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About

DATA SAVES LIVES

John Ayers, John W Ayers, John W. Ayers, Google Trends Health, Big Data, Big Media Data, Ayers
Vice Chief of Innovation | Assoc. Professor
Div. Infectious Disease & Global Public Health University of California San Diego
email: ayers.john.w@gmail.com

John W. Ayers, PhD, MA, is a CSU Bakersfield, Johns Hopkins and Harvard trained computational epidemiologist who uses big data to yield rapid and novel insights with measurable public health impacts. He is the Vice Chief of Innovation in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Associate Professor of Medicine, and Affiliate Scientist in the Qualcomm Institute all at UC San Diego.  

Together with Ben Althouse, Mark Dredze, and Eric Leas he has yielded many actionable insights including the discovery of seasonal patterns across mental illness, the discovery of circaseptan (day-of-the-week) patterns in health behaviors, the first replicable evaluation strategy for discrete awareness campaigns, a major overhaul of infectious disease forecasting algorithms, how Netflix's 13 Reasons Why increased suicides, and a data driven strategy to passively discover the public's health concerns. Nate Silver's Five Thirty Eight called him a "brave scientist" for his work on controversial issues like gun violence prevention. He was awarded the Burroughs Wellcome Fund innovator in regulatory science award. 

News

A recent study bemoaned the lack of science in awareness days, with many concluding awareness is overrated. Yet there are more awareness days than calendar days. Using news reports, Twitter postings, Web searches, Wikipedia impressions, and phone logs, you can evaluate the impact of awareness days and make them more impactful.

JMIR Pub Health

When Charlie Sheen disclosed his HIV positive status he did not promote HIV prevention nor did the news media. Yet millions of Americans went online in record numbers to find information about HIV symptoms, HIV testing, and condoms. On the heels of this discovery Sheen now speaks out on HIV prevention. 

JAMA Internal Medicine

John Ayers, John W Ayers, John W. Ayers, Google Trends Health, Big Data, Big Media Data, Ayers

Is Awareness

Overated?

The economy can do more than leave you with an empty feeling in the pit of your stomach, it also makes you sick. For the first time economic conditions were linked with population health in near real time. For instance, a 1 percent change in unemployment is associated with a 7 percent change in population psychological distress. 

J Affective Disorders | Am J Prev Med

Some speculate augmented reality games, like Pokémon GO,  promote activity. But do they also pose dangerous side effects? Letting millions of Twitter users be our eyes and ears, in just 10 days more than 110,000 instances of distracted driving were reported, with this discovery leading to some safety improvements

JAMA Internal Medicine

Does speaking up on climate change make a difference? Yes! Climate change advocacy is fostering public engagement with climate change isssues, with DiCaprio's Oscar acceptence speech concurring with record public engagement on climate change.  Yet, words matter. Calls to action appear to resonate more than narratives.

PLoS One

Fewer than 250 reports on PubMed include the term ‘gun violence’ whereas, more than 88,000 studies make reference to ‘influenza,’ even though both rival the other as a cause of death. Why? There isn't federal funding. Yet free big media data can fill the gap by providing some data where literally no other data exist.

Bloomberg D4GX #1 | D4GX #2

RESEARCH WITH AN IMPACT

 

Tobacco Watcher is the first fully automated media monitoring terminal dedicated to informing global tobacco control. Operating 24/7/365, TW brings the world’s news (in 23 languages, from more than 350,000 sources) together in one place, extracts actionable insights, and pushes these insights to tobacco control advocates and decision makers.  

www.tobaccowatcher.org

Public health leaders are often cautious, choosing to wait for traditional data instead of taking reasonable action in response to novel big media data. However, our findings underscore the value of big media data for yielding rapid, valid intelligence to make public health actionable and more responsive to the public it serves. 

Prev Sci | Am J Prev Med

#MeToo brought sexual harassment and/or assault to the forefront of public discourse, but how has it impacted the lives of the public beyond the rich and famous? Even a year after #MeToo began, we found public engagement with sexual harassment training was 51% higher than expected, while reporting harassment was 30% higher.

JAMA Internal Medicine

The national marijuana industry is booming. While regulators sit idle, marijuana companies have modeled their strategies after big tobacco's greatest hits from the 1950s. This includes using false health claims (branding marijuana as a cure-all) and appealing to children (with kid friendly products, even high school varsity jackets). 

JAMA | Am J Prev Med

John Ayers, John W Ayers, John W. Ayers, Google Trends Health, Big Data, Big Media Data, Ayers

Experts have expressed grave concerns because Netflix's "13 Reasons Why" ignores the World Health Organization's validated media guidelines for preventing suicide. Tragically, it is unsurprising then that the show increased Internet searches for suicide by 19%, including searches for "how to commit suicide." 

JAMA Internal Medicine | JAMA Editorial

Heat-not-burn tobacco is big tobacco's latest product innovation to attract tech-savvy, health-conscious consumers. Two years ago there were essentially no interest in these products, but now there are between 5.9 and 7.5 million internet searches for heat-not-burn products in Japan (the first national test market) each month.

PLoS One

Figure Anxiety JAMA IM (1).jpg

In the first  two studies to assess the collateral consequences of COVID-19 on behavioral health we find millions of Americans sought out miracle cures online and panic attacks reached record highs, with spikes in each corresponding to the implementation of social distancing guidelines and media coverage on COVID-19. 

JAMA Internal Medicine #1 | #2

Forget Dr. Google, the public is turning to social media to obtain "crowd-diagnoses" for their ailments. We found tens of thousands are seeking diagnoses for sexually transmitted diseases on public social media, even posting pictures of their you-know-what! Sometimes crowd-diagnoses are even being used to overrule a doctor’s diagnosis.

