Dr. Robert García is a senior health science policy analyst in NIMHD’s Office of Science Policy, Planning, Evaluation, and Reporting. He leads the HDPulse Interventions Portal, an online repository of evidence-based interventions that address health disparities. Dr. García also serves on the UNITE-N committee and as a co-chair of the Resources and Support Workstream. He also conducts analyses to create scientific and evaluation reports regarding minority health and health disparities research and accomplishments at NIMHD and NIH.

Previously, Dr. García was a social scientist at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP). He designed and led evaluation projects on public health education campaigns intended to prevent tobacco use among American Indian/Alaska Native youth. He also led the monthly implementation assessment of “The Real Cost,” a youth-focused tobacco prevention campaign. Dr. García was also involved in efforts addressing health equity related to tobacco product use. While at CTP, he was a primary reviewer for the modified risk tobacco product application pathway guidance document.

Prior to CTP, Dr. García was an instructional assistant professor at the Texas A&M University School of Public Health. While at Texas A&M, he led research studies focused on cancer prevention among Latino populations in South Texas. He also researched the use of Promotoras de Salud (trusted individuals) in mental health education programs in South Texas among Spanish language speakers.

Dr. García earned a Ph.D. in preventive medicine with an emphasis in health behavior research from the University of Southern California, where he was also a pre-doctoral trainee in the Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science. He also earned a Master of Public Health in health promotion, education, and evaluation from Claremont Graduate University and a Bachelor of Science in athletic training from the University of the Incarnate Word.

Selected Publications

• Escobedo, P., García, R., Soto, C., Rodriguez, Y., Barahona, R., Baezconde-Garbanati, L. (2020). Comparison of e-cigarette marketing and availability in tobacco retail outlets among diverse low-income communities in California. Tobacco Control, 29(4), 469-471. https://doi.org/10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2019-054985
• García, R., Sidhu, A., Allem, J. P., Unger, J. B., Baezconde-Garbanati, L., & Sussman, S. (2017). Marketing activities of vape shops across racial/ethnic communities. Tobacco Prevention and Cessation, 2(Suppl),12. https://doi.org/10.18332/tpc/76398
• García, R., Allem, J. P., Unger, J. B., Baezconde-Garbanati, L., & Sussman, S. (2016). Employee and customer handling of nicotine-containing e-liquids in vape shops. Tobacco Prevention and Cessation, 2(Suppl), 7. https://doi.org/10.18332/tpc/67295
• Allem, J. P., Unger, J. B., García, R., Baezconde-Garbanati, L., & Sussman, S. (2015). Tobacco attitudes and behaviors of vape shop retailers in Los Angeles. American Journal of Health Behavior, 39(6), 794-98. https://doi.org/10.5993/AJHB.39.6.7
• Sussman, S., García, R., Boley-Cruz, T. N., Baezconde-Garbanati, L., Pentz, M. A., & Unger, J. B. (2014). Consumers’ perceptions of vape shops in Southern California: An analysis of online Yelp Reviews. Tobacco Induced Diseases, 12(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12971-014-0022-7
• Blanco, L., García, R., Perez-Stable, Eliseo J., White, M. M., Messer, K., Pierce, J. P., & Trinidad, D. R. (2014). National Trends in Smoking Behaviors Among Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Cuban Men and Women in the United States. American Journal of Public Health, 104(5), 896-903. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2013.301844

Page published Nov. 26, 2024