Principal Investigators 

Stephanie O'Malley, Ph.D.— Professor and Director of the Substance Abuse Research Division in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale and the principal investigator for the Yale TTURC. Dr. O'Malley's research in the center includes a clinical trial of pharmacotherapy for weight concerned smokers and laboratory based research examining the effect of food deprivation on tobacco craving and ability to resist smoking. Her areas of interest in tobacco relate to interactions between alcohol and smoking, individual differences that predict weight gain and smoking cessation outcomes, and the development of laboratory models to test pharmacotherapies. Dr. O'Malley has extensive experience conducting studies of pharmacological and behavioral interventions for substance abuse. Her study of naltrexone for alcohol dependence was submitted to the FDA and was one of two trials used to support approval of naltrexone for the treatment of alcoholism. She also was the principal investigator for the Naltrexone Augmentation of Nicotine Patch Therapy study. Office location: 202SAC CMHC. Telephone: (203) 974-7590. Email: stephanie.omalley@yale.edu

Marina Picciotto, Ph.D.— Associate Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry, Pharmacology and Neurobiology at Yale. Dr. Picciotto's lab uses molecular genetics to study genes involved in behaviors related to addiction and other complex behaviors. A primary focus is the role of nicotine receptors in the brain in nicotine addiction, and behavioral models of learning and depression. Dr. Picciotto is the principal investigator for the Animal Models of Risk Factors for Relapse to Smoking study. Office location: CMHC 303. Telephone: (203) 737-2041. Email: marina.picciotto@yale.edu

Julie K. Staley, Ph.D.— Assistant Professor in the Brain Imaging Division of the Department of Psychiatry at Yale. The mission of Dr. Staley's research group is to study the neurochemistry of the smoker's brain while smoking and during smoking cessation with positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Dr. Staley is the principal investigator for the Imaging of Serotonergic and Cholinergic Markers in Smokers study. Office location: VAMC 116 A2. Telephone: (203) 932-5711, ext. 3335. Email: julie.staley@yale.edu

Core Directors 

Career Development Core:
Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin, Ph.D.— Director of the Career Development Core. This core will train new investigators to conduct cutting-edge research related to tobacco. This core also provides fellowships for students interested in tobacco research, sponsors speakers with expertise in tobacco research, provides travel scholarships, and provides opportunities for scientific exchange across TTURC's. Dr. Krishnan-Sarin's research focuses on understanding the behavioral, physiological and neurochemical effects of abstinence from tobacco and alcohol. She has also collaborated extensively with Dr. O'Malley on the preliminary studies supporting the use of naltrexone for smoking cessation. Dr. Krishnan-Sarin was the principal investigator for the Early Tobacco Abstinence in High Risk Smokers study. Office location: CMHC S208. Telephone: (203) 974-7595 or (203) 789-6988. Email: suchitra.krishnan-sarin@yale.edu

Sex-Specific Factors Core:
Carolyn M. Mazure, Ph.D.— Professor of Psychiatry at Yale and Director of Women's Health Research at Yale - the largest interdisciplinary research program in women's health in the country. Dr. Mazure directs the Sex-Specific Factors Core of the tobacco use research center. This core provides a special focus on the health of women in relation to smoking and on the investigation of sex-specific factors in nicotine dependence and treatment. The goals of the core include pooling standardized data from all center projects involving human subjects to test sex-specific models of smoking maintenance as well as benefits of smoking cessation. The core also investigates hormonal factors in treatment response and relapse, and it provides assessment and methodological consultation to investigators. Office location: Women's Health Research Program Office, 200 College Street, Suite 208, New Haven, CT 06510. (203) 764-6600. Email: WHResearch@yale.edu

Data Analysis and Data Management Core:
Robert Makuch. Ph.D.— Professor and head of the Biostatistics Division in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at Yale. Dr. Makuch specializes in the design, conduct and analysis of clinical studies. His department develops and maintains databases for studies, taking an active role in developing and publishing models for the databases, and exporting those models for implementation by the national and international medical community. Dr. Makuch is director of the Data Analysis and Data Management Core, which collaborates with project directors to develop and select appropriate research measurement tools and methodologies for data analysis, among other services. Office location: LEPH 203. Telephone: (203) 785-2842. Email: robert.makuch@yale.edu

