Manufacturers of oral nicotine products – pouches, tablets, or lozenges – are using splashy ad campaigns to appeal to retailers, particularly focusing on profitability, convenience of use, and availability of non-tobacco flavors, according to a study published in November 2024 by a multi-institution team that included two Yale researchers. Nicotine pouches are relatively new products in the U.S. tobacco market but have been gaining rapid popularity.
Akshika Sharma, PhD
Associate Research ScientistDownloadHi-Res Photo
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Associate Research Scientist
Biography
Dr. Akshika Sharma is a NIH/NCI funded substance use, addiction, and tobacco policy scientist. Her expertise encompasses use of diverse research designs such as experimental studies, clinical trials and surveys to asses harm reduction among cigarette smokers, implications of policy on use behaviors, health effects of emerging nicotine products such as e-cigarettes and oral nicotine pouches, and vaping cessation in both youth and adults. Trained as a Dentist, Dr. Sharma has a particular interest in investigating the oral health implications of novel nicotine products and identifying biomarkers associated with health and disease. Dr. Sharma received the very prestigious K99/R00 grant funding from National Cancer Institute in 2026 to investigate biomarkers associated with cancer risk among individuals who use different tobacco products by analyzing oral microbiome and inflammatory responses. Through her work, she addresses critical public health questions related to tobacco dependence, patterns of product use, and associated health impacts for generating evidence to inform regulatory decisions. Her research has been published in prestigious peer reviewed journals.
Last Updated on October 26, 2026.
Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- PhD
- University at Buffalo, Cancer Science (2022)
Research
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Overview
Public Health Interests
Behavioral Health; Clinical Trials; Epidemiology Methods; Substance Use, Addiction; Statistical Computing; Economics of Health Behaviors
ORCID
0000-0003-0651-171X
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Akshika Sharma's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Akshika Sharma's research output by year.
Krysten Bold, PhD
Meghan Morean, PhD
Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin, PhD
Grace Kong, PhD
Wei Li, MD, MPH, PhD
Danielle Davis, PhD
24Publications
214Citations
Publications
2026
Patterns in methods, timing, and sequence of nicotine and cannabis co-use among adolescents
Ouellette R, Kong G, Davis D, Bold K, Li W, Sharma A, Krishnan-Sarin S, Morean M. Patterns in methods, timing, and sequence of nicotine and cannabis co-use among adolescents. Drug And Alcohol Dependence 2026, 283: 113162. PMID: 42013579, PMCID: PMC13431071, DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2026.113162.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2025
Psychometric properties of the Nicotine E-cigarette Withdrawal Scale for use with adults
Morean M, Ouellette R, Li W, Sharma A. Psychometric properties of the Nicotine E-cigarette Withdrawal Scale for use with adults. Drug And Alcohol Dependence 2025, 277: 112968. PMID: 41260026, PMCID: PMC12646507, DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2025.112968.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricMenthol cigarette alternative products: Awareness, use, and substitution intentions among adults who smoke menthol cigarettes
Kyriakos C, Kong G, Sharma A, Morean M, Suttiratana S, Bold K. Menthol cigarette alternative products: Awareness, use, and substitution intentions among adults who smoke menthol cigarettes. Addictive Behaviors 2025, 171: 108470. PMID: 40876183, PMCID: PMC12703848, DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108470.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricPutting the “Tobacco” in Tobacco-Free Blunt Wraps: Early Evidence From Adolescents Who Use Cannabis Blunts Signals a Potential Need for Regulatory Action
Morean M, Ponte V, Li W, Davis D, Sharma A, Krishnan-Sarin S, Bold K, Kong G. Putting the “Tobacco” in Tobacco-Free Blunt Wraps: Early Evidence From Adolescents Who Use Cannabis Blunts Signals a Potential Need for Regulatory Action. Nicotine & Tobacco Research 2025, 28: 175-179. PMID: 40600673, PMCID: PMC12723212, DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntaf139.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricAdvertising the leading US nicotine pouch brand: a content analysis of ZYN advertisements from 2019 to 2023
Lyu J, Ozga J, Stanton C, Hrywna M, Ganz O, Ross J, Sharma A, Ling P. Advertising the leading US nicotine pouch brand: a content analysis of ZYN advertisements from 2019 to 2023. Tobacco Control 2025, tc-2024-059145. PMID: 40335264, PMCID: PMC12379097, DOI: 10.1136/tc-2024-059145.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricCorrigendum to “E-cigarette use and change in plans to quit cigarette smoking among adult smokers in the United States: Longitudinal findings from the PATH Study 2014–2019” [Addict. Behav. 124 (2022) 107124]
Kasza K, Edwards K, Anesetti-Rothermel A, Creamer M, Cummings K, Niaura R, Sharma A, Pitts S, Head S, Everard C, Hatsukami D, Hyland A. Corrigendum to “E-cigarette use and change in plans to quit cigarette smoking among adult smokers in the United States: Longitudinal findings from the PATH Study 2014–2019” [Addict. Behav. 124 (2022) 107124]. Addictive Behaviors 2025, 167: 108342. PMID: 40155218, DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108342.Commentaries, Editorials and LettersUnderstanding Reasons to Quit or Reduce Vaping and Associations With Quitting Outcomes Among High School Adolescents in Connecticut
Bold K, Kong G, Morean M, Sharma A, Courtney W, Li W, Davis D, Camenga D, Ouellette R, Krishnan-Sarin S. Understanding Reasons to Quit or Reduce Vaping and Associations With Quitting Outcomes Among High School Adolescents in Connecticut. Journal Of Adolescent Health 2025, 77: 766-770. PMID: 39985534, PMCID: PMC12353269, DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2025.01.004.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetric
2024
Marketing strategies in business-to-business advertisements for oral nicotine products
Sharma A, Belton A, Ozga J, Ling P, Hrywna M, Ross J, Ganz O, Bold K, Stanton C. Marketing strategies in business-to-business advertisements for oral nicotine products. Tobacco Control 2024, 35: 125-128. PMID: 39613332, PMCID: PMC12116845, DOI: 10.1136/tc-2024-058826.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricCorrection: Flavored electronic nicotine delivery system product use among adults in New York State post-statewide restriction implementation
Fix B, Bansal-Travers M, Hyland A, Najm L, Diaz D, Sharma A, Ossip D, O’Connor R. Correction: Flavored electronic nicotine delivery system product use among adults in New York State post-statewide restriction implementation. Journal Of Public Health Policy 2024, 46: 229-230. PMID: 39496846, DOI: 10.1057/s41271-024-00532-y.Commentaries, Editorials and LettersUnderstanding Use of E-cigarettes for Smoking Cessation Among a Sample of U.S. Adults
Sharma A, Morean M, Krishnan-Sarin S, O’Malley S, Bold K. Understanding Use of E-cigarettes for Smoking Cessation Among a Sample of U.S. Adults. Nicotine & Tobacco Research 2024, 27: 926-931. PMID: 39475073, PMCID: PMC12012231, DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntae251.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetric
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