University of Wisconsin–Madison

New Papers

During the first half of 2026, UW-CTRI published 10 papers with 8 more in press.

Note: Names in bold are current UW-CTRI employees.

  1. Chakraborti Y, Yucel R, Piper ME, Mennis J, Alberg AJ, Baker TB, Coffman DL. (2026)  Time-Varying Path-Specific Direct and Indirect Effects: A Novel Approach to Unpacking Dynamic Behavioral Processes with Application to Smoking Cessation. Multivariate Behavioral Research. 1-19. Online January 20, 2026. 
    • Summary: Authors found that Wisconsin Smokers’ Health Study 2 treatment types had an effect on daily withdrawal, and this was due, in part, to daily use of study medication and differed based on environmental stressors. Three medications (varenicline, patch or a combination of nicotine-replacement medications) did not differ in their impact on withdrawal. These medications generally don’t exert differential effects.
  2. Betts JM, Klemperer EM, Baker TB, Loh WY, Coleman SRM, Cook JW. Treating Those Not Ready to Quit Smoking: Doing Harm While Trying to Help? Addictive Behaviors. 176. Online February 3, 2026.
    • Summary: Quitting self-efficacy predicted treatment outcomes for patients not ready to quit. Some treatment components yielded unintended adverse effects in those with low self-efficacy. Specifically, reduction counseling reduced the odds of a quit attempt. Additionally, nicotine mini lozenges reduced the odds of entering cessation treatment.
  3. Baker TB, Fiore MC, Stein JH. (2026) Smoking Intervention in Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease. JAMA Network Open. 2026;9;(2):e2558190. Online February 23, 2026.
    • Summary: The authors commented on a study by Cohen et al that patients with peripheral artery disease who smoked tobacco were rarely treated with varenicline, the most effective single smoking pharmacotherapy. They called for health systems to engineer their EHRs to facilitate tobacco treatment, to refer to quitlines and other programs to help people quit tobacco, and to do so with an “opt-out” approach.
  4. Kaye JT, Kathuria H. (2026) Rethinking Smoking Cannabis, Tobacco, and Lung Cancer. Chest. 169; 3: 586-588. Online March 1, 2026.
    • Summary: The authors commented on a study by Pradère et al on 150 French patients with lung cancer and observed very high rates of patients who smoke – not only tobacco (91%), but many who smoke both cannabis and tobacco (39%). The authors raised concerns about the health effects of co-use uncovered by Pradère et al, including increased rates of thoracic pain, emphysema, more aggressive lung cancer and longer surgical times. They called for more research on cannabis, tobacco and co-use.
  5. Kaye JT, Piasecki TM, Fiore MC, Baker TB, Zehner ME, Williams BS, Slutske WS, McCarthy DE. (2026) Reach, Acceptability, and Effectiveness of Proactive Outreach and Varenicline with Cancer-focused Counseling for Patients with Cancer: A Pilot Randomized Comparative Effectiveness Trial. Journal of Clinical Oncology – Oncology Advances (JCO – OA). (3) e2500169. Online March 24, 2026
    • Summary: This pilot study produced evidence supporting the reach, acceptability, and potential effect sizes of enhanced and cancer-focused smoking cessation counseling and medication treatment for adult patients with cancer. More patients with cancer reported quitting smoking in the enhanced care group than in the standard care group. 
  6. Kim N, Baker TB, Coffman DL, Piper ME, Stein JH, McCarthy DE. Time-varying Mediated Effects of the Nicotine Patch on Smoking Before and After a Quit Attempt When it is Added to Varenicline and Counseling. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 284. Online July 1, 2026.
    • Summary: While offering patients who smoke cigarettes counseling as well as a prescription to varenicline helps them to quit, it turns out that also adding nicotine patches to those other two treatments doesn’t add much. Adding nicotine patches to varenicline and counseling did boost the odds that participants who quit smoking would feel better and were able to stay quit during the first weeks of a quit attempt, but it did not improve craving or other withdrawal symptoms.
  7. Leone FT, Barrosse-Antle M, Bars M, Crotty-Alexander LE, Dresler C, Iaccarino J, Ibrahem M, Kathuria H, Lang AE, Rich ZC, Sheikh M, Stepp EL, Stover-Pepe D, Studdard JE; CHEST Tobacco and Vaping Workgroup. Critical Gaps in the Scientific Basis for Electronic Cigarette Regulation: An American College of Chest Physicians Research Statement. Chest. 2026 May;169(5):1415-1426.
    • Summary: This CHEST Tobacco/Vaping Work Group review identified key evidence gaps relevant to FDA regulation of e-cigarettes. The authors concluded that more research is needed on the effectiveness of access restrictions, the impact of nicotine delivery limits on user behavior and toxicant exposure, the non-cardiac and non-cancer health effects of e-cigarette use, and the effects of flavoring chemicals on human airways to better inform evidence-based policy.
  8. Pu T, Burris JL, Matulewicz RS, McCarthy DE, Ostroff JS, Reilly EM, Shelton RC, Warren GW, Weigel RJ, Mullett TW. Beyond ASK Quality Improvement Task Force. (2026) National Quality Improvement Initiative to Increase Smoking Cessation Assistance in Commission on Cancer Programs and National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers. Journal of Clinical Oncology. Online February 25, 2026.
    • Summary: Scaled improvement in smoking cessation assistance across accredited cancer programs is feasible and achievable relatively quickly. Findings provide a framework to guide national adoption for smoking cessation assistance as standard care for all patients with newly diagnosed cancer.
  9. Williams BS, Kasza KA, Kyland A, Fiore MC, Piasecki TM, Slutske WS. (2026) Predictors of E-Cigarette Quit Attempts and Cessation in Young Adults. Pediatrics. Online May 22, 2026.
    • Summary: Almost two-thirds of young adults tried to quit vaping, and concerningly, the only method associated with cessation was substituting combustible cigarettes. There is an urgent need to develop safe and effective vaping cessation treatments for young adults, and to spread the word about treatments we know work, such as texting apps and varenicline.
  10. Slutske WS, Baker TB, Piasecki TM. A Cross-sectional and Prospective Examination of Alcohol Use and Misuse among Adult Twin and Sibling Pairs Discordant for Neighborhood Socioeconomic Disadvantage. Addiction. Online June 29, 2026.
    • Summary: Neighborhood disadvantage appears to be negatively, positively and not significantly associated with any alcohol use, quantity-frequency of use and binge drinking, respectively. Neighborhood disadvantage associations are more consistently explained by between-family confounds, that is, genetic and family environmental factors common to neighborhood disadvantage and to drinking occurrence and amount consumed. This may be due to differential selection by families into neighborhoods.