Laboratory Core:
Peter Jatlow, M.D.— Professor and Chairman of the Department of Laboratory Medicine, and Professor of Psychiatry. Dr. Jatlow counts among his interests the
clinical pharmacology of nicotine dependence, analytical toxicology and the clinical pharmacology of psychotropic drugs including cocaine. Since nicotine, like cocaine, is a psychostimulant frequently used with alcohol, his participation in TTURC is a logical extension of his other interests. Dr. Jatlow is the director of the Core Laboratory, which assays concentrations of drugs and their metabolites in biological fluids in support of the research studies. These include measurement of nicotine and cotinine in plasma, urine and saliva as a measure of tobacco/nicotine exposure in conjunction with treatment studies and following nicotine challenges as well as evaluation of concentrations of drugs used for pharmacotherapy of tobacco use. Office location: CB 407. Telephone: (203)688-2446. Email: peter.jatlow@yale.edu

Researchers  

George Anderson, Ph.D.— Research Scientist, Departments of Child Psychiatry and Laboratory Medicine. Director, Laboratory of Developmental Neurochemistry, Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine. Areas of interest: the neurobiology of childhood and adolescent neuropsychiatric disorders including Tourette, autism, and ADHD; central and peripheral neurochemistry of serotonin; and the neurbiology of stress repsonse systems.Yale University School of Medicine. Office location: SHM I-280, FMB 532. Telephone: (203) 785-4793, (203 785-5513. Email: george.anderson@yale.edu

Kelly Brownell, Ph.D.— Professor of Psychology, Epidemiology and Public Health and Director of Graduate Studies. Director, Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders, Yale University, Department of Psychology. Body weight regulation, eating disorders, obesity, and public policy related to diet and physical activity. Office location: K 205. Telephone: (203) 432-7790. Email: kelly.brownell@yale.edu

Susan Busch, Ph.D.— Associate Professor, Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine.  Professor Busch is a health economist.  Her areas of expertise include mental health, health behaviors and health insurance benefit design.  She is a Co-Investigator on projects funded by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.  Office Location: LEPH 300B.  Telephone: (203) 785-2927.  Email: susan.busch@yale.edu

Judith Cooney, Ph.D.— Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut Health Center, University of Connecticut School of Medicine; Director, Smoking Cessation and Substance Abuse Day Programs, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, Newington, CT. Areas of specialty include smoking cessation behavioral treatments, alcohol-tobacco interactions, substance abuse treatment, cue reactivity methodologies. Office location: VA Connecticut Healthcare System, 555 Willard Avenue, Newington, CT 06111. Telephone: (860) 594-6325. Email: judith.cooney@med.va.gov

Ned Cooney, Ph.D.— Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine. Areas of specialty include alcohol-tobacco interactions, cue reactivity assessment, and ecological momentary assessment. Office location: VAMC. Telephone: (860) 594-6339. Email: ned.cooney@yale.edu

Kelly Cosgrove, Ph.D.— Assistant Professor, Brain Imaging Division, Department of Psychiatry.  Research interests include examining the neurochemistry underlying chronic alcohol consumption and the recovery from chronic alcohol consumption using SPECT and PET brain imaging.  She is also interested in alcohol/nicotine interactions in the brain.  Office location: VACHS 116A6.  Telephone: 203-932-5711 x3329.  Fax: 203-937-3897.  Email: kelly.cosgrove@yale.edu

Neill Epperson, M.D.— Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Obstetrics/Gynecology Director: Yale Behavioral Gynecology Program, Yale University School of Medicine. Areas of interest include role of the menstrual cycle in modulating smoking behavior; cortical amino acids in nicotine withdrawal and negative affect, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, perinatal depression and cognitive function and mood in the menopause. Office location: 100 York 2H. Telephone: (203) 764-9939. Email: neill.epperson@yale.edu

Leslie K. Jacobsen, M.D.— Assistant Professor, Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine. Research focus: Application of functional brain imaging to the study of tobacco abuse and dependence in humans.Office location: VAMC 9 Fl, 100 York. Telephone: (203) 932-5711x4278, (203) 764-8480. Email: leslie.jacobsen@yale.edu

