UW Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention
Researchers examined the ways electronic health records and a new approach to tobacco cessation treatment could be used to help cancer patients quit smoking. The results, published in Cancer Epidemiology, are promising: before the new approach, only 3.2% of people who smoke got treatment and only 12.4 percent actually quit; after, those numbers peaked at …
A paper published today in JAMA shows that using varenicline for just three months with counseling was as effective to help people quit smoking as taking it longer—or in combination with the nicotine patch. “Previous research suggested that using varenicline for longer than 3 months—or along with the nicotine patch—could enhance its effectiveness,” said Dr. …
Wisconsin behavioral health providers who treat substance use disorders are required by October 2022 to formulate plans to assess and treat tobacco use and have a policy about smoke-free environments. It’s due to the State of Wisconsin’s revised Administrative Code Chapter 75. The revision includes updates to outdated language and improves upon provision of care …
UW-CTRI Researcher Dr. Thomas Piasecki has been named as a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (affiliated with Division 50, Society of Addiction Psychology). He is also a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science and the recipient of research awards from the American Psychological Association, the Society for Nicotine and Tobacco Research, and the …
What if the state of Wisconsin could help pregnant women quit smoking, help babies grow up smoke-free, and it would pay for itself? Researchers from UW-CTRI and First Breath discovered that paying pregnant Medicaid members to engage in help to quit smoking not only worked, but the costs to Medicaid would likely be recovered. Maternal …
Amy Conlon has moved on from UW-CTRI to pursue a career as a Population Health Manager for Exact Sciences, implementing initiatives to increase colorectal cancer screenings with health systems and insurers. Amy has a true passion for public health, cancer control and colorectal screening and is excited for this opportunity. The new Director of Research …
UW-CTRI Associate Researcher Karen Conner is managing the Wisconsin Nicotine Treatment Integration Project (WiNTiP), which works to help behavioral health patients quit using tobacco. She has taken over for UW-CTRI Distinguished Researcher Dr. Bruce Christiansen, who is retiring. Bruce has served at UW-CTRI for 15 years. His work empowered communities who are most vulnerable to …
Drs. Tom Piasecki and Wendy Slutske have joined UW-CTRI as professors and senior scientists. “They are each accomplished researchers with impressive track records of addiction research, statistical expertise, mentoring, and team science,” said UW-CTRI Director Dr. Michael Fiore. “We are elated to have them on our team. They will substantially boost our Center’s scientific firepower …
UW-CTRI researchers recently guest-starred on separate presentations: UW-CTRI Associate Director of Research Dr. Danielle McCarthy was a guest on the podcast Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) with host Dr. Narjust Duma and fellow guest Dr. Erica Warner of Harvard Medical School. They discussed tobacco cessation as a modifiable risk factor and how clinicians can respectfully engage …
While all UW-CTRI employees are now back working in their offices in person, some colleagues have been doing so throughout much of the pandemic, even before vaccines were available. “I want to say on behalf of the Center and our patients, a heartfelt thank you to all of our staff who worked in the office …