Category: 2026 Articles

Dr. Jen Betts gets grant to help vets

UW-CTRI Researcher Dr. Jen Betts received a new grant from the US Veterans Administration (VA) to officially fund her Career Development Award (CDA), which at the VA is similar to a NIH “K award.” “It provides five years of protected time and funding to conduct a pilot clinical trial and engage in related research and training to …

UW-CTRI media roundup

ABC 7 TV news in Wausau interviewed Quit Line Coordinator Kate Kobinsky to discuss how the Quit Line is quadrupling free medications to quit smoking while supplies last. To watch that video, click here. NBC 15 also picked up that interview and ran it on their morning news. To view that, click here. The La Crosse Tribune and Wisconsin …

Product Watch: New Vape Offers 100,000 Puffs

A new vaping device, marketed as the MaskKing Extre 100K, is raising public health concerns over its legality and use among youth. “First of all, this product is not authorized for sale by the FDA in the United States,” said UW-CTRI Director Dr. Hasmeena Kathuria. “It’s illegal, yet readily available online. “Second, these unauthorized products are available …

Dr. Adam Clements becomes board-certified in addiction medicine

Dr. Adam Clements of Aspirus Health, who had been mentored for years as a UW-CTRI student by Dr. Doug Jorenby, recently became board-certified in addiction medicine. “I needed to tell that to Doug as a thank you,” Clements said. “I got hired at UW-CTRI almost by accident. I had been looking at bench science for my …

Cook contributes to new VA guideline

The US Veterans Administration (VA) and Department of Defense (DoD) have collaboratively developed a new evidence-based clinical practice guideline to help veterans and military personnel quit tobacco use. UW-CTRI Director of Veterans Research Dr. Jessica Cook served as one of 10 tobacco experts on a workgroup that developed it. The workgroup met weekly since June 2024 and gathered …

UW-CTRI recruits young participants for nationwide qualitative study

UW-CTRI recently began recruiting teens and young adults nationwide to participate in a qualitative study about their engagement with programs to help them quit vaping. The recruitment is via social media and is open to people ages 14 to 24 nationwide. After a virtual interview, participants will get a $50 Amazon gift card. To learn …

Wisconsin Idea to Shine in Baltimore

UW-CTRI colleagues will embody the Wisconsin Idea by presenting their research findings to people from around the world during the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco’s 2026 annual conference in Baltimore. Here is a run-down of the honors and presentations: Dr. Adrienne Johnson will begin her role as the new SRNT Treasurer. Dr. Megan …

C3I Cancer Centers Sustain Progress

Most of the cancer center teams who agreed to help their patients quit tobacco use have sustained that high-quality care even after funding for it ended, according to a new paper published in Cancer Medicine by a research team that includes UW-CTRI colleagues. The paper assesses the sustainment of tobacco treatment programs that participated in …

New Nicotine Lozenges Resemble Candy

2One, a company that makes nicotine pouches, now sells nicotine lozenges called Hyppe. These products should not be confused with the nicotine lozenges that are approved by the FDA for smoking cessation. They resemble cough drops and come in five flavors: Toffee, Blue Razz, Mighty Mint, Classic Tobacco and Magic Love. “Their appearance and flavor …