Departmental Affiliations
Center & Institute Affiliations
Ryan Kennedy, PhD, is a behavioral scientist who works to advance tobacco control policies in the U.S. and around the world.
Contact Info
Research Interests
tobacco control; emerging nicotine products; public health policy; regulatory science; environmental health; air quality; social marketing; qualitative research; mixed-methods research
Experiences & Accomplishments
Ryan David Kennedy (he/him) is a tobacco control researcher interested in the role policy plays in addressing the global tobacco epidemic. Kennedy works in low- and middle-income countries through his role with the Institute for Global Tobacco Control. Kennedy works in many regulatory domains including tobacco advertising at the point-of-sale, health warning labels, and clean air laws. Domestically, Kennedy has a program of research with the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Programs, funded through the Hopkins CERSI (Center for Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation) working to understand e-cigarette advertising of product features including flavors. Emerging tobacco products including e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products present interesting public health challenges. Kennedy oversees a global policy scan to understand how countries/jurisdictions are regulating these emerging nicotine delivery systems.
Kennedy has a long history of working on clean air issues and has studied tobacco smoke, wood smoke, and ambient pollution in numerous settings.
Kennedy uses a variety of research methods including observational studies, surveys, content analysis, focus groups and key informant interviews.
Select Publications
These publications reflect my work in tobacco control with a focus on policy to improve public health. I work to generate evidence that will support the development or improvement of tobacco regulation in the US and internationally including clean air laws, health warnings, cessation supports, and point-of-sale advertising and promotion.
Kennedy RD, Awopegba A, De León E, Cohen JE. Global approaches to regulating electronic cigarettes. Tobacco control. 2017 Jul 1;26(4):440-5.
Kennedy RD, Moran M, Czaplicki L, Handy J, Welding K, Kelley D. Nicotine-related content in English language ENDS advertisements in the US: 2018–2020. Preventive Medicine. 2023 Jun 1;171:107513.
Kennedy, R. D., & Jones, V. C. (2019). Reducing the dangers of e-cigarettes for children: opportunities for regulation and consumer education. Medical Journal of Australia, 210(3), 118-119.
Duren M, Atella L, Welding K, Kennedy RD. Nicotine pouches: a summary of regulatory approaches across 67 countries. Tobacco control. 2024 Apr 1;33(e1):e32-40.
Teed JA, Robichaud MO, Duren M, Gouda HN, Kennedy RD. State of the literature discussing smoke-free policies globally: A narrative review. Tobacco induced diseases. 2024;22.