Nhung Nguyen, PhD, PharmD

Assistant Adjunct Professor

Dr. Nguyen is a substance use researcher whose research program focuses on reducing the use of tobacco and cannabis and related health disparities among priority populations (e.g., youth and young adults, sexual minorities, and people with substance use disorders). Dr. Nguyen has employed a variety of research methods (e.g., human-centered design, ecological momentary assessment, and mixed methods) to address important issues in tobacco and cannabis use. Her current projects are applying mobile health technology, machine learning, and implementation science to develop smartphone interventions targeting the co-use of tobacco and cannabis among young people.

Dr. Nguyen founded and leads the smartphone-based research lab on tobacco and substance use for health equity - the HEARTY lab (https://heartylab.ucsf.edu). Her lab's mission is to provide actionable insights and novel solutions to reduce substance use, promote public well-being, and advance health equity.

Education
2023 - Innovations for Substance Use Disorders, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School
2022 - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training, University of California, San Francisco
2021 - mHealth Training Institute, University of California, Los Angeles
PhD, 2014 - Epidemiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
BS, 2008 - Pharmacy, Hanoi University of Pharmacy, Vietnam
Honors and Awards
  • Hellman Fellowship, Hellman Fellows Program, 2024-2026
  • Research in Implementation Science for Equity (RISE) Fellowship, NHLBI’s Program to Increase Diversity among Individuals Engaged in Health-Related Research, 2024
  • Diversity Institute for Emerging Leaders, Society of Behavioral Medicine, 2024
  • Outstanding Abstract Award, Society of Behavioral Medicine, 2023
  • Emerging Health Equity Scholar Award, UCSF Multiethnic Health Equity Research Center, 2023
  • NIDA Diversity Scholars Network Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2021
  • Meritorious Abstract Award, Society of Behavioral Medicine, 2021
  • T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship, National Cancer Institute, 2018-2020
  • International Fellowship, American Association of University Women, 2012
  • Predoctoral Fellowship, Vietnam Education Foundation, 2010-2012
Websites
Publications

  1. Nguyen N, Leonard S, Cohen BE, Herbst ED, Hoggatt KJ, Keyhani S. Receipt of Smoking Cessation Medications and Smoking Abstinence Among Veterans Prescribed Opioid Analgesics With and Without Cannabis Use. Journal of general internal medicine 2024. PMID: 39528724


  2. Pravosud V, Glantz S, Keyhani S, Ling PM, Lempert LK, Hoggatt KJ, Hasin D, Nguyen N, Graham FJL, Cohen BE. Cannabis legalization and changes in cannabis and tobacco/nicotine use and co-use in a national cohort of U.S. adults during 2017-2021. The International journal on drug policy 2024. PMID: 39500225


  3. Graham FJL, Keyhani S, Ling P, Pravosud V, Nguyen N, Hasin D, Cohen BE. Changes in Sources of Information about the Risks and Benefits of Cannabis in a National Cohort of US Adults from 2017 - 2021. Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs 2024. PMID: 39440660


  4. Nguyen N, Koester KA, Tran C, Ling PM. Desires and Needs for Quitting Both e-Cigarettes and Cigarettes Among Young Adults: Formative Qualitative Study Informing the Development of a Smartphone Intervention for Dual Tobacco Cessation. JMIR formative research 2024. PMID: 39437386


  5. Nguyen N, Koester KA, Kim M, Watkins SL, Ling PM. "I'm both smoking and vaping": a longitudinal qualitative study of US young adults who tried to quit smoking cigarettes by using electronic cigarettes. Tobacco control 2023. PMID: 37072166


  6. Nguyen N, Bold KW, McClure EA. Urgent need for treatment addressing co-use of tobacco and cannabis: An updated review and considerations for future interventions. Addictive behaviors 2024. PMID: 39089194


  7. McQuoid J, Regan T, Devkota J, Cheney MK, Kumar V, Oehlers J, Lopez-Paguyo K, Nguyen N, Meacham MC, Ling PM, Thrul J. Situations and roles of cannabis versus cigarette use: Integrating ecological momentary assessment with qualitative mapping interviews. Health & place 2024. PMID: 39032204


  8. Do VV, Ling PM, Chaffee BW, Nguyen N. Concurrent Use of Tobacco and Cannabis and Internalizing and Externalizing Problems in US Youths. JAMA network open 2024. PMID: 38958977


  9. Waring JJC, Nguyen N, Ling PM, Thrul J. Quantity of cigarettes smoked when co-used with alcohol and cannabis: Consideration of different definitions of co-use based on daily diary data. Drug and alcohol dependence 2024. PMID: 38547786