JAMA

CBD is this generation's snake oil. Falsely touted as a "cure all" we found staggering demand for CBD. 6.4 million Americans turn to Google to learn about or buy CBD each month, eclipsing or rivalling interest in most other health products or topics, including marijuana, yoga, exercise, meditation, and even electronic cigarettes. 

JAMA Network Open

Mondays can literally kill you. You are more likely to have a stroke or worse on Monday. Yet, maybe Monday isn't all bad. Across the globe Web searches for health behavior changes spike on Monday, even though news and social media do not echo that pattern. On what day would you buy health promotion advertising?

JAMA Internal Medicine | Am J Prev Med | OpEd

Is mental health seasonal? Web searches for mood are linked with the seasons, but surprisingly this seasonal pattern is replicated across a number of illnesses, including adhd, bipolar schizophrenia, etc. Since all theories are based on some data, what new theoretical development is needed in mental health research and can it lead to treatment? 

Am J Prev Med | Am J Prev Med Blog

Everyone wants a miracle cure, but they often don't exist. This was especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic, with demand for unproven therapies skyrocketing as we reported. Showing this problem is always with us, we mined social media posts to discover how the public was using CBD to replace proven therapies (e.g., to treat Afib).  

JAMA Internal Medicine | JAMA Network Open

Demand for abortion medications reached record highs after the Supreme Court of the United States draft ruling that would potentially overturn Roe v. Wade was leaked online. These trends may foretell similar public responses as abortion laws change in wake of a fractured policy landscape pending federal legislation. 

JAMA Internal Medicine

Most misinformation
comes from bots, not people

In a first-of-its-kind study we discovered a majority of misinformation about COVID-19 on Facebook comes from bots, not people. Moreover, bots were significantly more likely to promote conspiracies. By targeting bots (which hamper freedom of speech by crowding out real voices) the infodemic may be cured.

JAMA Internal Medicine

Publications

PUBLICATIONS (click titles for pdfs) 

Suicide Risk Behaviors among Sexual Minority Adolescents in the United States, 2015

Theodore L. Caputi, Davey Smith, John W. Ayers

JAMA. 2017;318(23):2349-2351.

| Reuters | Science | NBCCNN | Daily Mail | Healio | US News & World Report | UPI | Huffington Post |

| Independent | Refinery 29 | Gay Times | Newsmax | Atlanta Journal Constitution | New Now Next |

| Washington Blade | Time |

* Ranked in the top 1% of all research scored by Altmetric

Can a Selfie Promote Public Engagement with Skin Cancer?

Seth M. NoarEric C. LeasBenjamin M. Althouse, Mark Dredze, D Kelley, John W. Ayers

Preventive Medicine. 2017; doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2017.10.038.

| Daily Mail | Sun | Independent | Mirror | Allure | LADbible | Cosmopolitan | Hollywood Life |

| Yahoo! | Refinery 29 | Buzz | International Business Times | IB Times UK | Women's Health |

| MSN | US News & World Report | Unilad | Honey | Global News | Fox NewsLive Science |

| Parade | Yahoo! v2 |

* Watch a viral video documenting our study 

* Health Leader's "10 Most Memorable Stories of 2017"

* Ranked in the top 1% of all research scored by Altmetric

They're Heating Up: Internet Search Query Trends Reveal Significant Public Interest in Heat-Not-Burn Tobacco Products

Theodore L. Caputi, Eric C. Leas, Mark Dredze, Joanna E. Cohen, John W. Ayers

PLoS One. 2017; 12:e0185735.

| Global News | Discover Magazine | Daily Mail | The Sun | Joe | Web MD | MedPage Today |

| US News & World Report | CVBThe Scope | Healthline | SeekerUnion Tribune | UPI |

* As Philip Morris promotes heat-not-burn in the United States many cite this study

* Ranked in the top 1% of all research scored by Altmetric

Internet Searches for Suicide Following the Release of 13 Reasons Why

John W. AyersBenjamin M. Althouse, Eric C. Leas, Mark DredzeJon-Patrick Allem

JAMA Internal Medicine 2017;177(10):1527-1529.

| NBCCNN | Reuters | New York TimesWashington Post | Wired | Mashable | Daily MailTelegraph |

Global NewsForbes | Vice | iNews | Reuters | Medical News Today | International Business Times |

| Newsweek | Time | Pacific Standard | Live ScienceWashington Times | Billboard | Refinery 29 | RT |

| Perez HiltonGizmodo | Inverse | InquisitrUS News & World Report | New York Magazine | VOA |

| USA TodayRomper | the Cut | Sydney Morning Herald | MSN | The Atlantic | Business Insider |

| The Wrap | ABC (Australia) | Mic | Variety | Cosmopolitan | Uproxx | Slate | Huffington Post |

| Forbes (editorial) | Oxygen | SelfNewsy | VoxNPR Science Friday |

* Ranked in the top 1,000 most circulated articles among 11+ million articles scored by Altmetric

* Ranked in the top 25 most circulated articles in JAMA Internal Medicine according to Altmetric

* Read the JAMA Internal Medicine Editorial

* Read my coauthor's editorial in Salon

* Read Netflix cast's response to the criticism

The Charlie Sheen Effect on Rapid In-home Human Immunodeficiency Virus Test Sales

Jon-Patrick Allem, Eric C. Leas, Theodore L. Caputi, Mark DredzeBenjamin M. AlthouseSeth M. NoarJohn W. Ayers

Prev Sci 2017;18(5):541-544.

| CNN | Global News | Vice | New York Magazine | Live Science |  Daily Mail | O Globo | SVT | Healthline |

| ABC News | Newsweek | US News & World Report | Health DaySheKnows | Attn | Der Spiegel |