Patricia Keenan, Ph.D.— Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale School of Medicine. Dr. Keenan's primary research interests are in political and economic aspects of aging, health, and health insurance coverage.  Her research on health behaviors examines whether older adults change health behaviors in response to new health events, and what supports people use in attempts to quit smoking.  Her research on health insurance coverage and benefit design includes studies of Medicare regulatory decisions on coverage of new treatments, and analyses of the role of rising health insurance premiums in insurance coverage declines.  Professor Keenan received a Ph.D. in Health Policy with a concentration in political analysis from Harvard University. She is a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Office location: LEPH 300. Telephone: (203) 785-2862. Email: patricia.keenan@yale.edu

John H. Krystal, M.D.— Yale University School of Medicine, Albert E. Kent Professor and Deputy Chairman for Research. Nicotine-related activities: clinical neuroscience studies of nicotine effects on cortico-limbic circuitry in healthy human subjects and patient groups. Office location: CMHC 334. Telephone: (203) 974-7538. Email: john.krystal@yale.edu

Paul K. Maciejewski, Ph.D. —Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Director of the Statistical Modeling Core of Women’s Health Research at Yale, and member of the Yale Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Yale University School of Medicine. Areas of interest include research design, measurement, and statistical analysis and modeling of data with a focus on gender and gender differences.  Office location: Women's Health Research Program Office, 135 College Street, Suite 220.  Telephone:  (203) 764-6600.  Email: WHResearch@yale.edu

Jerold R. Mande, M.P.H.— Associate Director for Policy at the Yale Cancer Center, a lecturer in public health, and on the core faculty of the Yale RWJ clinical scholars program. Before coming to Yale, Dr. Mande served on the White House staff as a health policy advisor, was Deputy Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health, U.S. Department of Labor, and he was senior advisor and executive assistant to the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. Today he serves as co-chair of the C-Change tobacco team where he developed and is leading an effort to fund state comprehensive cancer control plans with state tobacco revenue. His current research interests include tobacco, cancer, and nutrition policy. Office location: Sterling Hall of Medicine, C-203. Telephone: (203) 785-6943. Fax: (203) 737-5368. E-mail: jerold.mande@yale.edu.

Graeme F. Mason, Ph.D.— Associate Professor in the Departments of Diagnostic Radiology and Psychiatry at Yale, in the Magnetic Resonance Research Center.  Dr. Mason's research program is focused on the development and evaluation of quantitative hypotheses of brain energy utilization, neurotransmitter metabolism, and function, as well as their application to neuropsychiatric disorders.  Dr. Mason's primary methodologies are 1H and 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mathematical modeling of metabolism and enzyme kinetics, and the effects of nicotine and ethanol on GABA, glutamate, and energy metabolism form a primary research focus for his program.  Link: http://mrrc.yale.edu/mason.html.  Telephone: (203) 737-1478.  E-mail: graeme.mason@yale.edu

Thomas J. McMahon, Ph.D.— Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. McMahon, a member of the Child and Family Research Team within the Division of Substance Abuse, is involved in a number of research projects where developmental paradigms are being used to expand understanding of risk for substance abuse during adolescence, the transmission of substance use disorders across generations, the psychosocial adjustment of children living with a substance-abusing parent, and clinical intervention with substance-abusing parents. Office location: West Haven Mental Health Clinic, 270 Center Street, West Haven, CT 06516; Telephone: (203) 789-7858. Fax: (203) 789-7373. Email: thomas.mcmahon@yale.edu.

Peter Olausson Ph.D.— Associate Research Scientist, Div. of Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry. Research interests include investigating the neurobiological consequences of chronic drug exposure on processes subserving addictive behaviors. These studies have focused on the effects of nicotine on reward-related learning and incentive motivation and how drug-induced alterations in the brain dopamine systems
may produce compulsive drug-seeking and drug-taking behavior. Office location: CMHC, Room 309, 34 Park St., New Haven, CT 06508. Telephone: 203-974 7752. Fax: 203-974-7897.
Email: peter.olausson@yale.edu.

