BRP Fall Newsletter

Dear Colleagues,

Change is in the air as we begin a new fiscal year. As you likely have heard, Dr. Anthony Fauci will be stepping down from his position at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) after 54 illustrious years, serving as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden. In President Biden’s September address on the occasion of the 60^th anniversary of President Kennedy’s Moonshot speech, he detailed progress on the Cancer Moonshot^SM and new initiatives to end cancer as we know it. On October 3, Dr. Monica Bertagnolli began her tenure as the 16^th director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the first woman to hold the post. Dr. Bertagnolli brings to NCI her vast clinical and research expertise as a surgeon and a leader in the NCI-funded Cooperative Groups Program (now NCI’s National Clinical Trials Network), as well as her leadership experience in several cancer organizations, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Foundation.

We are pleased to welcome Dr. Gary Ellison as the new deputy director of the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS). Dr. Ellison was a branch chief in the DCCPS Epidemiology and Genomics Research Program leading a program of extramural research focused on modifiable risk factors for cancer. He is an outstanding addition to our leadership core, especially as we forge ahead to create a vision for the future of the division. As part of the 25-year commemoration since the founding of the division, DCCPS put out a Request for Information earlier this year, Priorities for Cancer Control and Populations Science at NCI (NOT-CA-22-053), and we received 38 responses from external stakeholders. We, as a division, are also participating in a strategic process to consider the division’s scientific priorities for the coming decade. We anticipate this inclusive and collaborative process will result in a clear roadmap to help us move the needle toward ending cancer as we know it.

We are excited to introduce the new Cancer Moonshot Scholars program, designed to advance cancer science while diversifying the cancer research workforce. NCI intends to fund 45 new R01s through this program over the next 3 years. Applications for the first round of funding are being accepted until November 8, 2022.

BRP has been funding and conducting health communication science research for a long time, and we are proud to announce that the field has recently attracted wider NIH interest with the establishment of a new Common Fund initiative Advancing Health Communication Science and Practice. This program will leverage social and behavioral science to address critical gaps in health and science communication relevant across NIH Institutes and Centers and develop approaches to foster equitable health outcomes. NCI co-leads the program with the National Institute of Mental Health and the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research. In a similar vein, NCI recently established a Cancer Moonshot-supported Telehealth Research Centers of Excellence (TRACE) initiative to advance a national telehealth research agenda focused on improving cancer-related care and outcomes across the cancer control continuum. We look forward to learning from the four newly funded centers.

In this issue, we feature several resources for our tobacco control researchers including our newest NCI Tobacco Control Monograph, Treating Smoking in Cancer Patients: An Essential Component of Cancer Care, an updated synthesis of evidence clarifying the need to intervene with patients with cancer who smoke. Data from Waves 1-5 (2013-2019) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study are now widely available, providing national estimates on tobacco use among youth, young adults, and adults. Additionally, our researchers can access NCI’s Annual Plan and Budget Proposal for FY 2024, the latest SEER data, trend data in the updated Cancer Trends Progress Report, and cancer mortality and demographic data on the NCI-designated Cancer Centers catchment area visualization tool. We encourage you to mark your calendars for some interesting upcoming events, including a NCI cohort consortium meeting, several webinars, and a workshop on housing and obesity.

You may have noticed that we transitioned to a new email format. We hope you find it more visually appealing and easier to access our information. We’d appreciate your feedback on both the newsletter format and content. And as a reminder, feel free to manage your BRP newsletter subscription at any time, but we hope you find the information beneficial. If you’re on social media, follow us on Twitter at @NCIBehaviors.