Gazeta | n+1 | CTV | RTLPrensa Libre | La Razon | BT | Europa Press | InquirerMedical Daily |  

| TMZMSN Inquisitr | Huffington PostBusiness Insider | International Business Times |

| ForbesWonderwall | Fortune | TonicUnion Tribune |

* Ranked in the top 0.1% of all research scored by Altmetric

* Was then the 2nd all-time most circulated article in Prev Sci according to Altmetric

* As the title suggests, this is a follow up to the oft-cited 2016 study

Why Do People Use Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (Electronic Cigarettes)? A Content Analysis of Twitter, 2012-2015

John W. Ayers, Eric C. Leas, Jon-Patrick Allem, Mark DredzeAdrian BentonBenjamin M. Althouse, Tess B. Cruz, Jennifer B. Unger

PLoS One. 2017;12:e0170702.

| Live Science | InVerseMen's FitnessVice | A.V. ClubMedical ExpressMental Daily | iTech |

| Huffington PostUnion Tribune |

* Ranked in the top 1% of all research scored by Altmetric

Can Big Media Data Revolutionize Gun Violence Prevention?

John W. Ayers, Benjamin M. Althouse, Eric C. Leas, Ted Alcorn, Mark Dredze

Bloomberg Data for Good Exchange. 2016.

| Tech at Bloomberg | Politico | Five Thirty Eight |

After Sandy Hook Elementary: A Year in the Gun Control Debate on Twitter

Adrian Benton, Braden Hancock, Glen Coppersmith, John W. Ayers, Mark Dredze

Bloomberg Data for Good Exchange. 2016.

| Tech at Bloomberg​ | Politico | Five Thirty Eight |

Which Cigarettes Do Americans Think are Safer?

Eric C. Leas, John W. Ayers, David Strong, John Pierce

Tobacco Control. 2016;tobaccocontrol-2016-053334.

Pokémon GO - A New Distraction for Drivers and Pedestrians

John W. Ayers, Eric C. Leas, Mark DredzeJon-Patrick Allem, Jurek Grabowski, Linda Hill

JAMA Internal Medicine. 2016;176(12):1865-1866.

| ABC News | NBC News | BBC | NPRCNN | Fox News | Global NewsReuters Vice | MSN | Yahoo! |

Los Angeles TimesNew York Magazine | US News & World ReportForbesFortune | Bustle |

Daily MailThe MirrorLe Figaro | Le Journal De Montreal | Dagens Medisin | Dagens Nyheter |

Parent Herald | Medical ExpressScience News | Live Science | Health Day | Medical News Today |

Touch Arcade | Kotaku | VG 247GizbotGame RantInquisitrUproxx | The Wrap |

Boston Herald | Smithsonian | Rolling StoneUnion Tribune |

* Read Pokémon GO maker Niantic's response and Dr. Ayers' counter on Mashable

* Pokémon GO's driving danger was subsequently addressed by the games' maker

* "Trended" on Facebook

* Ranked in the top 0.001% of all research scored by Altmetric

* Ranked in the top 50 most circulated articles in JAMA Internal Medicine according to Altmetric

Big Data Sensors of Organic Advocacy: The Case of Leonardo DiCaprio and Climate Change

Eric C. Leas, Benjamin M. Althouse, Mark Dredze, Nick Obradovich, James Fowler, Seth M. Noar, Jon-Patrick Allem, John W. Ayers

PLoS One. 2016;11:e0159885.

Washington Post | Bloomberg | Independent | Forbes | Time | Slate | New York Magazine | Yahoo! |

| ZME Science | The Daily Caller | Huffington Post | Mother Nature Network | Check 24Union Tribune |

* Read related commentary

* Ranks in the top 1% of all research scored by Altmetric

Revisiting the Rise of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems using Search Query Surveillance

John W. Ayers, Benjamin M. Althouse, Jon-Patrick Allem, Eric C. Leas, Mark DredzeRebecca S. Willliams

American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2016; 50(6):173-181.

Medical Daily | Science 2.0 | US News & World Report | Health |

* As the title suggests, this is a follow up to the oft-cited 2011 study

The Charlie Sheen Effect: News and Internet Searches for HIV

John W. Ayers, Benjamin M. Althouse, Mark Dredze, Eric C. Leas, Seth M. Noar

JAMA Internal Medicine. 2016;176(4):552-554.

Today Show | ABC News | CBS News | NBC News | Australian ABC | BBC  | CBCCNN | Fox News |

Los Angeles Times | Newsweek | The Mirror | Yahoo! | MSNAOL | Vox | Us Weekly | WebMD |

New York Magazine | Dr. Oz | Huffington Post | Hollywood ReporterPerez Hilton | Inquisitr | Mic |

| Medical Daily | Newsy | Discovery News | The Week | Global NewsTech at Bloomberg |

Tech Times | Web to Med | Union Tribune | 

* "Trended" on Facebook and Twitter

* Ranked in the top 0.001% of all research scored by Altmetric

* Ranked in the top 75 most circulated articles in JAMA Internal Medicine according to Altmetric

Leveraging Big Data to Improve Health Awareness Campaigns: A Novel Evaluation of the Great American Smokeout 

John W. Ayers, J Lee Westmaas, Eric C. Leas, Adrian Benton, Yunqi ChenMark Dredze, Benjamin M. Althouse 

JMIR Public Health and Surveillance. 2016;2(1):e16

CBS News | New York Magazine | The AtlanticLifeZette | Medical Daily |  US News & World Report |

| Vox Italy | Health DayUnion Tribune 

* Read related commentary

* Read series in New York Magazine's Science of Us by Jeese Singal #1, #2, #3, #4

* Ranked in the top 1% of all research scored by Altmetric

Enhancing Disease Surveillance with Novel Data Streams: Challenges and Opportunities

Benjamin M. Althouse, Samuel V. Scarpino, Lauren Ancel Meyers, John W. Ayers, Marisa Bargsten, Joan Baumbach, John S. Brownstein, Lauren Castro, Hannah Clapham, Derek A.T. Cummings, Sara Del Valle, Stephen Eubank, Geoffrey Fairchild, Lyn Finelli, Nicholas Generous, Dylan George, David R Harper, Laurent Hébert-Dufresne, Michael A Johansson, Kevin Konty, Marc Lipsitch, Gabriel Milinovich, Joseph D. Miller, Elaine O. Nsoesie, Donald R. Olson, Michael Paul, Philip M. Polgreen, Reid Priedhorsky, Jonathan M Read, Isabel Rodríguez-Barraquer, Derek J. Smith, Christian Stefansen, David L. Swerdlow, Deborah Thompson, Alessandro Vespignani, Amy Wesolowski

EPJ Data Science. 2015;4:1.

