Justin White
Profiles

Justin White, PhD

Associate Professor, Health Law, Policy & Management - Boston University School of Public Health

(617) 358-2774
juswhite@bu.edu
Talbot (T Bldg)
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Biography

Justin White, PhD, is Associate Professor in the Department of Health Law, Policy and Management at Boston University School of Public Health. He is a health economist whose research examines how economic, social, and regulatory policies affect health behavior and population health. He primarily uses quasi-experimental econometric methods to evaluate population-level policies, with a focus on tobacco and nicotine regulation, food and nutrition policy, and social and economic policies such as cash and food assistance, tax credits, and paid family leave. Much of his work examines how these policies affect populations facing socioeconomic disadvantage and whether their effects vary across groups.

Dr. White has also used insights from behavioral economics to design and evaluate interventions to improve health behavior, particularly among populations with low incomes. This work includes randomized trials of interventions related to smoking cessation and prevention, diet, and oral health.

Prior to joining Boston University in 2023, Dr. White spent eight years on the faculty of the UCSF School of Medicine in the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies and the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. He holds a PhD in health policy and a concurrent MA in economics from UC Berkeley and an MSPH in health policy from UNC Chapel Hill. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in cardiovascular disease prevention at the Stanford Prevention Research Center.

Education

  • University of California, Berkeley, PhD Field of Study: Health Policy
  • University of California, Berkeley, MA Field of Study: Economics
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, MSPH Field of Study: Health Policy
  • Bucknell University, BA Field of Study: Chemistry

Websites

Classes Taught

  • SPHPM833

Publications

  • Published on 9/23/2026

    Ferguson EL, Wang J, White JS, Possin K, Chodos A, Xia F, Raphael E, Smith AK, Glymour MM. Memantine, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, and quality-of-care outcomes among patients with cognitive impairment: an emulated trial design. Alzheimers Dement (N Y). 2026; 12(3):e70306. PMID: 42781277.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 9/9/2026

    White JS, Xu Z, Huang Y, Powell LM, Grummon AH, Falbe J. Effects of a healthy checkout ordinance on the sale of soft drinks and confectionery in Berkeley, CA, USA: a quasi-experimental study. Lancet Public Health. 2026 Sep 09. PMID: 42716066.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 8/6/2026

    Jackson KE, Wright E, Hamad R, White JS. Tobacco and Alcohol Use Trends in the United States, 2011-2024: Comparing Three National Surveys. Am J Public Health. 2026 Aug 06; e1-e10. PMID: 42561180.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 6/19/2026

    Thomas MD, Wei C, Kim MH, Manly JJ, Judd SE, White JS, Howard VJ, Mangurian C, Hamad R, Glymour MM. Attending an Historically Black College or University and all-cause mortality in US Black adults. Am J Epidemiol. 2026 Jun 19. PMID: 42317178.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 6/3/2026

    Ferguson EL, Miramontes S, White JS, Possin KL, Chodos A, Xia F, Raphael E, Smith AK, Glymour MM. Referral of patients with cognitive impairment to specialty memory care: associations with patient-centered outcomes and specificity of diagnoses. Am J Epidemiol. 2026 Jun 03; 195(6):1739-1748. PMID: 41766682.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 5/25/2026

    Lyu JC, White JS, Shlipak K, Afolabi A, Ling PM. Peer-Mentored Social Media Groups for Youth Vaping Cessation: Single-Arm Pilot Trial. JMIR Pediatr Parent. 2026 May 25; 9:e46283. PMID: 42184373.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 5/8/2026

    Khadka A, Pacca L, Hebert J, White JS, Hamad R, Brenowitz WD, Glymour MM, Vable AM. Impact of Vietnam-era G.I. Bill eligibility on the distribution of later-life memory score levels and decline: evidence from the Vietnam draft lottery natural experiment. Am J Epidemiol. 2026 May 08. PMID: 42101221.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 4/13/2026

    White JS, Atherwood S, Apollonio DE. Effect of a minimum floor price law for tobacco products on tobacco sales in Oakland, California, USA: a synthetic difference-in-differences analysis. Tob Control. 2026 Apr 13; 35(2):200-207. PMID: 39732502.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 3/17/2026

    Santiago-Rodríguez EJ, White JS, Bailey ZD, Allen IE, Hiatt RA, Shariff-Marco S. Residential segregation and late-stage colorectal cancer in the United States: a population-based study of 1.2 million adults. Am J Epidemiol. 2026 Mar 17; 195(4):1163-1174. PMID: 41437561.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 2/2/2026

    Thomas MD, Wei C, Kim MH, Manly J, Judd SE, White JS, Howard VJ, Mangurian C, Hamad R, Glymour MM. Historically Black College or University Attendance and Cognition in US Black Adults. JAMA Netw Open. 2026 Feb 02; 9(2):e2558329. PMID: 41670999.

     Read At: PubMed

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