Suzaynn Schick, PhD

Associate Professor

Occupational, Environmental, and Climate Medicine

I study the health effects of air pollution in human subjects. I focus on the chemistry and toxicity of smoke and on how exposure to tobacco or cannabis smoke can cause heart and lung disease. My analysis of tobacco industry research showed that sidestream cigarette smoke (the primary constituent of secondhand cigarette smoke) is more toxic than the smoke that smokers inhale and that secondhand smoke becomes more toxic as it ages.

My research on the chemistry and toxicity of cigarette smoke has helped define a new health risk from smoking: thirdhand cigarette smoke. Thirdhand smoke is the tiny droplets of oils and waxes (tar) that stick to surfaces, like walls, furniture, clothing and hair. Thirdhand smoke cannot be removed by ventilation. Many of the toxins and carcinogens in smoke linger for days, months and years after the cigarettes are gone. My laboratory is funded by the California Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program to study how humans absorb thirdhand smoke from the environment.

I am also studying the effects of cannabis use on air quality in public places and the chemistry and toxicity of cannabis product emissions like dab aerosol.

I am member of the California Thirdhand Smoke Consortium, the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and the UCSF Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education. My goals are to understand how smoke causes heart attacks and respiratory disease and to educate society on the true impact that air pollution has on human health.

Education
Ph.D., 2001 - Graduate Division (Biomedical Sciences), University of California, San Francisco
Postdoctoral Studies, - Graduate Division, University of California, San Francisco
Publications

  1. Liu J, Nabavizadeh P, Rao P, Derakhshandeh R, Han DD, Guo R, Murphy MB, Cheng J, Schick SF, Springer ML. Impairment of Endothelial Function by Aerosol From Marijuana Leaf Vaporizers. Journal of the American Heart Association 2023. PMID: 38014661


  2. Richardot WH, Yabes L, Wei HH, Dodder NG, Watanabe K, Cibor A, Schick SF, Novotny TE, Gersberg R, Hoh E. Leached Compounds from Smoked Cigarettes and Their Potential for Bioaccumulation in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Chemical research in toxicology 2023. PMID: 37827523


  3. Han DD, Rao P, Qiu H, Navabzadeh M, Wang X, Goyal N, Mohammadi L, Huang A, Perez BG, Schick SF, Springer ML. Impairment of Endothelial Function by Cigarette Smoke and e-Cigarette Aerosol Requires RAGE. Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology 2023. PMID: 37795616


  4. Pratt K, Hilty A, Jacob P, Schick SF. Respiratory Exposure to Thirdhand Cigarette Smoke Increases Concentrations of Urinary Metabolites of Nicotine. Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco 2023. PMID: 36617255


  5. Matt GE, Greiner L, Record RA, Wipfli H, Long J, Dodder NG, Hoh E, Lopez Galvez N, Novotny TE, Quintana PJE, Destaillats H, Tang X, Snijders AM, Mao JH, Hang B, Schick S, Jacob P, Talbot P, Mahabee-Gittens EM, Merianos AL, Northrup TF, Gundel L, Benowitz NL. Policy-relevant differences between secondhand and thirdhand smoke: strengthening protections from involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke pollutants. Tobacco control 2023. PMID: 37263783


  6. Mohammadi L, Han DD, Xu F, Huang A, Derakhshandeh R, Rao P, Whitlatch A, Cheng J, Keith RJ, Hamburg NM, Ganz P, Hellman J, Schick SF, Springer ML. Chronic E-Cigarette Use Impairs Endothelial Function on the Physiological and Cellular Levels. Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology 2022. PMID: 36288290


  7. Nabavizadeh P, Liu J, Rao P, Ibrahim S, Han DD, Derakhshandeh R, Qiu H, Wang X, Glantz SA, Schick SF, Springer ML. Impairment of Endothelial Function by Cigarette Smoke Is Not Caused by a Specific Smoke Constituent, but by Vagal Input From the Airway. Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology 2022. PMID: 36288292