* A report of the SFI Conference on modern disease surveillance by Ben Althouse and Sam Scarpino

When a Ban Really is Not a Ban: Internet Loopholes and Djarum Flavoured Cigarettes in the USA

Jon-Patrick Allem, John W. Ayers, Benjamin M. Althouse, Rebecca S. Willliams

Tobacco Control. 2015;tobaccocontrol-tobaccocon2015.

US News & World Report |

 

“Tips From Former Smokers” Can Benefit From Considering All Available Data

John W. Ayers, Benjamin M. Althouse 

American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2015;49(6):133-134.

 

Changes in Internet Searches Associated with the “Tips from Former Smokers” Campaign

John W. Ayers, Benjamin M. Althouse, Sherry Emery

American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2015;48(6):e27-e29.

Bloomberg | Science Daily | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Reply |

What can Digital Disease Detection Learn from (an External Revision to) Google Flu Trends?

Mauricio Santillana, David W. Zhang, Benjamin M. Althouse, John W. Ayers

American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2014;47(3):341-347.

The Guardian | NPRScience Daily |

* Read related studies in Science and PLoS Computational Biology

Could Behavioral Medicine Lead the Web Data Revolution?

John W. Ayers, Benjamin M. Althouse, Mark Dredze

JAMA. 2014;311(14):1399-1400.

| National Post | Australian Doctor |

* Ranks in the top 1% of all research scored by Altmetric

 

What’s the Healthiest Day? Circaseptan (Weekly) Rhythms in Healthy Considerations 

John W. Ayers, Benjamin M. Althouse, Morgan Johnson, Mark Dredze, Joanna E. Cohen

American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2014; 47(1):73-76.

The Atlantic | Refinery 29 | Bloomberg Business Week | Huffington Post | The Times of London |

| Men's Fitness | Women's HealthPrevention | Fox News NYiAfrica |

* Watch related TEDxSanDiego talk

* Read Union Tribune OpEd 

* Ranked in the top 1% of all research scored by Altmetric

* Ranked in the top 10 most circulated articles in Am J Prev Med according to Altmetric

Circaseptan (Weekly) Rhythms in Smoking Cessation Consideration

John W. Ayers, Benjamin M. Althouse, Morgan Johnson, Joanna E. Cohen 

JAMA Internal Medicine. 2014;174:146-148.

New York Times | NBC NewsSaturday Night Live | Fast Company | Scientific American | NPR |

| USA TodayThe Daily News | redOrbitMedical Daily | El Mundo | Van Guardia | WebMD |

* Watch related TEDxSanDiego talk

* Read Union Tribune OpEd 

* Ranks in the top 0.01% of all research scored by Altmetric

* Ranks in the top 100 most circulated articles in JAMA Internal Medicine according to Altmetric

Cancer Information Seeking in the Digital Age: Effects of Angelina Jolie's Prophylactic Mastectomy Announcement

Seth M. Noar, Benjamin M. Althouse, John W. Ayers, Diane B. Francis, Kurt M. Ribisl

Medical Decision Making. 2015;35:16-21.

| Medical Decision Making Editorial | PLoS Commentary |

 

Population Health Concerns During the United States’ Great Recession

Benjamin M. Althouse, Jon-Patrick Allem, Matthew A. Childers, Mark Dredze, John W. Ayers 

American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2014;46:166-170.

New York TimesHuffington Post | Huffington Post (OpEd)Daily Mail | Bustle | NPR | Health | UPI |Psych CentralCounsel & HealUnion Tribune (cover) |

* United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS) commentary

* The Times of London worked with the authors to replicate the study in the United Kingdom

* Ranked in the top 1% of all research scored by Altmetric

* Ranked in the top 50 (all time) most circulated articles in Am J Prev Med according to Altmetric

U.S. Consumer Interest in Non-Cigarette Tobacco Products Spikes around the 2009 Federal Tobacco Tax Increase

Catherine JoJohn W. Ayers, Benjamin M. Althouse, Sherry Emery, Jidong Huang, Kurt M. Ribisl

Tobacco Control. 2014; doi:10.1136.

 

Do Celebrity Cancer Diagnoses Promote Primary Cancer Prevention?

John W. Ayers, Benjamin M. Althouse, Seth M. Noar, Joanna E. Cohen 

Preventive Medicine. 2014;58:81-84.

New York Times | Huffington Post | Medical Daily |  Folha De S.Paulo | Alagoas 24 Horas | Terra |

Radio France | Huffington Post (France) | 

Seasonality in Seeking Mental Health Information on Google

John W. Ayers, Benjamin M. Althouse, Jon-Patrick Allem, J. Niels Rosenquist, Daniel E. Ford

American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2013;44:520-525.

