Researchers in the UF/IFAS Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences are investigating factors that may lead teens to tobacco addiction in adulthood, and their AI-powered research is making waves. During the University of Florida’s AI Days event, a team of graduate student researchers in the UF/IFAS Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences won the HiPerGator Pioneering Team Award. This award recognizes the team’s innovative use of the HiPerGator supercomputer in their prevention science research.
The research team, named the PreventiGators, consists of graduate students Josie Bryan, Erin Vines, Paola Sullivan, Olanrewaju Lawal, and Gahyun Park. Drs. Tennisha Riley and Xiaoya Zhang served as faculty mentors for the project.
The Research
The PreventiGator’s research aimed to predict which teens are most at risk of initiating tobacco use as adults. In their project, they used UF’s NaviGator AI platform and the HiPerGator supercomputer to investigate the factors that may put adolescents at risk. They also investigated factors that may protect teens from tobacco use.
Understanding potential risk factors is crucial in addressing the issue of substance use among early adults. In their research, the PreventiGators studied teens who had never used tobacco. They determined several risk factors that may lead to adult tobacco use. These factors include smartphone use, exposure to tobacco content, and social media use. Because many of the risk factors involve online activity, their research indicates the importance of understanding teens’ online digital landscapes.
While some teens may be at risk for future tobacco use, others may be less at risk. The PreventiGators found that teens who have strong anti-tobacco beliefs were less likely to use tobacco products. Additionally, those who do not live with a current smoker were less at risk.
The PreventiGators’ accomplishment at UF AI Days follows their victory at the 2025 SPR Cup competition, hosted by the Society for Prevention Research (SPR), where they originally presented their project. The SPR Cup invites research teams to analyze a shared dataset and present their findings in competition with other teams from across the country. They were one of four teams selected for the competition, and their research earned the top spot. After winning the competition, the team was invited to submit their paper for publication in SPR’s flagship journal, Prevention Science.
Read more about the PreventiGators’ research and victory at the 2025 SPR Cup in UF News.
3
