Student-led research highlights innovative tobacco treatment for Asian American communities
August 6, 2026
A new study from UC Davis students who worked at the Paul Hom Asian Clinic is shedding light on an innovative approach to expanding access to tobacco cessation services among Asian American communities.
Published in Tobacco Prevention and Cessation, the study evaluated a proactive outreach strategy that connected patients who use tobacco with the Asian Smokers’ Quitline (ASQ), a free, evidence-based tobacco treatment service.
The findings highlight the potential of community-based outreach to increase access to culturally and linguistically appropriate tobacco treatment. The student-led research team found that nearly one in four patients accepted a referral to cessation services, and most of those referred engaged in counseling.
The results suggest that trusted community clinics can play an important role in connecting local communities with tobacco treatment resources. Testing a proactive referral approach at a trusted clinic, the students are helping to advance a practical strategy for expanding the reach of an established public health resource.
The Paul Hom Asian Clinic is a free, student run clinic serving Asian American communities in Sacramento. It is one of the nation's longest-standing free clinics serving Asian American communities.
Mentorship and student-led research
The research emerged through a collaboration between UC Davis students, internal medicine faculty mentor Elisa Tong and the Paul Hom Asian Clinic. Tong is a tobacco cessation expert affiliated with the UC Davis Center for Healthcare Policy and Research and the Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The project began during the COVID-19 pandemic when then-UC Davis medical student Samantha Wong approached Tong about tobacco-related activities and helped develop the study idea. With the support of Ronald Jan, former medical director of the clinic, a team of undergraduate student volunteers helped to conduct the study. Several of those students have since started medical school, including at UC Davis medical school. The team were honored at the Greater Sacramento Smoke and Tobacco-Free Coalition’s Annual Recognition meeting for their efforts (see photo).
Under Tong’s mentorship, students participated in every stage of the research process, from identifying a community health need and designing the study to identifying patients, conducting outreach, analyzing data and publishing the findings. The project provided hands-on experience in community-engaged research while demonstrating how academic research can be translated into meaningful interventions.
“Some Asian American subgroups have higher smoking rates than the general population, which puts those groups at higher risk of preventable disease and death,” said Elisa Tong. “We know proactive outreach to help tobacco users quit can save lives, including among underserved populations.”
The publication represents an important milestone not only for the students involved, but also for the future of community-based tobacco cessation efforts. Greater awareness and utilization of ASQ may help strengthen support for this important resource. Tong said she is also working with students to extend outreach efforts and with other student-run clinics.
“People don’t often think of UC Davis’ 13 student-run clinics as settings for research collaborations,” Tong explained. “But with a little guidance and support, our graduate, undergraduate and medical students can help evaluate and advance critical research and strategies to improve health within diverse, underserved populations in Northern California.”
The study’s student coauthors include Conan Lee, Ryan Lin, Jingyanshan Li and Samantha Wong—Tong and Jan are also coauthors. Their work illustrates how mentorship, community partnerships and student-driven research has the potential to improve health outcomes and reduce disparities in underserved communities.
