Shu-Hong Zhu, Ph.D., is a Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health in the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at the University of California, San Diego. He serves as Director of the Center for Research and Intervention in Tobacco Control (CRITC) and has been the Principal Investigator for the California Smokers’ Helpline since its inception in 1992. This helpline is internationally recognized for its scientific innovation and dedication to disseminating research findings into public health services. As a psychologist with a strong background in methodology, Dr. Zhu, a key figure in Health Science, has published broadly on behavioral interventions, experimental design, and the interface between individual- and population-based approaches to smoking cessation. His research also examines the effects of social norms on smoking behavior, e-cigarette use, tobacco taxes, and school-based prevention programs.

Dr. Zhu's contributions have advanced tobacco control significantly. Key publications include "Evidence of real-world effectiveness of a telephone quitline for smokers" (New England Journal of Medicine, 2002), which established the practical efficacy of quitlines; "E-cigarette use and associated changes in population smoking cessation: evidence from US current population surveys" (BMJ, 2017); "The effects of a multilingual telephone quitline for Asian smokers: a randomized controlled trial" (Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2012); "Association of a major tobacco tax increase in California with increased smoking cessation" (Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2025); and "California's School-Based Tobacco Use Prevention Program After Proposition 56: Results From a Statewide Evaluation" (Journal of Adolescent Health, 2026). He has received the California Wellness Foundation/University of California Wellness Lecture Award and the APHA Excellence Award from the American Public Health Association. As Principal Investigator, Dr. Zhu has led multiple NIH-funded projects, including studies on nonsmokers and tobacco control norms, quitlines for Asian language speakers, and nicotine replacement therapy for hospitalized smokers. Through CRITC and the Smokers’ Helpline, he promotes evidence-based strategies to reduce tobacco use across populations.

Professional Email: szhu@ucsd.edu