UW-CTRI Researcher Dr. Tanya Schlam has been named a recipient of the 2014 William E. Scheckler Award for outstanding research. This award was established by the faculty council of the Department of Family Medicine in 1994, in honor of Dr. Scheckler’s contributions to the promotion of scholarly activity in the Department.
Schlam’s project, “Preschoolers’ Delay of Gratification Predicts Their Body Mass 30 Years Later,” was recognized by the committee based on the article’s likelihood of having an impact on the daily practice of medicine, medical education or the advancement of research knowledge. The article was published in The Journal of Pediatrics and mentioned on The Colbert Report. As the recipient of this award, Schlam will receive a $250 honorarium from the Department of Family Medicine Scheckler Award fund.
Schlam is a primary-care research fellow supported by a T32 Postdoctoral Training Grant hosted by the Department of Family Medicine. Her research focuses on health-behavior change (primarily smoking cessation). She is interested in developing interventions to help people acquire behavioral and cognitive control skills to optimize health outcomes in the face of environmental, interpersonal, and psychological challenges.
Schlam recently began recruiting for a UW-CTRI study to determine whether smartphone games can help smokers distract themselves, suppress their cravings, and increase their chances of quitting.