, she has held numerous leadership positions, including Department Chair, Interim Dean, and Vice Dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health. She also transformed the former Rutgers Center for Tobacco Studies into the Rutgers Institute for Nicotine and Tobacco Studies, now a Chancellor-level institute, and twice served as Co-Leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at Rutgers Cancer Institute.
Dr. Delnevo’s research focuses on tobacco policy and tobacco regulatory science, with particular emphasis on the population epidemiology of tobacco use, non-cigarette tobacco products, tobacco marketing, menthol cigarettes, cigars, and emerging nicotine products. Her work has advanced understanding of how tobacco product characteristics, marketing practices, and marketplace dynamics influence behavior, population health, and health disparities. Widely regarded as one of the nation’s foremost experts in tobacco surveillance and tobacco use epidemiology, she has advised the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Cancer Institute, and U.S. Food and Drug Administration on surveillance and regulatory issues. She is also internationally recognized for her work on cigars and cigar regulation, helping define the scientific evidence base surrounding premium cigars and other combustible tobacco products.
Dr. Delnevo has secured more than $60 million in research funding as principal investigator and has led a research portfolio exceeding $100 million in direct and collaborative federal awards. She currently serves as Principal Investigator of the Rutgers Center of Excellence in Rapid Surveillance of Tobacco, an $18 million initiative funded by the National Cancer Institute and FDA. The Center is the nation’s only FDA-supported Center for Rapid Surveillance of Tobacco and provides timely scientific evidence on consumer behavior, tobacco marketing, and marketplace trends to inform federal tobacco regulation.
She has authored more than 300 publications and has been recognized as a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher. Her scholarship has informed FDA regulatory actions, Surgeon General Reports, National Academies reports, and public health policy initiatives in the United States and internationally. Her contributions have been recognized through numerous honors, including the John Slade Award from the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco for outstanding contributions to public health through science-based policy and advocacy, the Rutgers Board of Trustees Award for Excellence in Research, and the Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences Chancellor Distinguished Mentor Award.
Beyond her scholarship, Dr. Delnevo plays a major role in shaping tobacco science and regulatory policy nationally. She currently serves as Chair of the FDA’s Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC), where she leads review of scientific evidence and helps inform recommendations on tobacco product regulation and public health protection.
Mentorship is a defining feature of Dr. Delnevo’s career. She has mentored students, postdoctoral fellows, staff, and faculty across the academic pipeline, many of whom have gone on to secure NIH funding and leadership positions in academia, government, and public health practice. A first-generation college graduate and daughter of immigrants, she earned both her MPH and PhD while working full-time. These experiences have shaped her commitment to supporting talented individuals whose educational and professional pathways may not follow traditional trajectories. She is particularly passionate about helping scholars overcome barriers to academic advancement and achieve their full potential.
Dr. Delnevo earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (RC’89) and a Master of Public Health (SPH’93) from Rutgers University and a PhD in Health Studies from Temple University. Her career reflects a longstanding commitment to improving population health through the integration of rigorous science, evidence-based policy, and meaningful mentorship.
Research Interests
Dr. Delnevo’s research focuses on tobacco control, tobacco regulatory science, and public health policy.
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