  8. Sakamaki-Ching S, Schick S, Grigorean G, Li J, Talbot P. Dermal thirdhand smoke exposure induces oxidative damage, initiates skin inflammatory markers, and adversely alters the human plasma proteome. EBioMedicine 2022. PMID: 36137411


  9. Tang X, Benowitz N, Gundel L, Hang B, Havel CM, Hoh E, Jacob Iii P, Mao JH, Martins-Green M, Matt GE, Quintana PJE, Russell ML, Sarker A, Schick SF, Snijders AM, Destaillats H. Thirdhand Exposures to Tobacco-Specific Nitrosamines through Inhalation, Dust Ingestion, Dermal Uptake, and Epidermal Chemistry. Environmental science & technology 2022. PMID: 35900278


  10. Huang AS, Murphy MBC, Jacob P, Schick SF. PM2.5 Concentrations in the Smoking Lounge of a Cannabis Store Environ. Sci Technol Lett. 2022. PMID:


  11. He L, Wang P, Schick SF, Huang A, Jacob P, Yang X, Xia Y, Snijders AM, Mao JH, Chang H, Hang B. Genetic background influences the effect of thirdhand smoke exposure on anxiety and memory in Collaborative Cross mice. Scientific Reports 2021. PMID: 34168244


  12. Murphy MB, Huang AS, Schick SF. PM2.5 Concentrations in a Cannabis Store with On-Site Consumption. Environmental health perspectives 2021. PMID: 34132612


  13. He L, Zhou YX, Zhang Y, Hang B, Chang H, Schick SF, Celniker SE, Xia Y, Snijders AM, Mao JH. Thirdhand cigarette smoke leads to age-dependent and persistent alterations in the cecal microbiome of mice. MicrobiologyOpen 2021. PMID: 34180593


  14. Snijders AM, Zhou M, Whitehead TP, Fitch B, Pandey P, Hechmer A, Huang A, Schick SF, de Smith AJ, Olshen AB, Metayer C, Mao JH, Wiemels JL, Kogan SC. In utero and early-life exposure to thirdhand smoke causes profound changes to the immune system. Clinical science (London, England : 1979) 2021. PMID: 33851706


  15. Pozuelos GL, Jacob P, Schick SF, Omaiye EE, Talbot P. Adhesion and Removal of Thirdhand Smoke from Indoor Fabrics: A Method for Rapid Assessment and Identification of Chemical Repositories. International journal of environmental research and public health 2021. PMID: 33808392


  16. Sarker AH, Trego KS, Zhang W, Jacob P, Snijders AM, Mao JH, Schick SF, Cooper PK, Hang B. Thirdhand smoke exposure causes replication stress and impaired transcription in human lung cells. Environmental and molecular mutagenesis 2020. PMID: 32267018


  17. Whitlatch A, Schick S. Thirdhand Smoke at Philip Morris. Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco 2018. PMID: 30053240


  18. Xu EG, Richardot WH, Li S, Buruaem L, Wei HH, Dodder NG, Schick SF, Novotny T, Schlenk D, Gersberg RM, Hoh E. Assessing Toxicity and In Vitro Bioactivity of Smoked Cigarette Leachate Using Cell-Based Assays and Chemical Analysis. Chemical research in toxicology 2019. PMID: 31286770


  19. Jaques, PA, Zalay, M, Huang, A, Jee, K, Schick, SF.. Proceedings of the 15th Conference of the International Society of Indoor Air Quality & Climate, Philadelphia, PA, USA July 22 to 27, 2018 Measuring Aerosol Particle Emissions from Cannabis Vaporization and Dabbing 2019. PMID:


  20. Pozuelos GL, Kagda MS, Schick S, Girke T, Volz DC, Talbot P. Experimental Acute Exposure to Thirdhand Smoke and Changes in the Human Nasal Epithelial Transcriptome: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA network open 2019. PMID: 31251375


