2025 UW-CTRI All-Staff Meeting

UW-CTRI staff met at the Pyle Center in Madison to share updates on research and outreach efforts at the 2025 All-Staff Meeting. Here are some highlights:

• Dr. Hasmeena Kathuria discussed her appreciation for the entire staff. She presented a plaque to Dr. Brian Williams to mark his role as the new UW-CTRI Medical Director. Williams serves as the clinician contact for research studies, particularly for adverse events.
• Dr. Jess Cook said the research team at the VA are completing a clinical trial to evaluate a chronic care intervention for veterans not ready to quit (N=502). They’re launching a multisite trial that will evaluate whether varenicline (vs. NRT) increases quit attempts and abstinence in veterans interested in reducing but not quitting smoking. ​And they’re participating in a VA/Department of Defense tobacco cessation clinical practice guideline development workgroup.
• Dr. Tom Piasecki updated the team on how Options 2 seeks to find out if nicotine pouches can help people who smoke go longer until their next cigarette. Recruitment has been tricky but is recently picking up.
• Dr. Megan Piper said the Avenues study has recruited 62 of a goal of 500 adults who smoke and vape and also want to quit smoking​. This study will begin running entirely remotely beginning this summer, which will allow the team to recruit for it nationally.
• Dr. Michael Fiore spoke about his appreciation for the UW-CTRI teamwork and presented longevity awards. Karen Conner, Sarah Thompson and Dr. Brian Williams received their five-year medals for their service. Dr. Adrienne Johnson accepted her 10-year medal. Meg Feyen, Mari Marquez, and Mark Zehner received 20-year medals.
• Dr. Tim Baker spoke via video.
• Karen Conner updated everyone on Outreach efforts, including a project with JUUL settlement money to create a one-time online intervention to help young adults quit smoking, which likely will include TikTok-style, interactive videos. They’ve also worked on alternatives to suspension for nicotine use in schools. This runs along with ongoing work on behavioral health and smoking, the Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line and regional outreach specialists reaching out health systems and the correctional system.
• Piper discussed the comparative effectiveness trial​ geared to enroll 1500 Black adults who smoke from five states​. The focus is on helping Black people address their smoking. The five-year study​ is thanks to a PCORI grant.
• Dr. Danielle McCarthy discussed the PO1 application to identify effective and efficient strategies to enhance the use of evidence-based tobacco treatment among adult Community Health Center patients.
• Dr. Marlon Mundt presented on his work to discern the cost-effectiveness of interventions to help people quit tobacco use. He pointed out that while $50,000 per Quality-Adjusted Life Year (QALY) threshold for healthcare interventions is a gold standard, the cost per QALY to help one person quit smoking is just $905. Only childhood vaccines and checking blood pressure can match that, he said.
• Williams spoke about his work help youth quit vaping. Johnson spoke about how her research to help people with dementia quit smoking, and to help Black adults quit. Dr. Jesse Kaye spoke about his research on nicotine and cannabis. Dr. Jen Betts presented on her research on motivational factors that maintain nicotine dependence and cessation.
• Dorothy Van Ness led a game, and Kathuria commended Van Ness on a job well done to coordinate the meeting.