New York Times | New York Times OpEdPopular Science | Wired | The Atlantic | TimeNPR |

The Daily News | Salon | Pacific Standard | Discover | Psychology Today | Huffington PostAustralian |

The Times of London | The Daily Telegraph | Sky News | Health | Chicago Business | Sydney Herald |

| StuffUnion Tribune (cover) |

* One of the most cited articles in the Am J Prev Med that year

* Read Dr. Ayers' EpiAnalysis Commentary

* Read Dr. Ayers' Am J Prev Med Commentary

* Ranked in the top 1% of all research scored by Altmetric

* Ranked in the top 50 most circulated articles in Am J Prev Med according to Altmetric

Digital Detection for Tobacco Control: Online Reactions to the United States’ 2009 Cigarette Excise Tax Increase

John W. Ayers, Benjamin M. Althouse, Kurt M. Ribisl, Sherry Emery

Nicotine & Tobacco Ressearch. 2013;doi:10.1093/ntr/ntt186.

 

Using Digital Surveillance To Examine The Impact Of Public Figure Pancreatic Cancer Announcements On Media And Search Query Outcomes 

Seth M. Noar, Kurt M. Ribisl, Benjamin M. Althouse, Jessica F. Willoughby, John W. Ayers 

JNCI Monographs. 2013;47:188-194.

Fast Company | 

Adult Prescription Drug Use and Pediatric Medication Exposures and Poisonings

Lindsey C. Burghardt, John W. Ayers, John S. Brownstein, Alvin C. Bronstein, Michele Burns Edwald, Florence T. Bourgeois 

Pediatrics. 2013;132:18-27.

| Thriving | Medical DailyMedPage Today |

 

Assessing the Online Social Environment for Surveillance of Obesity Prevalence

Rumi Chunara, Lindsay Bouton, John W. Ayers, John S. Brownstein

PLoS One. 2013;8(4): e61373.

| Vector | Medical Daily | The Atlantic | ForbesGigaom | Time | Public Radio International | redOrbit |

* Ranks in the top 1% of all research scored by Altmetric

Novel Surveillance of Psychological Distress During the Great Recession

John W. Ayers, Benjamin M. Althouse, Jon-Patrick Allem, Matthew A. Childers, Waleed Zafar, Carl LatkinKurt M. Ribisl, John S. Brownstein

Journal of Affective Disorders. 2012;142:323-330.

| Fox 5 | Union Tribune |

A Novel Evaluation of World No Tobacco Day in Latin America 

John W. Ayers, Benjamin M. Althouse, Jon-Patrick Allem, Daniel E. Ford, Kurt M. Ribisl, Joanna E. Cohen 

JMIR. 2012;14:e77.

Los Angeles Times | Huffington Post | Voice of America | Medical DailyBaltimore Sun | O Globo |

Do Christian Denominations Exhibit Higher Rates Of Alcohol Consumption? A Study Of Korean American Women In California

D. Eastern Kang Sim, C. Richard Hofstetter, Veronica L. Irvin, John W. Ayers, C. Macera, Ming Ji, Melbourne F. Hovell

Journal of Religion and Health. 2013;52:285-298.

Smoking Trajectories among Koreans in Seoul and California: Exemplifying a Common Error in Age Parameterization

Jon-Patrick Allem, John W. Ayers, Jennifer B. Unger, Veronica L. Irvin, C. Richard Hofstetter, Melbourne F. Hovell

Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention. 2012;13:1851-1856.

 

The Environment Modifies the Relationship Between Social Networks and Secondhand Smoke Exposure among Korean Nonsmokers in Seoul and California

Jon-Patrick Allem, John W. Ayers, Jennifer B. Unger, Robert E. Vollinger, Carl Latkin, Hee Soon Juon, Hae Ryun Park, Hee Young Paik, C. Richard Hofstetter, Melbourne F. Hovell

Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health. 2012(15);27:NP437-447.

 

South Korean Military Service Promotes Smoking: A Quasi-Experimental Design

Jon-Patrick Allem, John W. Ayers, Veronica L. Irvin, C. Richard Hofstetter, Melbourne F. Hovell 

Yonsei Medical Journal. 2012;53:433-438.

 

Tracking the rise in popularity of electronic nicotine delivery systems (electronic cigarettes) using search query surveillance

John W. Ayers, Kurt M. Ribisl, John S. Brownstein 

American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2011;40:448-453.

CNN | Los Angeles Times |

* One of the most cited articles in the Am J Prev Med that year

* Cited as groundbreaking by Conference of the Parties, WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

* Ranked as one of the first and most-cited electronic cigarette studies in a 2014 systematic review 

Using Search Query Surveillance to Monitor Tax Avoidance and Smoking Cessation following the United States' 2009 "SCHIP" Cigarette Tax Increase 

John W. Ayers, Kurt M. Ribisl, John S. Brownstein

PLoS One. 2011;6:e16777.

| Vector |

 
Two-Cultures? Latino and Asian Language Assimilation Along the US-Mexico Border

Antonio Ugues Jr.Keith Schnakenberg, Bo Kolody, C. Richard Hofstetter, John W. Ayers

California Journal of Politics and Policy. 2011;3.

Cultural and Social Network Predictors of Drinking Among Korean American Women

John W. Ayers, Christina Chambers, C. Richard Hofstetter, Suzanne C. Hughes, Washington Reyes, Sunny Kang, Veronica L. IrvinMelbourne F. Hovell

Alcohol. 2011;45:89-97.

 

Measuring English Proficiency and Language Preference: Are Self-reports Valid?

John W. Ayers 

American Journal of Public Health. 2010;100:1364-1366.

| Read Comment | Read Reply |

Hepatitis B vaccination prevalence and its predictors among Asian, Pacific Islander, Native American, and multiracial adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

John W. Ayers, Hee Soon Juon, Sunmin Lee, Eunmi Park

Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health. 2010;12:847-852.

