TRDRP Trainee Spotlight: Chase Kornacki

Cornelius Hopper Disparities Award Supplement Recipient Mentor: Dr. Roland Moore

Chase Kornacki | Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation
Project Coordinator

“True progress in tobacco control, especially in Indigenous contexts, requires collaboration and respect to empower community voices to guide the research.” – Chase Kornacki

Background and Inspiration

As a proud member of the Navajo Nation, Chase grew up in San Diego, California, where she earned her Bachelor of Science and Master of Public Health degrees from UC San Diego. Her introduction to Indian Health Council, Inc. (IHC)—a healthcare institution serving nine federally recognized Tribes—was a pivotal moment. While volunteering in IHC’s medical department, she developed a deep commitment to advancing health equity for Tribal communities.

Before colonization, Indigenous peoples used tobacco as a sacred plant in ceremonies, prayers, and medicinal practices. The industrialization of tobacco by European settlers transformed it into a commercial product, severing its spiritual connection and fueling harm across Indigenous communities. Today, ongoing colonization through the tobacco industry’s exploitation of Indigenous imagery and addiction continues to impact Native people.

Research That Resonates

Chase currently serves as the Project Coordinator for the Tobacco Education Prevention Outreach Cessation (TEPOC) Program at the Indian Health Council. Their team uses a multi-level prevention approach to address commercial tobacco use in Southern California Tribal communities through both clinic- and community-based cessation initiatives, as well as retail interventions with local convenience stores. They provide individual counseling, host community support groups, and partner with retailers to strengthen ID-checking practices that help reduce youth access to commercial tobacco products.

Through the Cornelius Hopper Diversity Supplement Award and support from TRDRP, Chase was able to conduct original research exploring how American Indian adults understand the differences between sacred and commercial tobacco. Her research seeks to identify whether smoking status—current, former, or never—affects these perceptions. By illuminating how cultural identity shapes attitudes toward tobacco, this work contributes to developing culturally relevant prevention and cessation strategies.

Her collaborations with Indigenous researchers in Australia and Aotearoa, New Zealand have further inspired her to integrate Indigenous knowledge and cultural values into research and program design. These global connections are reminders that community-engaged, culturally grounded approaches are vital to addressing tobacco use and promoting wellness in Indigenous populations.

Building on their community efforts, Chase and the TPEOC team convened the first-ever California Tribal Tobacco Conference, bringing together more than 80 participants dedicated to advancing tobacco control in Tribal communities across California.

Advice for Aspiring Researchers in Tobacco Control and Prevention

Chase shares for those entering the field of tobacco control and prevention—especially within Indigenous or community-based contexts—flexibility and collaboration are key. Research should adapt to community needs, not the other way around. Listen deeply, honor cultural contexts, and ensure that community voices lead the direction of the work. True progress requires mutual respect, shared decision-making, and an ongoing commitment to health equity.

Publication:

Chase Kornacki, Joseph Rodriguez, Justin Rodriguez, Alec J Calac, Daniel Calac, Juliet P Lee, Roland S Moore, Lisa Brucks, Isabella Jacques, Maxine Yang, Veronica Almodovar, Samantha-Starr Berber, Reducing Commercial Tobacco Sales to Youth On and Around California Tribal Reservations With a Reward and Reminder Retail Intervention, Nicotine & Tobacco Research, Volume 26, Issue 11, November 2024, Pages 1582–1585, https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntae110

Chase Kornacki, Justin Rodriguez, Joseph Rodriguez, Anthony Hurtado, Juliet P Lee, Roland S Moore, Lisa Brucks, Jennifer Geisler, Valerie Boyle, Diana Martinez, Ami Admire, Monah Hanson, Rachel Reif, Michelle Nielson, Camille Henry-Walford C, Daniel J Calac. (2025) Collaboration as a catalyst for change: Reducing commercial tobacco use among American Indian youth through dedication to community, youth-led interventions, and tradition. American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research, Volume 31, Issue 1, January 2025, Pages 1-24. https://doi.org/10.5820/aian.3201.2025.1 Open access: https://coloradosph.cuanschutz.edu/docs/librariesprovider205/journal_files/vol32/32_1_2025_1_kornacki.pdf?sfvrsn=c3fb59b4_3