  10. Glantz SA, Nguyen N, Oliveira da Silva AL. Population-Based Disease Odds for E-Cigarettes and Dual Use versus Cigarettes. NEJM Evidence 2024. PMID: 38411454


  11. Lyu JC, Meacham MC, Nguyen N, Ramo D, Ling PM. Factors Associated With Abstinence Among Young Adult Smokers Enrolled in a Real-world Social Media Smoking Cessation Program. Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco 2024. PMID: 38366340


  12. Nguyen N, Islam S, Llanes KD, Koester KA, Ling PM. Classification of patterns of tobacco and cannabis co-use based on temporal proximity: A qualitative study among young adults. Addictive behaviors 2024. PMID: 38281461


  13. Nguyen N, Peyser ND, Olgin JE, Pletcher MJ, Beatty AL, Modrow MF, Carton TW, Khatib R, Djibo DA, Ling PM, Marcus GM. Associations between tobacco and cannabis use and anxiety and depression among adults in the United States: Findings from the COVID-19 citizen science study. PloS one 2023. PMID: 37703257


  14. Chambers J, Keyhani S, Ling PM, Hoggatt KJ, Hasin D, Nguyen N, Woods A, Ryder A, Cohen BE. Perceptions of Safety of Daily Cannabis vs Tobacco Smoking and Secondhand Smoke Exposure, 2017-2021. JAMA network open 2023. PMID: 37566411


  15. Nguyen N, Holmes LM, Pravosud V, Cohen BE, Ling PM. Changes in perceived harms of tobacco and cannabis and their correlations with use: A panel study of young adults 2014-2020. Addictive behaviors 2023. PMID: 37263178


  16. Nguyen N, Thrul J, Neilands TB, Ling PM. Associations Between Product Type and Intensity of Tobacco and Cannabis Co-use on the Same Day Among Young Adult Smokers: Smartphone-Based Daily-Diary Study. JMIR mHealth and uHealth 2023. PMID: 36806440


  17. Nguyen N, Wong M, Delucchi K, Halpern-Felsher B. Adolescents' and young adults' perceptions of risks and benefits differ by type of cannabis products. Volume 131. Addictive behaviors 2022. PMID: 35436697


  18. Nguyen N, Keyhani S, Ling PM, Hoggatt KJ, Hasin D, Cohen BE. Self-reported Changes in Cannabis Use Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic among US Adults. 2022. PMID: 35356866


  19. Nguyen N, Mathur Gaiha S, Halpern-Felsher B. Self-reported changes in cannabis vaping among US adolescents and young adults early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Volume 24. Preventive medicine reports 2021. PMID: 34976701


  20. Nguyen N, Neilands TB, Lisha NE, Lyu JC, Olson SS, Ling PM. Longitudinal Associations Between Use of Tobacco and Cannabis Among People Who Smoke Cigarettes in Real-world Smoking Cessation Treatment. Journal of addiction medicine 2021. PMID: 34619713


  21. Nguyen N, Kapiteni K, Straus ER, Guydish J. Factors associated with dual and polytobacco use among people in residential substance use disorder treatment. Volume 30 of Issue 5. The American journal on addictions 2021. PMID: 34427005


  22. Thrul J, Gubner NR, Nguyen N, Nguyen C, Goodell EA, Holmes LM, Vandrey RG, Ling PM. Perceived reward from using cigarettes with alcohol or cannabis and concurrent use: A smartphone-based daily diary study. Addictive behaviors 2020. PMID: 33307406


  23. Nguyen N, Holmes LM, Kim M, Ling PM. Using Peer Crowd Affiliation to Address Dual Use of Cigarettes and E-Cigarettes among San Francisco Bay Area Young Adults: A Cross Sectional Study. International journal of environmental research and public health 2020. PMID: 33092106


  24. Nguyen N, McQuoid J, Neilands TB, Dermody SS, Holmes LM, Ling PM, Thrul J. Same-day use of cigarettes, alcohol, and cannabis among sexual minority and heterosexual young adult smokers. Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors 2020. PMID: 32804517


  25. Nguyen N, Nguyen C, Thrul J. Digital health for assessment and intervention targeting tobacco and cannabis co-use. Volume 7 of Issue 3. Current addiction reports 2020. PMID: 33643768


  26. Le TT, Nguyen TTH, Nguyen C, Tran NH, Tran LA, Nguyen TB, Nguyen N, Nguyen HA. Factors associated with spontaneous adverse drug reaction reporting among healthcare professionals in Vietnam. Volume 45 of Issue 1. Journal of clinical pharmacy and therapeutics 2019. PMID: 31486525