Gender Modifies the Relationship Between Social Networks and Smoking among Adults in Seoul, South Korea

John W. Ayers, C. Richard Hofstetter, Suzanne C. Hughes, Har Ryun Park, Hee Young Paik, Yoon Ju Song, Veronica L. IrvinMelbourne F. Hovell 

International Journal of Public Health. 2010;55:609-617.

Smoking on Both Sides of the Pacific: Home Smoking Restrictions and Secondhand Smoke Exposure Among Korean Adults and Children in Seoul and California

John W. Ayers, C. Richard Hofstetter, Suzanne C. Hughes,  Hae Ryun Park, Hee Yong Paik, Veronica L. Irvin, Jooeun Lee, Hee Soon Juon, Carl LatkinMelbourne F. Hovell 

Nicotine & Tobacco Research. 2010;12:1142-1150.

 
Can Religion Help Prevent Obesity? Religious Messages And The Prevalence Of Being Overweight Or Obese Among Korean Women In California

John W. Ayers, C. Richard Hofstetter, Veronica L. Irvin, Yoonju Song, Hae Ryun Park, Hee Yong Paik, Melbourne F. Hovell 

Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. 2010;49:536-549.

 

It's Others, Not The Police: Smoking, Reprimand, And Fines Among Adults Of Korean Descent In California

C. Richard Hofstetter, Melbourne F. Hovell, Veronica L. Irvin, John W. Ayers, Suzanne C. Hughes, Sunny Kang

Health Psychology. 2010;29:255.

 

Does Church Participation Facilitate Tobacco Control? A Report on Korean Immigrants

C. Richard Hofstetter, John W. Ayers, Veronica L. Irvin, D. Eastern Kang Sim, Suzanne C. Hughes, Frederick Reghard, Melbourne F. Hovell

Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health. 2010;12:187-197.

 

Exploring Religious Mechanisms For Healthy Alcohol Use: Religious Messages And Drinking Among Korean Women In California

John W. Ayers, C. Richard Hofstetter, Suzanne C. Hughes, Veronica L. Irvin, D. Eastern Kang Sim, Melbourne F. Hovell 

Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. 2009;70:890-898.

 

Sorting Out the Competing Effects of Acculturation, Immigrant Stress, and Social Support on Depression: A Report on Korean Women in California

John W. Ayers, C. Richard Hofstetter, Paula Usita, Veronica L. Irvin, Sunny Kang, Melbourne F. Hovell

Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease. 2009;197:742-747.

 

Is Immigration a Racial Issue? Anglo Attitudes on Immigration Policies in a Border County

John W. Ayers, C. Richard Hofstetter, Keith Schnakenberg, Bo Kolody 

Social Science Quarterly. 2009;90:593-610.

 

The Bishops and their Flock: John Kerry and the Case of Catholic Voters in 2004 

C. Richard Hofstetter, John W. Ayers, Robert Perry 

Politics and Religion. 2008;1:436-455.

 

American Muslim Political Participation Following 9/11: Religious Belief, Political Resources, Social Structures, And Political Awareness

John W. Ayers, C. Richard Hofstetter 

Politics and Religion. 2008;1:3-26.

| NPR's Day to Day | 

* Ranked as the most read paper in Politics and Religion

* Awarded best paper at the California Student Research Competition among 23 participating universities

 

Changing Sides: 9/11 and the American Muslim Voter 

John W. Ayers

Review of Religious Research. 2007:187-198.

Internet Searches for Abortion Medications Following the Leaked Supreme Court of the United States Draft Ruling

Adam M. Poliak, Nora Satybaldiyeva, Steffanie A. Strathdee, Eric C. Leas, Ramesh Rao, Davey M. Smith, John W. Ayers
JAMA Internal Medicine. 2022;10.1001/jamainternmed.2022.2998.

| NBC's Today Show | ABC | CNN | The Star | Yahoo! | The Associated Press (AP) | Politico | WSJ

| The Guardian | The Philadelphia Inquirer | MSNBC |  Business Insider | UPI | Daily Mail | NewsBreak

| Science | STAT NewsBMJ News | Medpage TodayPhysicians Weekly | MedScape | Web MD |

Doctors Lounge | Drugs.comUs News & world Report | Health Day |

* Ranked in the top 1% of all research scored by Altmetric

Twitter and Facebook posts about COVID-19 are less likely to Spread Misinformation Compared to other Health Topics 

David A. Broniatowski, Daniel Kerchner, Fouzia Farooq, 

Xiaolei Huang, Amelia M. Jamison, Mark Dredze, Sandra C. Quinn, John W. Ayers 
PloS One. 2022;17(1):e0261768. 

Association of Online Search Trends With Vaccination in the United States 

Philipp Berning, Leu Huang, Alexander C. Razavi, Ellen Boakye, Ngozi Osuji, Andrew C. Stokes, Seth S. Martin, John W. Ayers, Michael J. Blaha, Omar Dzaye 
Frontiers in Immunology. 2022;13:884211. 

Characterizing Self-Reports of Self-Identified Patient Experiences with Methadone Maintenance Treatment on an Online Community during COVID-19
Alicia L. Nobles, Derek C. Johnson, Eric C. Leas, David Goodman-Meza,
María Luisa Zúñiga, Douglas Ziedonis, Steffanie A. Strathdee, John W. Ayers 
Substance Use & Misuse. 2021;56(14):2134-2140. 

Monitoring HIV testing and pre-exposure prophylaxis information seeking by combining digital and traditional data

Derek C. Johnson, Alicia L. Nobles, Theodore L. Caputi, Michael Liu, Eric C. Leas, Steffanie A. Strathdee, John W. Ayers 
BMC Infectious Diseases. 2021;21(1):1-7. 

