Dr. Irina Stepanov is a Mayo Professor in Public Health at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. She is also the Director of the Institute for Global Cancer Prevention Research (IGCPR) at the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota. Her research program focuses on biochemical characterization of the links between human exposure to chemical carcinogens and health outcomes, with a particular focus on tobacco carcinogenesis and the mechanisms underlying inter-individual differences in cancer risk due to tobacco use. Dr. Stepanov collaborates with medical doctors, behavioral scientists, surveillance specialists, epidemiologists, educators, and tobacco control experts nationally and internationally to address the complex issues of tobacco use, related exposures, and health outcomes. She has expertise in analytical biochemistry, tobacco chemistry, tobacco carcinogenesis, carcinogen exposure and metabolism, biomarker development, DNA adducts, and mass-spectrometry. Dr. Stepanov received her Ph.D. in Environmental Chemistry from Universitatea de Stat din Moldova and has been involved in various professional groups and organizations, including the World Health Organization, American Chemical Society, and Public Health Professionals.