Matthew C. Farrelly

Using state-of-the-art virtual immersion methodology, Matthew Farrelly is leading the Georgia State TCORS project to examine the point-of-sale environment and how it can be changed to influence consumer behavior. Dr. Farrelly is the Senior Director of the Public Health Policy Research Program at RTI International, a world-wide research institute. He is also a leading expert in tobacco control research, specializing in cigarette excise taxes, state tobacco control programs, mass media campaigns and policy interventions. His research has focused on understanding how youth and adults respond to anti-smoking campaign messages.

Extensively researching New York’s tobacco control program, Dr. Farrelly has found that it has been successful in reducing smoking, primarily due to a combination of restrictions on smoking in public places, a hard-hitting anti-smoking campaign and high cigarette excise taxes.

His research on mass media campaigns also showed that the national youth smoking-prevention campaign known as truth® likely prevented 450,000 adolescents from initiating smoking. Dr. Farrelly has also investigated whether attempts to curb the use of one substance, such as tobacco, have the unintended consequence of encouraging marijuana or alcohol use. He has published more than 80 articles.

Dr. Farrelly earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and French from Indiana University. He earned a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Maryland, College Park.