All the best,
Bill Klein
Associate Director

Funding Opportunities and Notices

I’m happy to share some exciting data on our scientific workforce pipeline, specifically, early-stage investigators (ESI). Investing in ESIs is one of the best approaches to sustain a diverse and stable research workforce, ultimately leading to innovative discoveries. In fiscal year 2021 (FY21), DCCPS received more ESI applications than previous years, and we increased our number of ESI awards. In FY22 NCI extended the payline to 16% for ESI applications, enabling more investigators to participate in cancer research. Furthermore, 41% of awarded ESIs are eligible for Method To Extend Research in Time (MERIT) extensions, which offer up to 2 years of additional funding to the standard 5 years of research, giving investigators more time and opportunities to foster their research programs. To qualify for the MERIT extension, investigators’ applications must score at or below the threshold for regular R01s, which for FY22 was 11%. A similar trend is happening at the NIH level, thanks in large part to the implementation of NIH’s Next Generation Researchers Initiative (NGRI) 5 years ago. In FY21, NIH supported 1,513 new ESIs as first-time principal investigators on R01-equivalent awards. This new all-time high level of support for ESIs represents a 7.2% increase over FY20. Learn more in this NIH Office of Extramural Research blog post.

Advancing Adolescent Tobacco Cessation Intervention Research (R34 Clinical Trial Optional; R01 Clinical Trial Required)
RFA-CA-22-042; RFA-CA-22-043
NCI Contact: Dr. Rachel Grana Mayne
Posted: October 3, 2022
First Available Due Date: January 23, 2023
Expires: October 17, 2023
November 8 Pre-Application Webinar Registration

Advanced Training in Artificial Intelligence for Precision Nutrition Science Research (AIPrN) – Institutional Research Training Programs (T32)
RFA-OD-22-027
NCI Contact: Dr. Marissa Shams-White
Posted: October 3, 2022
Due Date: December 8, 2022
Expires: January 16, 2023

NCI Cancer Moonshot Scholars Diversity Program (CMSDP) (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
RFA-CA-22-050
NCI Contact: Dr. Amy Kennedy
Posted: September 1, 2022
First Available Due Date: November 8, 2022
Expires: February 7, 2024

Understanding and Addressing Misinformation among Populations that Experience Health Disparities (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
RFA-MD-22-008
NCI Contact: Dr. Sylvia Chou
Posted: March 22, 2022
Final Due Date: November 13, 2022
Expires: November 14, 2022

Time-Sensitive Opportunities for Health Research (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
PAR-22-233
NCI Contact: Dr. Marissa Shams-White
Posted: September 1, 2022
First Available Due Date: Rolling applications beginning November 1, 2022
Expires: November 2, 2023

Cancer Prevention and Control Clinical Trials Planning Grant Program (R34 Clinical Trial Optional)
PAR-22-173
NCI Contacts: Dr. Susan Czajkowski and Dr. Brandy Heckman-Stoddard
Posted: June 23, 2022
First Available Due Date: October 25, 2022
Expires: September 8, 2025
Pre-Application Webinar Recording

Cancer Prevention and Control Clinical Trials Planning Grant Program (U34 Clinical Trial Optional)
PAR-22-174
NCI Contacts: Dr. Ann Geiger and Dr. Brandy Heckman-Stoddard
Posted: June 23, 2022
First Available Due Date: October 25, 2022
Expires: September 8, 2025
Pre-Application Webinar Recording

NIH/CDC Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Contract Proposals
PHS-2023-1
NIH Contact: Dr. George Kennedy
Posted: August 8, 2022
Offers due: November 4, 2022

Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Development and Preliminary Testing of Health-related Behavioral Interventions
NOT-OD-22-203
NCI Contact: Dr. Susan Czajkowski
Posted: September 9, 2022
First Available Due Date: October 3, 2022
Expires: September 27, 2024

Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Research on the Health of Bisexual and Bisexual+ People
NOT-OD-22-166
NCI Contact: Dr. David (Chipper) Dean
Posted: August 11, 2022
First Available Due Date: September 25, 2022
Expires: May 8, 2025

Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Stimulating Research to Understand and Address Hunger, Food and Nutrition Insecurity
NOT-OD-22-135
NCI Contact: Dr. Tanya Agurs-Collins
Posted: June 21, 2022
First Available Due Date: October 5, 2022
Expires: November 29, 2024

Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Preventive Interventions to Address Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Populations that Experience Health Disparities
NOT-OD-22-154
NCI Contact: Dr. Susan Czajkowski
Posted: June 14, 2022
First Available Due Date: October 5, 2022
Expires: September 8, 2025

Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Innovative Technologies for Research on Climate Change and Human Health Small Business Technology Transfer (R41/R42 Clinical Trial Optional)
NOT-ES-22-009
NIH Contact: Dr. Daniel Shaughnessy
Posted: June 3, 2022
First Available Due Date: September 5, 2022
Expires: April 6, 2023

Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Innovative Technologies for Research on Climate Change and Human Health Small Business Innovation Research (R43/R44 Clinical Trial Optional)
NOT-ES-22-010
NIH Contact: Dr. Daniel Shaughnessy
Posted: June 3, 2022
First Available Due Date: September 5, 2022
Expires: April 6, 2023

Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Climate Change and Health
NOT-ES-22-006
NCI Contact: Dr. Curt DellaValle
Posted: June 1, 2022
First Available Due Date: July 8, 2022
Expires: May 8, 2025

Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Basic Mechanisms of Cannabis and Cannabinoid Action in Cancer
NOT-CA-22-085
NCI Contact: Dr. Ron Johnson
Posted: May 5, 2022
First Available Due Date: June 5, 2022
Expires: May 8, 2027

Notice of Change to PAR-21-341, Exploratory Grants in Cancer Control (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)
PAR-21-341
NCI Contacts: Dr. Tanya Agurs-Collins and Dr. Mukesh Verma
Posted: July 6, 2022
PAR Expiration: October 9, 2024
Frequently Asked Questions

Notice of NCI Participation in PAR-22-145, Leveraging Health Information Technology (Health IT) to Address and Reduce Health Care Disparities (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
NOT-CA-22-082
NCI Contact: Dr. Heather D’Angelo
Posted: April 20, 2022
First Available Due Date: June 5, 2022
Expires: May 8, 2025

Reissuance: NCI Outstanding Investigator Award (R35 Clinical Trial Optional)
RFA-CA-22-045
NCI Contact: Ms. Christine Siemon
Posted: July 26, 2022
Due Date: November 8, 2022
Expires: November 8, 2024

Reissuance: Innovative Approaches to Studying Cancer Communication in the New Information Ecosystem (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
PAR-22-164
NCI Contact: Dr. Kelly Blake
Posted: June 13, 2022
Due Date: October 5, 2022
Expires: September 8, 2025

Reissuance: Innovative Approaches to Studying Cancer Communication in the New Information Ecosystem (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)
PAR-22-165
NCI Contact: Dr. Kelly Blake
Posted: June 13, 2022
Due Date: October 16, 2022
Expires: September 8, 2025

Notice of Intent to Publish a Funding Opportunity Announcement for Pragmatic Trials across the Cancer Control Continuum (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Required)
NOT-CA-22-091
NCI Contact: Dr. Wynne E. Norton
Posted: August 2, 2022
Estimated Publication Date: November 30, 2022
Estimated First Application Due Date: February 17, 2023

Notice of Intent to Publish the Reissuance of RFA-OD-20-008 and RFA-OD-20-011, Mentored Research Scientist Career Development Award in Tobacco Regulatory Research
NOT-OD-22-081 (K01 - Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NOT-OD-22-082 (K01 - Independent Clinical Trial Required)
NCI Contact: Dr. Rachel Grana Mayne
Posted: June 14, 2022
Estimated Publication Date: November 1, 2022
Estimated First Application Due Date: February 1, 2023

Notice of Intent to Publish the Reissuance of RFA-OD-20-009 and RFA-OD-20-010, Pathway to Independence Award in Tobacco Regulatory Research
NOT-OD-22-083 (K99/R00 - Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NOT-OD-22-084 (K99/R00 - Independent Clinical Trial Required)
NCI Contact: Dr. Rachel Grana Mayne
Posted: June 14, 2022
Estimated Publication Date: November 1, 2022
Estimated First Application Due Date: February 1, 2023

In the News

NCI Press Release: NCI Awards $23 Million to Establish Centers of Excellence to Study Telehealth for Cancer Care

Four academic institutions will receive a total of $23 million over 5 years to establish centers of excellence to advance research on the role of telehealth in delivering cancer-related health care. The awards are part of NCI’s Telehealth Research Centers of Excellence (TRACE) initiative, supported by the Cancer Moonshot^SM. TRACE is spearheaded by DCCPS’s Dr. Roxanne Jensen and Dr. Robin Vanderpool. Read the press release.