  21. Lee WH, Ong SG, Zhou Y, Tian L, Bae HR, Baker N, Whitlatch A, Mohammadi L, Guo H, Nadeau KC, Springer ML, Schick SF, Bhatnagar A, Wu JC. Modeling Cardiovascular Risks of E-Cigarettes With Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Endothelial Cells. Journal of the American College of Cardiology 2019. PMID: 31146818


  22. Conklin DJ, Schick S, Blaha MJ, Carll A, DeFilippis A, Ganz P, Hall ME, Hamburg N, O'Toole T, Reynolds L, Srivastava S, Bhatnagar A. Cardiovascular injury induced by tobacco products: assessment of risk factors and biomarkers of harm. A Tobacco Centers of Regulatory Science compilation. American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology 2019. PMID: 30707616


  23. Gotts JE, Chun L, Abbott J, Fang X, Takasaka N, Nishimura SL, Springer ML, Schick SF, Calfee CS, Matthay MA. Cigarette smoke exposure worsens acute lung injury in antibiotic-treated bacterial pneumonia in mice. American journal of physiology. Lung cellular and molecular physiology 2018. PMID: 29543040


  24. Hang B, Wang Y, Huang Y, Wang P, Langley SA, Bi L, Sarker AH, Schick SF, Havel C, Jacob P, Benowitz N, Destaillats H, Tang X, Xia Y, Jen KY, Gundel LA, Mao JH, Snijders AM. Short-term early exposure to thirdhand cigarette smoke increases lung cancer incidence in mice. Clinical science (London, England : 1979) 2018. PMID: 29440622


  25. Schick SF, Blount BC, Jacob P, Saliba NA, Bernert JT, El Hellani A, Jatlow P, Pappas RS, Wang L, Foulds J, Ghosh A, Hecht SS, Gomez JC, Martin JR, Mesaros C, Srivastava S, St Helen G, Tarran R, Lorkiewicz PK, Blair IA, Kimmel HL, Doerschuk CM, Benowitz NL, Bhatnagar A. Biomarkers of exposure to new and emerging tobacco delivery products. American journal of physiology. Lung cellular and molecular physiology 2017. PMID: 28522563


  26. Hang B, Snijders AM, Huang Y, Schick SF, Wang P, Xia Y, Havel C, Jacob P, Benowitz N, Destaillats H, Gundel LA, Mao JH. Early exposure to thirdhand cigarette smoke affects body mass and the development of immunity in mice. Scientific Reports 2017. PMID: 28157226


  27. Jacob P, Benowitz NL, Destaillats H, Gundel L, Hang B, Martins-Green M, Matt GE, Quintana PJ, Samet JM, Schick SF, Talbot P, Aquilina NJ, Hovell MF, Mao JH, Whitehead TP. Thirdhand Smoke: New Evidence, Challenges, and Future Directions. Chemical research in toxicology 2016. PMID: 28001376


  28. Wang X, Derakhshandeh R, Liu J, Narayan S, Nabavizadeh P, Le S, Danforth OM, Pinnamaneni K, Rodriguez HJ, Luu E, Sievers RE, Schick SF, Glantz SA, Springer ML. One Minute of Marijuana Secondhand Smoke Exposure Substantially Impairs Vascular Endothelial Function. Volume 5 of Issue 8. Journal of the American Heart Association 2016. PMID: 27464788


  29. Bahl V, Johnson K, Phandthong R, Zahedi A, Schick SF, Talbot P. From the Cover: Thirdhand Cigarette Smoke Causes Stress-Induced Mitochondrial Hyperfusion and Alters the Transcriptional Profile of Stem Cells. Toxicological sciences : an official journal of the Society of Toxicology 2016. PMID: 27255386


  30. Xu B, Chen M, Yao M, Ji X, Mao Z, Tang W, Qiao S, Schick SF, Mao JH, Hang B, Xia Y. Corrigendum: Metabolomics reveals metabolic changes in male reproductive cells exposed to thirdhand smoke. Scientific Reports 2016. PMID: 27072199


