Barbara Schillo

Dr. Barbara Schillo is a nationally recognized leader in tobacco control research and currently serves as Chief Research Officer at the Truth Initiative Schroeder Institute, a premier research center driving the organization’s mission. Since assuming this role in April 2023, Dr. Schillo has provided strategic scientific leadership, guiding studies that evaluate the impact of key policies and media campaigns on tobacco use among youth and young adults.

A prolific author and speaker, Dr. Schillo has published extensively on the effects of tobacco control policies, mass media campaigns, emerging product trends, and the public health impacts of tobacco use. She is a trusted collaborator among federal, state, and local stakeholders, having advised the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, consulted for state tobacco control programs, and served on numerous advisory boards.

Prior to joining Truth Initiative, Dr. Schillo spent 17 years as a Vice President at ClearWay Minnesota, where she built a nationally acclaimed research grant program and led initiatives to translate science into policy and practice. Her work helped pioneer innovative cessation programs that have become models for other states.

Dr. Schillo also held leadership roles within the North American Quitline Consortium, serving on its board for over 13 years and chairing it from 2018 to 2020. She holds a Ph.D. in community psychology from Michigan State University.