Brittney Keller-Hamilton
Associate Professor
(Courtesy)
Epidemiology
Biography
Brittney Keller-Hamilton is an epidemiologist and associate professor in the Division of Medical Oncology at The Ohio State University. As a member of the Cancer Control Program at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, she is interested in tobacco control, particularly research to reduce cancer risk for people who use tobacco products.
Her current research focuses on identifying key characteristics of tobacco products that drive their addiction potential. Because rates of tobacco-related cancers are particularly high in rural and Appalachian areas, much of her research is conducted within those populations.
She leads studies investigating the effects of differing nicotine characteristics on the appeal and addiction potential of nicotine products, like nicotine pouches and other forms of smokeless tobacco. She also leads a project that is testing whether nicotine pouches help people stop smoking as well as medicinal nicotine replacement therapy. She has collaborated on several studies evaluating the best ways to communicate the health risks of tobacco and alcohol to consumers.
Her work has been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, including Addiction, Tobacco Control, Nicotine and Tobacco Research, and Preventive Medicine. Additionally, she served as an associate editor for Preventing Chronic Disease, is a member of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco and is co-chair of the Widening Impact in Medicine and Science Data Committee.
Education
- PhD
- Epidemiology, The Ohio State University, 2019
- MPH
- Health Behavior and Health Promotion, The Ohio State University, 2013
Select publications
- Keller-Hamilton B, Alalwan MA, Curran H, Hinton A, Long L, Chrzan K, Wagener TL, Atkinson L, Suraapaneni S, Mays D. Evaluating the effects of nicotine concentration on the appeal and nicotine delivery of oral nicotine pouches among rural and Appalachian adults who smoke cigarettes: A randomized cross-over study. Addiction. 2024 Mar;119(3):464-475. doi: 10.1111/add.16355. Epub 2023 Nov 14. PMID: 37964431; PMCID: PMC10872395.
- Ozga JE, Milstred A, Blank MD, Rayens MK, Keller-Hamilton B, Roberts ME, Himelhoch S, Stanton CA. A comparison of classifications for geographic location and their associations with tobacco use among US adults. J Rural Health. 2025 Jun;41(3):e70070. doi: 10.1111/jrh.70070. PMID: 40977590; PMCID: PMC12462635.
- He Y, Zhang Z, Keller-Hamilton B, Mays D, Wagener TL, Berman ML, Shang C. Trends of oral nicotine pouch prices and sales by product characteristics in the USA, 2021-2024. Tob Control. 2025 Jun 12:tc-2024-059222. doi: 10.1136/tc-2024-059222. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40506226; PMCID: PMC12285603.
- Dennison Himmelfarb CR, Benowitz NL, Blank MD, Bhatnagar A, Chase PJ, Davis EM, Fetterman JL, Keller-Hamilton B, Ogungbe O, Page RL 2nd, Rezk-Hanna M, Robertson RM, Whitsel LP; American Heart Association Advocacy Coordinating Committee. Impact of Smokeless Oral Nicotine Products on Cardiovascular Disease: Implications for Policy, Prevention, and Treatment: A Policy Statement From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2025 Jan 7;151(1):e1-e21. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000001293. Epub 2024 Dec 3. PMID: 39624904.
- Keller-Hamilton B, Curran H, Alalwan M, Hinton A, Brinkman MC, El-Hellani A, Wagener TL, Chrzan K, Atkinson L, Suraapaneni S, Mays D. Evaluating the Role of Nicotine Stereoisomer on Nicotine Pouch Abuse Liability: A Randomized Crossover Trial. Nicotine Tob Res. 2025 Mar 24;27(4):658-665. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntae079. PMID: 38713545; PMCID: PMC11931208.
- Keller-Hamilton B, Curran H, Atkinson L, Suraapaneni S, Hinton A, Chrzan K, Mays D, El-Hellani A, Wilson CW, Brinkman MC, Wagener TL. Examining the role of freebase nicotine in the harm reduction potential of oral nicotine pouches versus moist snuff: A randomized crossover trial. Addiction. 2025 Jul 1:10.1111/add.70114. doi: 10.1111/add.70114. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40598715; PMCID: PMC12291100.
- Keller-Hamilton B, Sloan R, Mehta T, Hinton A, Tackett AP, Roberts ME, Brinkman MC, Wagener TL. An observational human laboratory assessment of nicotine delivery, vaping topography and subjective effects of usual brand electronic cigarette use among young adults. Addiction. 2025 Mar;120(3):503-513. doi: 10.1111/add.16531. Epub 2024 May 27. PMID: 38800982; PMCID: PMC11599464.
- Alalwan MA, Long L, Hirko KA, LoConte NK, Scherr CL, Keller-Hamilton B, Atkinson L, Suraapaneni S, Gatti-Mays ME, Manne S, Mays D. Awareness of alcohol as a breast cancer risk factor and intentions to reduce alcohol consumption among U.S. young adult women. Transl Behav Med. 2023 Sep 28;13(10):784-793. doi: 10.1093/tbm/ibad045. PMID: 37582629; PMCID: PMC10538472.
- Keller-Hamilton B, Curran H, Stevens EM, Zettler PJ, Mays D, Ferketich AK. Effects of "Tobacco Free" Language in Warning Labels on Perceptions of Electronic Cigarettes and Nicotine Pouches among Young Adult Men: A Randomized Trial. Subst Use Misuse. 2023;58(10):1302-1306. doi: 10.1080/10826084.2023.2215308. Epub 2023 May 25. PMID: 37227265; PMCID: PMC10401609.
- Keller-Hamilton B, Stevens EM, Villanti AC, Leshner G, Wagener TL, Mays D. Messaging to prevent and reduce young adults' waterpipe tobacco smoking: A randomized trial. Addict Behav. 2023 Mar;138:107546. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107546. Epub 2022 Nov 12. PMID: 36455379; PMCID: PMC9780172.