  27. Nguyen N, McKelvey K, Halpern-Felsher B. Popular Flavors Used in Alternative Tobacco Products Among Young Adults. Volume 65 of Issue 2. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2019. PMID: 31331543


  28. Nguyen N, Barrington-Trimis JL, Urman R, Cho J, McConnell R, Leventhal AM, Halpern-Felsher B. Past 30-day co-use of tobacco and marijuana products among adolescents and young adults in California. Volume 98. Addictive behaviors 2019. PMID: 31357072


  29. Nguyen N, Lisha NE, Neilands TB, Jordan JW, Ling PM. Differential Associations Between Anti-Tobacco Industry Attitudes and Intention to Quit Smoking Across Young Adult Peer Crowds. American journal of health promotion : AJHP 2019. PMID: 30754982


  30. Nguyen N, McQuoid J, Ramo D, Holmes LM, Ling PM, Thrul J. Real-time predictors of smoking among sexual minority and heterosexual young adults: An ecological momentary assessment study. Drug and alcohol dependence 2018. PMID: 30212756


  31. Do HP, Nguyen LH, Thi Nguyen NP, Ngo C, Thi Nguyen HL, Le GT, Nguyen LK, Nguyen CT, Tran BX, Le HT, Vu TMT, Phan HTT, Tran TD, Latkin CA, Dunne MP. Factors associated with nicotine dependence during methadone maintenance treatment: findings from a multisite survey in Vietnam. Volume 7 of Issue 7. BMJ open 2017. PMID: 28716791


  32. Nguyen LH, Tran BX, Nguyen NP, Phan HT, Bui TT, Latkin CA. Mobilization for HIV Voluntary Counseling and Testing Services in Vietnam: Clients' Risk Behaviors, Attitudes and Willingness to Pay. Volume 20 of Issue 4. AIDS and behavior 2016. PMID: 26363790


  33. Tran BX, Nguyen LH, Do HP, Nguyen NP, Phan HT, Dunne M, Latkin C. Motivation for smoking cessation among drug-using smokers under methadone maintenance treatment in Vietnam. Volume 12. Harm reduction journal 2015. PMID: 26518600


  34. Nguyen NT, Tran BX, Hwang LY, Markham CM, Swartz MD, Vidrine JI, Phan HT, Latkin CA, Vidrine DJ. Effects of cigarette smoking and nicotine dependence on adherence to antiretroviral therapy among HIV-positive patients in Vietnam. Volume 28 of Issue 3. AIDS care 2015. PMID: 26461976


  35. Nguyen NT, Tran BX, Hwang LY, Markham CM, Swartz MD, Vidrine JI, Phan HT, Latkin CA, Vidrine DJ. Motivation to quit smoking among HIV-positive smokers in Vietnam. Volume 15. BMC public health 2015. PMID: 25885342


  36. Nguyen NP, Tran BX, Hwang LY, Markham CM, Swartz MD, Phan HT, Nong VM, Nguyen CT, Nguyen AH, Latkin CA, Vidrine DJ. Prevalence of cigarette smoking and associated factors in a large sample of HIV-positive patients receiving antiretroviral therapy in Vietnam. Volume 10 of Issue 2. PloS one 2015. PMID: 25723596


  37. Tran BX, Nguyen TV, Pham QD, Nguyen PD, Khuu NV, Nguyen NP, Bui DH, Thi Phan HT, Nguyen LT. HIV infection, risk factors, and preventive services utilization among female sex workers in the Mekong Delta Region of Vietnam. Volume 9 of Issue 1. PloS one 2014. PMID: 24475096


  38. Tran BX, Nguyen LT, Nguyen NP, Phan HT. HIV voluntary testing and perceived risk among female sex workers in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. Volume 6. Global health action 2013. PMID: 23866916


  39. Tran BX, Nguyen NP. Patient satisfaction with HIV/AIDS care and treatment in the decentralization of services delivery in Vietnam. Volume 7 of Issue 10. PloS one 2012. PMID: 23071611


  40. Tran BX, Nguyen N, Ohinmaa A, Duong AT, Nguyen LT, Van Hoang M, Vu PX, Veugelers PJ. Prevalence and correlates of alcohol use disorders during antiretroviral treatment in injection-driven HIV epidemics in Vietnam. Volume 127 of Issue 1-3. Drug and alcohol dependence 2012. PMID: 22749565