  31. Liu J, Wang X, Narayan S, Glantz SA, Schick SF, Springer ML. Impairment of Endothelial Function by Little Cigar Secondhand Smoke. Volume 2 of Issue 1. Tobacco regulatory science 2016. PMID: 26753171


  32. Bahl V, Weng NJ, Schick SF, Sleiman M, Whitehead J, Ibarra A, Talbot P. Cytotoxicity of Thirdhand Smoke and Identification of Acrolein as a Volatile Thirdhand Smoke Chemical That Inhibits Cell Proliferation. Toxicological sciences : an official journal of the Society of Toxicology 2015. PMID: 26719373


  33. Bahl V, Shim HJ, Jacob P, Dias K, Schick SF, Talbot P. Thirdhand smoke: Chemical dynamics, cytotoxicity, and genotoxicity in outdoor and indoor environments. Toxicology in vitro : an international journal published in association with BIBRA 2015. PMID: 26689327


  34. Xu B, Chen M, Yao M, Ji X, Mao Z, Tang W, Qiao S, Schick SF, Mao JH, Hang B, Xia Y. Metabolomics reveals metabolic changes in male reproductive cells exposed to thirdhand smoke. Scientific Reports 2015. PMID: 26489853


  35. Waldo SW, Brenner DA, McCabe JM, De la Cruz M, Long B, Narla VA, Park J, Kulkarni A, Sinclair E, Chan SY, Schick SF, Malik N, Ganz P, Hsue PY. Correction: A novel minimally-invasive method to sample human endothelial cells for molecular profiling. Volume 10 of Issue 5. PloS one 2015. PMID: 25938419


  36. Waldo SW, Brenner DA, McCabe JM, Dela Cruz M, Long B, Narla VA, Park J, Kulkarni A, Sinclair E, Chan SY, Schick SF, Malik N, Ganz P, Hsue PY. A novel minimally-invasive method to sample human endothelial cells for molecular profiling. Volume 10 of Issue 2. PloS one 2015. PMID: 25679506


  37. Bahl V, Jacob P, Havel C, Schick SF, Talbot P. Thirdhand cigarette smoke: factors affecting exposure and remediation. PloS one 2014. PMID: 25286392


  38. Pinnamaneni K, Sievers RE, Sharma R, Selchau AM, Gutierrez G, Nordsieck EJ, Su R, An S, Chen Q, Wang X, Derakhshandeh R, Aschbacher K, Heiss C, Glantz SA, Schick SF, Springer ML. Brief exposure to secondhand smoke reversibly impairs endothelial vasodilatory function. Volume 16 of Issue 5. Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco 2013. PMID: 24302638


  39. Jacob P, Goniewicz ML, Havel CM, Schick SF, Benowitz NL. Nicotelline: a proposed biomarker and environmental tracer for particulate matter derived from tobacco smoke. Chemical research in toxicology 2013. PMID: 24125094


  40. Schick SF, Farraro KF, Perrino C, Sleiman M, van de Vossenberg G, Trinh MP, Hammond SK, Jenkins BM, Balmes J. Thirdhand cigarette smoke in an experimental chamber: evidence of surface deposition of nicotine, nitrosamines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and de novo formation of NNK. Volume 23 of Issue 2. Tobacco control 2013. PMID: 23716171


  41. Hang B, Sarker AH, Havel C, Saha S, Hazra TK, Schick S, Jacob P, Rehan VK, Chenna A, Sharan D, Sleiman M, Destaillats H, Gundel LA. Thirdhand smoke causes DNA damage in human cells. Mutagenesis 2013. PMID: 23462851


  42. Schick SF, van den Vossenberg G, Luo A, Whitlatch A, Jacob P, Balmes J, Shusterman D. Thirty minute-exposure to aged cigarette smoke increases nasal congestion in nonsmokers. Volume 76 of Issue 10. Journal of toxicology and environmental health. Part A 2013. PMID: 23859154