Spread of misinformation about face masks and COVID-19 by automated software on Facebook

John W. Ayers, Brian Chu, Zecheriah Zhu, Eric C. Leas, Davey M. Smith, Mark Dredze, David A. Broniatowski 
JAMA Internal Medicine. 2021;181(9):1251-1253. 

| The Guardian | Axios | The HillForbes | UPIUS News & World Report | Daily Mail | Metro |

The Conversation | MedScape News | Doctors LoungeDrugs.com | Beckers Hospital Review | Focus

| International Business Times | The Doctor Will See You Now |

* Ranked in the top 1% of all research scored by Altmetric

News coverage of the E-cigarette, or Vaping, product use Associated Lung Injury (EVALI) outbreak and internet searches for vaping cessation

Eric C. Leas, Alicia Nobles, Theodore Caputi, Mark Dredze, Shu-Hong Zhu, Joanna Cohen, John W. Ayers 
Tobacco Control. 2021;30(5):578-582.

Effect size reporting among prominent health journals: a case study of odds ratios 

Brian Chu, Michael Liu, Eric C. Leas, Benjamin M. Althouse, John W. Ayers 
BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine. 2021;26(4):184-184. 

“First Do No Harm”: Effective Communication About COVID-19 Vaccines

David A. Broniatowski, Mark Dredze, John W. Ayers 
American Journal of Public Health. 2021;111(6):1055-1057.

Suicide-related Internet Searches During the Early Stages of the
COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States 
John W Ayers, Adam Poliak, Derek C. Johnson, Eric C. Leas, Mark Dredze,  Alicia L. Nobles 
JAMA Network Open. 2021;4(1):e2034261.
 
| The New York Times
 
Internet searches for acute anxiety during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic

John W. Ayers, Eric C. Leas, Derek Johnson, Adam Poliak, Benjamin Althouse, Mark Dredze, Alicia Nobles
JAMA Internal Medicine 2020;180(12):1706-1707.

| CNN | MSNBCNew York Post | CNBCInternational Business Times | Foreign Affairs | Yahoo! 

| The Hill | MSNBC | Der Standard | La Nacion​ | Forbes | Cambridge News | Wales Online | Essex Live | | MirrorInverse | Metro | Arzte Zeitung |  UPIThe Conversation | Focus | The Big ThinkDaily Mail |

Atlanta Journal Constitution | San Diego Union TribuneBeckers Hospital ReviewMedPage Today |

MedScapePhysicians Briefing | Doctors LoungeDrugs.com | The French Toast | Consumer Affairs |

Huffington Post |

* Ranked in the top 1% of all research scored by Altmetric

* Trended on various social media platforms, including Twitter 

Did Philip Morris International used the e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injury (EVALI) outbreak to market IQOS heated tobacco?

John W. Ayers, Eric C. Leas, Mark Dredze, Theodore L. Caputi, Shu-Hong Zhu, Joanna E. Cohen. 
Tobacco Control. 2021;tobaccocontrol-2021-056661.

Google Shopping Queries for Vaping Products, Juul and IQOS during the E-cigarette, or Vaping, Product Use Associated Lung Injury (EVALI) Outbreak 

Eric C. Leas, Natalie H. Moy, Alicia Nobles, John W. Ayers, Shu-Hong Zhu, Vidya Purushothaman 
Tobacco Control. 2021;tobaccocontrol-2021-056481.

Telehealth in the COVID-19 Era: A Balancing Act to Avoid Harm
J. Jeffery Reeves, John W. Ayers, Christopher A. Longhurst  
Journal of Medical Internet research. 2021;23(2):e24785. 

A Philip Morris Advertisement for its Heated Tobacco Product IQOS sets a Troubling Precedent 

Eric C. Leas, Joanna E. Cohen, John W. Ayers
Tobacco Control. 2020;29(e1):e168-e170. 

Quantifying Public Interest in Police Reforms by Mining Internet Search Data Following George Floyd’s Death

John W. Ayers, Benjamin Althouse, Adam Poliak, Eric C. Leas, Alicia L. Nobles, Mark Dredze, Davey  Smith 
Journal of Medical Internet Research. 2020;22(10):e22574. 

| Breitbart | UPI | Science |

Self-reported CBD use for Conditions with Proven Therapies

Eric C. Leas, Erik M. Hendrickson, Alicia L. Nobles, Rory Todd, Davey Smith, Mark  Dredze, John W. Ayers
JAMA Network Open. 2020;3(10):e2020977-e2020977

| Sydney Morning Herald | Brisbane Times | | UPI | Inverse | MedPage Today | Doctors LoungeDrugs.com | US News & World Report | Health DayMPR | International Business Times |

| Healthline |

* Watch the JAMA Network Podcast where we discussed this study in greater detail

Internet Searches for Unproven COVID-19 Therapies in the United States

Michael Liu, Theodore C. Caputi, Alan S. Kesselheim, Mark Dredze, John W. Ayers

JAMA Internal Medicine. 2020;180(8):1116-1118.

| NBCGuardian | Fox News |  Newsweek | Yahoo! | Web MD | Independent | Drugs.com |

| LA TimesThe Canberra TimesMirror | Refinery 29 | Breitbart | UPI | US News & World Report |

| Daily MailPhysician's Weekly | MedPage Today | Becker's Hospital Review | Der Spiegel

Union Tribune |

* Ranked in the top 1% of all research scored by Altmetric

* Trended on various social media platforms, including Twitter 

Collateral Crises of Gun Preparation and the COVID-19 Pandemic

Theodore C. Caputi, John W. Ayers, Mark Dredze, N Suplina, S Burd-Sharps

JMIR Public Health and Surveillance. 2020;6(2):e19369.

| Guardian | Medium | 

*COI disclosure: this study was done in collaboration with Everytown for Gun Safety

Responses to Addiction Help-Seeking from Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant, Cortana, and Bixby Intelligent Virtual Assistants

Alicia NoblesEric C. Leas,  Theodore L. Caputi, Shu-Hong Zhu, Steffanie A. Strathdee, John W. Ayers

Nature Digital Medicine. 2020;3(11):doi.org/10.1038/s41746-019-0215-9.

| Yahoo! | Forbes | MedscapeWebMDThe Sun | The Sunday TimesMEAWW | O' Globo |

| Becker's Hospital Review | Drugs.com |

* Via Agence France-Presse this study was covered in numerous print outlets, including the Sunday Times (of South Africa), The Malaysian Mail, Times of India, Times of London, etc.