In Press

  1. Piasecki TM, Piper ME, Kathuria H. Nicotine Pouches. JAMA.
  2. Fiore MC, McCarthy DE, Kaye JT, Baker TB. Smoking in Cancer Patients: Guidance for Delivering Effective Tobacco Treatment in Cancer Care. Journal of Clinical Oncology.
  3. Hegde Y, Battula S, Ohiri C, Piasecki TM, Hayne MS, Caldera F. Low Sensitivity of Commercial Assays for Measles Seroprotection in Adult Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
  4. Kathuria H, Jordt SE, Benowitz NL, Donny EC, Ewart G, Filippidis FT, Gartner C, Gesthalter YB, Jaspers I, Lang AE, Melzer AC, Motorniak D, Piper ME, Rao DR, Rich ZC, Sadreameli SC, Talih S, Leone FT. Strategies to Support And Effectively Implement the Proposed FDA Nicotine Standard: An Official American Thoracic Society Workshop Report. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
  5. Kaye JT, Bolt DM, Piper ME, Cook JW, Williams B, Piasecki TM, Baker TB. Assessing Cigarette Smoking Withdrawal in Unmedicated Individuals: Validating the Wisconsin Smoking Withdrawal Scales Version 3 (WSWS3). Psychology of Addictive Behaviors.
  6. Leavens ELS, Pebley K, Smith TT, Ahluwalia JS, Bello MS, Bold KW, Cantrell J, Carpenter MJ, Cioe PA, Felicione NJ, Havard A, Hawk LW, Kaye JT, Klemperer EM, Kleykamp BA, Lindson N, McClure EA, McRobbie H, Murphy CM, Rigotti NA, Walker NK, Yang M-J, Rojewski AM, Johnson AL, members of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco, Treatment Research Network, Harm Reduction Workgroup. Nicotine e-cigarettes for cigarette smoking cessation: Recommendations to US-based clinicians. JAMA.
  7. McCarthy DE, Kirsch JA, Kaye JT, Kobinsky K, Fraser DL, Vickerman K, Mullis K, Kim N, Baker TB, Fiore MC. Representativeness of Reach and Effectiveness of Proactive Tobacco Quitline Follow-Up Treatment for Adults Who Smoke Tobacco Products: Secondary Analyses of a Factorial Experiment. Tobacco Prevention and Cessation.
  8. Shi N, Piper ME, Baker TB, Shafie Khorassani F, Hayes-Birchler T, Brouwer AF. Continuous Associations of the Wisconsin Inventory of Smoking Dependence Motives with Transitions Between Cigarette and E-cigarettes Use. Nicotine & Tobacco Research.

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Research Reports