Cheryl Oncken, M.D., MPH— Associate Professor of Medicine University of Connecticut Health Center. Interests include women's health and smoking. Mail address: Cheryl Oncken, MD, MPH, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06030-3940. Telephone: (860) 679-3425. Email: oncken@nso2.uchc.edu

Marc Potenza, M.D. Ph.D.— Associate Professor in the Division of Substance Abuse Research at the Yale University School of Medicine, Director of the Problem Gambling Clinic and Director of the Women and Addictive Disorders Core of Women's Health Research at Yale, Director of Neuroimaging for the VISN1 MIRECC of the VA Connecticut Healthcare System. Dr. Potenza is a board-certified psychiatrist with sub-specialty training and certification in addiction psychiatry.  He is on the editorial boards of six journals and has received multiple national and international awards for excellence in research and clinical care.  He has consulted to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, National Registry of Effective Programs, National Institutes of Health, American Psychiatric Association and the World Health Organization on matters of addiction.  He is investigating the relationship between nicotine dependence and co-occurring psychiatric disorders, neural predictors and correlates of effective behavioral therapy for adolescent smokers and novel pharmacotherapies for nicotine dependence.  Office location: Connecticut Mental Health Center, Room S-104.  Telephone: 203-974-7356.  Fax: 203-974-7366.  Email: marc.potenza@yale.edu

Ann M. Rasmusson, M.D.— Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, Research/Clinical Staff Psychiatrist, VA National Center for PTSD, West Haven, CT, Director, Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology & Studies of Trauma and Gender, VA National Center for PTSD, West Haven, CT, Board Certified Diplomat, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH) Scholar. A member of the Society for Neuroscience, the Society of Biological Psychiatry, the International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies, the New York Academy of Science, and the International Neuroendocrine Federation, Dr. Rasmusson currently conducts research on GABAergic Neurotransmission in PTSD, SSRI-Treatment Resistance in Women with Chronic PTSD, and Neurobiological Predictors of Response to Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD in Women with and without Co-Morbid Major Depression. Office location: VAMC West Haven.  Telephone: (203) 932-5711, ext. 2483.  Email: ann.rasmusson@yale.edu

Bruce Rounsaville, M.D.— Professor of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine. Areas of expertise include treatment research with substance abusers, psychiatric comorbidity in substance abusers, diagnosis of substance abuse. Office location: VAMC Bldg 35 151D. Telephone: (203) 932-5711x7401. Email: bruce.rounsaville@yale.edu

Jennifer Prah Ruger, Ph.D.— Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale School of Medicine.  Dr. Ruger's expertise includes health economics, economic evaluation (particularly cost-effectiveness, cost-utility and cost-minimization analyses), and political economy.  Dr. Ruger is the principal investigator for a National Institute of Drug Abuse grant, which includes as one study the economic evaluation of motivational interviewing smoking cessation interventions among low-income pregnant women.  She is also working on a proposal for economic evaluation of smoking cessation programs for South African pregnant women and for economic training for tobacco control researchers in China. Office location LEPH 316. Telephone: (203) 785-3710. Email: jennifer.ruger@yale.edu

Peter Salovey, Ph.D.— Dean of Yale College, Chris Argyris Professor of Psychology; Professor in the Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, the Institution for Social & Policy Studies, and the Yale School of Management. The research in his lab focuses on the psychological significance and function of human moods and emotions, and on the application of social psychological principles to motivate health protective behaviors. Much of his recent work has addressed the effectiveness of message framing and tailoring in the prevention of cancer and HIV/AIDS. Dr. Salovey was the principal investigator for Framing Message for Smoking Cessation with Buproprion study. Office location: K 305, K 109. Telephone: (203) 432-4546, (203)-432-4545. Email: peter.salovey@yale.edu

Rajita Sinha, Ph.D.— Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine; Director of the Substance Abuse Treatment Unit (SATU), Director of Addiction Services, Connecticut Mental Health Center (CMHC). Areas of research include: Human neurobiology of stress and emotion dysregulation, effects of stress on cognition, association between stress and drug cue reactivity and addictive behaviors, sex differences in the association between stress and drug abuse; treatment of co-morbid personality disorders and substance abuse, human laboratory studies; pharmacological and behavioral treatment studies on improving substance abuse outcomes. Office location: CMHC S110. Telephone: (203) 974-7608. Email: rajita.sinha@yale.edu