Requests for Diagnoses of Sexually Transmitted Diseases on a Social Media Platform

Alicia NoblesEric C. LeasMark Dredze, Christopher A. LonghurstDavey Smith, John W. Ayers

JAMA. 2019;322(17):1712-1713.

| NBC | CNN | ABCUS News & World Report | CNBC | Forbes | New York PostRaw Story | 

| Reuters | Medscape | Daily MailRefinery 29 | Healio |  BGR | Futurism | Cnet | Stuff |

| Business Insider | Drugs.com | 10 DailyMedPage Today | Health Day | iNews | Union Tribune |

| New Zealand Herald | Mpravda | Yahoo! | News BeezerSilicon Republic | Mic | Becker's Health IT |

| Global Times China | The Star | Healthline | Vice | Bustle  | Breitbart | MSN | Mens Health |

| She Knows | Physicians Weekly | Dr. Oz |

* Ranked in the top 1% of all research scored by Altmetric

* Ranked in the top 10 in JAMA for the year by Altmetric.

* Watch Medscape's Impact Factor with Dr. F. Perry Wilson

* Via Agence France-Presse this study was covered in more than 1,000 print outlets, including Phnom Penh Post, Bangkok Post, Sunday Times (of South Africa), Times of India, Times of London, etc.

Trends in Internet Searches for Cannabidiol (CBD) in the United States

Eric C. LeasAlicia Nobels, Theodore L. CaputiMark Dredze, Davey Smith,  John W. Ayers

JAMA Open. 2019;2(10):e1913853.

| ABC | USA Today | Time | Good Morning America (GMA) | ViceUS News & World Report |

| Washington PostSTAT NewsHealthline | Daily Mail | Medical News TodayUnion Tribune |

| MSN | Regulatory Review |

* Ranked in the top 1% of all research scored by Altmetric

* Watch a live interview from Fox News on the dangers of CBD and marijuana 

Ignoring Data Delays our Reaction to Emerging Public Health Tragedies Like 13 Reasons Why

Eric C. LeasMark Dredze, John W. Ayers

JAMA Psychiatry. 2019;2755.

* Two years after our popular JAMA Internal Medicine study traditional data confirmed our earlier conclusions but ignored those data. Why ignore and more importantly wait two years to react when lives are on the line?

Harnessing Digital Data and Data Science to Achieve 90-90-90 Goals to End the HIV Epidemic

Steffanie A. Strathdee,  Alicia Nobels,  John W. Ayers

Current Opinions in HIV and AIDS 2019;14(6):481-485

The Need for Federal Regulation of Marijuana Marketing

John W. Ayers, Theodore L. Caputi, Eric C. Leas 

JAMA. 2019;doi:10.1001/jama.2019.4432.

| New York Times | NPR | KPBS | BarronsKaiser Health NewsUnion Tribune |

* Ranked in the top 1% of all research scored by Altmetric

Media Trends for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 800-662-HELP Addiction Treatment Referral Services After a Celebrity Overdose

John W. Ayers, Alicia NobelsMark Dredze

JAMA Internal Medicine. 2018;doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.6562.

| Reuters | US News & World Report | Futurity | Medical Research | The Hub | Global Health |

Union Tribune |

* Ranked in the top 1% of all research scored by Altmetric

Internet Searches for Sexual Harassment and Assault, Reporting, and Training Since the #MeToo Movement

Theodore L. Caputi, Alicia Nobels, John W. Ayers, 

JAMA Internal Medicine. 2018;doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.5094.

| Reuters | Los Angeles Times | Bloomberg | BustleUS News & World Report | The Star | Ebony |

| Medical Research | Live Mint | Psychology Today | Tech2 | Medical Bag |

* Ranked in the top 1% of all research scored by Altmetric

Next Generation Media Monitoring: Global Coverage of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (Electronic Cigarettes) on Bing, Google and Twitter, 2013-2018

John W. Ayers, Mark DredzeEric C. Leas, Theodore L. CaputiJon-Patrick Allem, Joanna E. Cohen

PLoS One. 2018;doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0205822.

* Visit TobacoWatcher.org to replicate this analysis in a few clicks

Don’t Quote Me: Reverse Identification of Research Participants in Social Media Studies

John W. Ayers, Theodore L. Caputi, Camille Nebeker, Mark Dredze

Nature Digital Medicine. 2018;doi.org/10.1038/s41746-018-0036-2.

* Our study generated considerable debate on social media, but don't worry we won't quote anyone

* Watch this online seminar on the impact of our study here

Substance Use Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Questioning Adolescents in the United States, 2015

Theodore L. Caputi, Laramie Smith, Steffanie Strathdee, John W. Ayers

American Journal of Public Health. 2018;10.2105/AJPH.2018.304446.

| Reuters | NBC | Psych Central | Business Standard

* Ranked in the top 1% of all research scored by Altmetric

Online Sales of Marijuana: An Unrecognized Public Health Dilemma

Theodore L. Caputi, Eric C. Leas, Mark Dredze, John W. Ayers

American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2018;10.1016/j.amepre.2018.01.032.

| NBC | US News & World Report | SalonInquisitr | Futurism | Civilized | Fresh | Inverse

| International Business Times | Study Finds | United Press International |

* Ranked in the top 1% of all research scored by Altmetric
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