TRDRP is dedicated to developing diverse future leaders in tobacco control. Over the past year, the program, led by Dr. Marjannie Akintunde, hosted a four-part webinar series in partnership with RepresentED and Activate to Captivate, covering:
- Finding Your North Star – Clarifying personal and professional goals
- Scientific Storytelling – Communicating research effectively
- Tobacco Control Careers – Exploring career paths in research, public health, and advocacy
- Hybrid Workforce Navigation – Adapting to remote/in-person work and using AI tools
The year culminated in the inaugural TRDRP Trainee Research Symposium (Sept 11–12, 2025, Oakland, CA), with 150+ attendees including undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, master's and graduate students as well as postdoctoral scholars and early career independent investigators.
Highlights included:
- Keynote by Dr. Lucy Papova on reduced nicotine cigarettes
- Wellness sessions (guided meditations)
- Workshops on funding, science communication, LinkedIn branding, and career networking
- A poster session with 44 presenters and judged awards
- The “TRDRP Slam” – 3-minute research pitches to a lay audience
Award Winners
🏆 Poster Awards
- Health Disparities: Manar Karzoun (SDSU)
- Community Engagement: Rebecca Reynolds (UCSB)
- Policy Research: Giovanni Appolon (SDSU)
- Translational Research: Edgar Perez Reyes (UCLA)
- Masters Poster: Kelsey Quema (Loma Linda)
- Predoctoral Poster: Rebecca Reynolds (UCSB)
- Postdoctoral Poster: Zehra Yildirim (Stanford)
🎤 TRDRP Slam Awards
- 1st Place (tie): Sherry Peng (Ohlone) & Luis Gonzalez (CSU San Bernardino)
- 2nd Place: Eric Yu Lin
- People’s Choice: Sherry Peng
The event closed with an original poem by Poet-in-Residence Azariah Cole-Shepard.
