Sherine El-Toukhy, Ph.D., M.A.

Division of Intramural Research
Email: sherine.el-toukhy@nih.gov
Phone: 301-594-4743

Dr. Sherine El-Toukhy is an Earl Stadtman tenure-track investigator and an NIH Distinguished Scholar in the Division of Intramural Research of The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD). Dr. El-Toukhy’s research is aimed at leveraging health information technologies to improve minority health and reduce health disparities. She uses both quantitative and qualitative research methods to advance her research agenda. Examples of her ongoing work include developing a just-in-time adaptive intervention targeting low socioeconomic young adult smokers and examining disparities in access and use of electronic medical records.

Prior to joining NIMHD, she was an IRTA postdoctoral fellow in the Intramural Research Programs of The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and NIMHD. She received her doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Mass Communication where she also earned a graduate certificate in Interdisciplinary Health Communication. She holds a Master’s in Mass Communication and Bachelor’s in Broadcast Journalism from Cairo University, Egypt. Dr. El-Toukhy has a decade’s worth of experience in health communication campaigns and interventions funded by national and international organizations. She is a recipient of several research awards including a visiting scholar award from Cairo University, Egypt; a William R. Kenan Jr. fellowship from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and the 2013 Health Dissertation of the Year award from the National Communication Association and the International Communication Association. Her research has been funded by The National Science Foundation and The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.

Selected Publications

• Pérez-Stable, E. & El-Toukhy, S. (2018). Communicating with diverse patients: Interactions of patient and clinician factors. Patient Education & Counseling. DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2018.08.021
• El-Toukhy, S., Baig, S. A., Jeong, M., Byron, J. M., Ribisl, K. M., Brewer, N. T. (2018). Impact of tobacco product claims of lower exposure and lower risk. Tobacco Control. DOI: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2018-054315
• Tomeny, T., Vargo, C., & El-Toukhy, S. (2017). Geographic and demographic correlates of autism-related anti-vaccine beliefs on Twitter. Social Science & Medicine, 191, 168-175.
• El-Toukhy, S., Choi, K., Hitchman, S., Bansal-Travers, M., Thrasher, J., Yong, H., O’Connor, R., & Shang, C. (2017). Banning tobacco price promotions, smoking-related beliefs, and behaviors: Findings from the International Tobacco Control four-country survey. Tobacco Control. doi: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2017-053648
• El-Toukhy, S., Sabado, M., & Choi, K. (2017). Trends in product-use patterns among US youth tobacco users, 1999 – 2014. Nicotine & Tobacco Research. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntx128
• El-Toukhy, S., Sabado, M., & Choi, K. (2016). Trends in susceptibility to smoking by race and ethnicity. Pediatrics. doi 10.1542/peds.2016-1254