  43. Suzaynn F. Schick, Kathryn F. Farraro, Jiaxi Fang, Sarah Nasir, Justin Kim,
    Donald Lucas, Hofer Wong, John Balmes, D. Ken Giles, and Bryan Jenkins. Aerosol Science and Technology An Apparatus for Generating Aged Cigarette Smoke for Controlled Human Exposure Studies 2012. PMID:


  44. Frey PF, Ganz P, Hsue PY, Benowitz NL, Glantz SA, Balmes JR, Schick SF. The exposure-dependent effects of aged secondhand smoke on endothelial function. Volume 59 of Issue 21. Journal of the American College of Cardiology 2012. PMID: 22595411


  45. Shusterman DJ, Weaver EM, Goldberg AN, Schick SF, Wong HH, Balmes JR. Pilot evaluation of the nasal nitric oxide response to humming as an index of osteomeatal patency. Volume 26 of Issue 2. American journal of rhinology & allergy 2012. PMID: 22487289


  46. Matt GE, Quintana PJ, Destaillats H, Gundel LA, Sleiman M, Singer BC, Jacob P, Benowitz N, Winickoff JP, Rehan V, Talbot P, Schick S, Samet J, Wang Y, Hang B, Martins-Green M, Pankow JF, Hovell MF. Thirdhand tobacco smoke: emerging evidence and arguments for a multidisciplinary research agenda. Environmental health perspectives 2011. PMID: 21628107


  47. Schick SF, Schick S. Thirdhand smoke: here to stay. Tobacco control 2011. PMID: 21172855


  48. Heiss C, Amabile N, Lee AC, Real WM, Schick SF, Lao D, Wong ML, Jahn S, Angeli FS, Minasi P, Springer ML, Hammond SK, Glantz SA, Grossman W, Balmes JR, Yeghiazarians Y. Brief secondhand smoke exposure depresses endothelial progenitor cells activity and endothelial function: sustained vascular injury and blunted nitric oxide production. Volume 51 of Issue 18. Journal of the American College of Cardiology 2008. PMID: 18452782


  49. Schick S, Gvinianidze K, Tsereteli D, Novotny T, Hammond K. Pilot study of compliance with healthcare facility smoking laws in Georgia. Georgian medical news 2008. PMID: 18323594


  50. Schick SF, Bero LA, Cook DM. The tobacco industry and the Data Quality Act. Science (New York, N.Y.) 2007. PMID: 17702925


  51. Schick SF, Glantz S. Concentrations of the carcinogen 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone in sidestream cigarette smoke increase after release into indoor air: results from unpublished tobacco industry research. Volume 16 of Issue 8. Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology 2007. PMID: 17684127


  52. Schick SF, Glantz SA. Old ways, new means: tobacco industry funding of academic and private sector scientists since the Master Settlement Agreement. Volume 16 of Issue 3. Tobacco control 2007. PMID: 17565125


  53. Schick SF, Schick S, Glantz SA. Sidestream cigarette smoke toxicity increases with aging and exposure duration. Volume 15 of Issue 6. Tobacco control 2006. PMID: 17130369


  54. Schick S, Glantz S. Philip Morris toxicological experiments with fresh sidestream smoke: more toxic than mainstream smoke. Tobacco control 2005. PMID: 16319363


  55. Schick S, Glantz S. Scientific analysis of second-hand smoke by the tobacco industry, 1929-1972. Volume 7 of Issue 4. Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco 2005. PMID: 16085530


  56. Glantz, Stanton A
    Schick, Suzaynn F. Implications of ASHRAE's guidelines for ventilation in smoking permitted areas ASHRAE Journal 2004. PMID:


  57. Damsky Ch, Schick SF, Klimanskaya I, Stephens L, Zhou Y, Fisher S. Adhesive interactions in peri-implantation morphogenesis and placentation. Reproductive toxicology (Elmsford, N.Y.) 1997. PMID: 9100312