Dana Small, Ph.D.— Assistant Fellow, The John B. Pierce Laboratory, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Yale University. Dr. Small currently has funding from the National Institutes of Health to study taste-odor integration, cognitive and affective influences on taste processing in the human brain and neural encoding of anticipatory and consummatory food reward as a function of body mass index and smoking status.  She is a member of the Association for Chemoreception Sciences, the Organization for Human Brain Mapping, the Society for Neuroscience, and the International Neuropsychological Symposium.  Office location: The John B. Pierce Laboratory.  Telephone: (203) 562-9901, ext. 242.  Email: dsmall@jbpierce.org

Jane Taylor, Ph.D.— Associate Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry, Division of Molecular Psychiatry at Yale. Dr. Taylor lab uses behavioral, pharmacological and molecular methods to understand the pathophysiology of addiction, depression and other psychiatry disorders that are associated with alterations in motivation and cognition. A primary focus is the role of nicotine, alcohol and cocaine on DA/cAMP/PKA/CREB - regulated signaling pathways in cortico-limbic-striatal circuits and their effects on learning and memory. Office location: CMHC 307. Telephone: (203) 974-7727. Email: jane.taylor@yale.edu

Benjamin Toll, Ph.D. — Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale.  Dr. Toll’s primary research interest involves developing novel psychosocial and pharmacological treatments for tobacco use disorders.  Current studies focus on message framing to promote smoking cessation and naltrexone for minimization of post smoking cessation weight gain.  Dr. Toll is also involved in several studies of psychometrics, assessment, and methodological issues with addictive behaviors. Office location: Substance Abuse Treatment Unit, 1 Long Wharf Drive. Telephone: 203-974-5767. Email: benjamin.toll@yale.edu

Hong Wang, MD, Ph.D.—Assistant Professor at the Division of Global Health, Yale University School of Public Health. Before taking Yale's position, Dr. Wang served as an Associate Professor of Health Economics at Beijing Medical University and the Deputy Director of the National Health Economic Institute, Ministry of Health, China. He currently is a member of Chinese Ministry of Health Advisory Committee of Health Policy and Administration, working on health care financing in poor rural areas of China, the effects of socio-economic changes on population health, the system effects on HIV/AIDS control, the economic analysis of tobacco consumption, and the market penetration of foreign tobacco and its impact on tobacco consumption in China. He also serves as an expert on the World Bank and WHO health projects in China and Africa, and works on a cost-benefit/effectiveness analysis of nurse intervention for improving the quality of life of ovarian cancer patients in the United States. Professor Wang's majors are Health Economics and Health Policy. His primary research interests are in health care financing, health care system development, and the determinants of population health in developing countries. Office location: LEPH 315. Telephone: (203) 785-6230. Email: hong.wang@yale.edu

Andrea H. Weinberger, Ph.D.— Associate Research Scientist and Associate Director of the Program for Research on Smokers with Mental Illness (PRISM) in the Department of Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine.  Areas of interest: Nicotine dependence in patients with psychiatric and substance abuse disorders; Behavioral and pharmacological treatments for nicotine dependence; Attitudes toward smoking (expectancies).  She is the recipient of a TTURC grant on changes in smoking expectancies over the course of a pharmacological smoking cessation study.  Office location: CMHC S-115.  Telephone: (203) 974-5716.  Email: andrea.weinberger@yale.edu.

Marney A. White, Ph.D.— Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Yale Obesity and Eating Disorders Research Program.  Dr. White's research focus is on weight and eating problems, with particular emphasis on the interaction of tobacco use with eating disorders and weight concerns.  Current projects focus on the influence of smoking on factors related to binge eating, specifically the influence of cigarette smoking on food cravings and emotional eating.  Office location: 221 Congress Place, 301 Cedar Street.  Telephone: 203-785-4349.  Email: marney.white@yale.edu

Derek Yach, MBChB, M.P.H.— A professor and head of the Division of Global Health http://publichealth.yale.edu/ghd/index.html, Professor Yach worked at the World Health Organization between 1995 and 2004 where he had responsibility for developing a new global Health For All policy, which was adopted by all governments in May 1998 after 2 years of intensive consultation. He established the Tobacco Free Initiative and ensured that the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control was accepted by governments, as well as placed chronic diseases and injuries higher on the agenda of governments, non-governmental organizations and the private sector.He has been involved in epidemiological, economic and policy research and action at national and international levels for 20 years. Office location: LEPH, Suite 319, Telephone: (203) 785-3927, (203) 747-4277. Fax: (203) 785-6193. Email: derek.yach@yale.edu