Laurel Curry

Laurel Curry is a behavioral scientist and research analyst with nearly 20 years of experience in program, policy, and media campaign evaluation focused on chronic disease prevention. Dr. Curry’s expertise in these areas includes quantitative and qualitative methods to conduct formative, process, and outcome evaluations of state- and national-level interventions to prevent tobacco initiation and promote tobacco cessation.

In her role at RTI, she has worked with federal clients—such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—state governments, and foundations. Dr. Curry currently leads the evaluation of the Bureau of Tobacco Free Florida’s tobacco prevention and cessation media campaigns and advises on the evaluation of the FDA’s youth vaping prevention campaign, The Real Cost.

Previously, she served as an Associate Project Director for the California Tobacco Control Program’s anti-tobacco campaigns, as well as Interim Project Director and Analyst for the FDA’s multicultural tobacco use campaigns, Fresh Empire and This Free Life. Dr. Curry has also been a subject matter expert for a project focused on updating the CDC Office of Smoking and Health’s Key Outcome Indicators for Evaluating Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs guide.

Prior to joining RTI in 2012, she was a research associate for the American Legacy Foundation, now known as Truth Initiative. Dr. Curry is a member of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco.