Shannon Gravely

Ph.D.

Dr. Gravely holds a Bachelor of Science from Dalhousie University, a Master of Science in Health Psychology from Leiden University, and a PhD from York University, Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences, Faculty of Health. Dr. Gravely is a Research Assistant Professor within the ITC Project in the Department of Psychology at the University of Waterloo. She is an experienced interdisciplinary and global researcher collaborating with 150+ researchers across 31 countries in the field of public health and behavioural sciences, with a strong focus on harm reduction, tobacco/nicotine and cannabis regulatory policies and polysubstance use and dependence.

Dr. Gravely’s role in tobacco control research within the ITC Project is the systematic evaluation of key tobacco control policies at the population level. She is involved in the development and implementation of international research studies, data analyses, and dissemination of research findings. Her research includes examining the impact of policies in several domains of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, including health warnings, smoke-free policies, and cessation treatment. Additionally, her work also investigates how non-combustible nicotine delivery products (nicotine vaping products, heated tobacco products) may play a role in harm reduction (e.g., the role that these products may serve as a tobacco cessation treatment or a complete substitute for cigarettes). She also has a strong interest in evaluating how polysubstance use (nicotine, cannabis, alcohol) impacts smoking cessation efforts, particularly among those with mental health illness. Dr. Gravely is also an advocate for banning cigarette filters due to their significant contribution to global plastic waste and the harm they cause to the environment. Gravely previously held a 3-year Canadian Cancer Society Career Development Award in Prevention (2015-2018).