Dr. Matthew Rossheim
Associate Professor, Health Behavior and Health Systems
Education & Experience:
I completed a PhD program in Public Health Sciences at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, as well as a BA in Economics and MPH with a concentration in Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Florida. Prior to joining the UNTHSC School of Public Health as a faculty in 2021, I was a faculty member at George Mason University.
Teaching Areas & Public Health Interests:
My primary public health interests are alcohol and tobacco prevention and control. I have taught numerous courses at the undergraduate- and graduate-level on public health research methods as well as health behavior theories. I have also taught courses on statistics, tobacco prevention and control, and injury and violence prevention. As an instructor, I strive to develope interactive lessons for students that help them apply course content to address real-world public health problems.
Professional Activities & Awards:
In addition to my research, I have also helped numerous community organizations advocate for laws that help reduce alcohol and tobacco use and related harms in their communities. As an example, I was the project lead on an American Cancer Society grant to support the Tobacco-Free Mason Project, designed to help George Mason University work towards implementing a 100% tobacco-free campus policy. I have also delivered presentations to local alcohol coalitions about my research on “supersized alcopops,” as well as consulted on community assessments and helped develop data books related to alcohol marketing and reports related to the prevention of drinking and driving. I have been an active full member of the American Academy of Health Behavior (AAHB) since 2015.
Scholarly Interests:
I have more than 10 years of experience conducting substance use research to help inform prevention and control efforts. My research is designed to help guide policies that prevent underage drinking, excessive alcohol use, drinking-and-driving, tobacco/cannabis use initiation, and exposure to secondhand smoke. My research focuses on the marketing of substances frequently used by young people including supersized alcopops (alcohol), electronic cigarettes (tobacco), and delta-8 THC (cannabis). In 2019, some of my studies on supersized alcopops were cited by the Canadian Government in their regulations that reclassified and restricted the alcohol content of these products to 1.5 standard alcoholic drinks throughout Canada. My research has been cited in reports by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and World Health Organization, as well as in city and county ordinances. My studies have also been featured in The New York Times, NBC, CNN, BBC, Washington Post, Newsweek, NPR, and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.
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