TRDRP Trainee Spotlight: Dr. Alec Calac

Cornelius Hopper Disparities Award Supplement Recipient Mentor: Dr. Timothy Mackey

Alec Calac, PhD | Pauma Band of Luiseño Indians
UC San Diego School of Medicine Medical Scientist Training Program

At the intersection of public health, Indigenous advocacy, and digital research, Dr. Alec Calac is forging a path that blends tradition with innovation. A member of the Pauma Band of Luiseño Indians and a San Diego native, Dr. Calac is currently completing his medical degree at the University of California, San Diego. His journey into tobacco control research is deeply rooted in his commitment to health equity and community-driven science.

Background and Inspiration

Dr. Calac’s academic path has been anything but conventional. His doctoral dissertation, Indigenous Data Sovereignty in the Era of Big Data, explored how sovereign American Indian and Alaska Native Nations can responsibly govern their clinical and research data. Supported by the California Native American Research Center for Health (CA-NARCH) and the UCSD-SDSU Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health, his work emphasized the importance of aligning research with tribal priorities.

His passion for health equity led him to investigate how commercial tobacco companies misuse Indigenous imagery and traditions in social media advertising. This issue is especially urgent given the high rates of commercial tobacco use among American Indian and Alaska Native youth in California.

Before entering medical school, Dr. Calac served on a Tribal Youth Health Policy Advisory Board in Washington, DC, where he helped advocate for legislation supporting community-led efforts to address substance use disparities. He also contributed to a TRDRP-supported Tribal Health Program in Southern California as a Community Advisory Board member. These experiences reinforced the power of youth advocacy, narrative storytelling, and culturally grounded policy change.

Research That Resonates

With support from a TRDRP Cornelius Hopper Disparities Award Supplement, Dr. Calac presented his findings to tribal leaders, public health experts, and government agencies. His research revealed that commercial tobacco advertisers often appropriate Indigenous culture to promote harmful products online. Early insights from his data showed that users were more engaged with commercial tobacco content than with traditional or cultural tobacco messaging. However, when prevention messaging was tied to cultural identity, engagement increased—highlighting a powerful opportunity for culturally informed interventions.

His work not only sheds light on the need for stronger regulation of online tobacco advertising but also informs content moderation policies. Dr. Calac emphasizes that automated systems alone are not enough; moderators must be trained to recognize and respect cultural safety and context.

Advice for Aspiring Researchers in Tobacco Control and Prevention

Dr. Calac shares:

“Tie your research to an identified community need. Don’t conduct research just for the sake of it—make sure it brings tangible benefits to the communities you serve. Responsible community engagement is the foundation of quality research.”

Publication: Calac AJ, McMann T, Li Z, et al. Representation of commercial and traditional tobacco on social media: deconstructing historical narratives to address the Indigenous youth tobacco epidemic Tobacco Control Published Online First: 13 March 2025. doi: 10.1136/tc-2024-058881 Open Access: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/82d9c3r7

Learn more about Dr. Calac: https://medschool.ucsd.edu/about/news/archive/2024/09-30-alec-calac.html