NCI Cancer Currents Blog: FDA Proposes Rule Prohibiting Menthol Cigarettes

A proposed rule prohibiting menthol flavoring by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to make cigarettes less appealing, lower smoking rates, and reduce diseases and deaths caused by cigarette smoking. Tobacco control researchers say the proposed ban could have the greatest impact on youth and African American smokers. Read the blog post.

Cancer Prevention Fellow Jennifer Bowers Interviewed for a Washington Post Piece

Cancer Prevention Fellow Dr. Jennifer Bowers was interviewed in a Washington Post article about suntanning behaviors and inadequate use of sunscreen. Read the article.

NIH Director’s Blog: Climate Change and Health Initiative to Expand Research, Build Resiliency

In recent years, in-depth reports and assessments have provided conclusive evidence that climate change is significantly altering our environment and human health. Although the science of climate change and health has progressed, much work remains. The NIH Climate Change and Health Initiative was developed to expand scientific partnerships and capacity throughout NIH and across the global biomedical and environmental health sciences communities. Greater collaboration will spur new knowledge, interventions, and technologies that help humanity manage the health effects of climate change and strengthen health equity. Read the blog post. Read the initiative.

Recent NIH Progress on Disability Access and Inclusion

In July, the NIH Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity Office commemorated the 32^nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act becoming a law and celebrated Disability Pride Month. Yet we recognize that individuals with disabilities are underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral research enterprise. This blog post discusses some ways the NIH is addressing disability access and inclusion, including a new Advisory Committee to the Director Working Group on Diversity subgroup, the forthcoming NIH Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Strategic Plan, and initiatives led by the NIH Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, under the leadership of its new director Kevin D. Williams, J.D. Read the blog post.

Staffing News

Rachelle Brick, Ph.D., M.S.P.H., OTR/L, is a Cancer Prevention Fellow in the Basic Biobehavioral and Psychological Sciences Branch. Dr. Brick’s research examines the influence of access and delivery of cancer rehabilitation services on cancer survivorship outcomes. She is also interested in examining biological and behavioral factors associated with accelerated aging in cancer survivors. Read her bio.

Samantha (Sam) Cwalina, Ph.D., is a Cancer Research Training Award fellow in the Tobacco Control Research Branch. Dr. Cwalina’s research topics of interest include tobacco product characteristics, tobacco-related health disparities, and mental health among young adult and military populations. Read her bio.

 

Alyssa Harrell, M.A., is a Cancer Research Training Award communications fellow in the Office of the Associate Director. Ms. Harrell’s topics of interest include patient-provider communication, health information seeking behaviors and patient self-advocacy. Read her bio.

 

George Kueppers, Ph.D., is a Cancer Research Training Award fellow in the Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch and the Health Behaviors Research Branch. Dr. Kueppers’ research focuses on the relationships between communication, learning, and behavior. Topics of interest include cancer-related communication-based behavioral interventions, communication emerging cancer risk factors, and public awareness and knowledge about cancer prevention and control. Read his bio.

Larae McCarty is a program specialist supporting the Behavioral Research Program's Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch. Read her bio.

 

 

Jacob Rohde, Ph.D., M.P.H., is a Cancer Prevention Fellow in the Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch. Dr. Rohde’s research predominantly focuses on tobacco control. Other research topics of interest include computational social science, network analysis, and social media. Read his bio.

 

Amanda (Mandy) Small, Ph.D., is a Cancer Research Training Award fellow in the Health Behaviors Research Branch. Dr. Small’s research focuses on the socio-environmental determinants of health through a stress framework. She uses technology and within-person approaches to allow for and investigate the dynamic processes of everyday life as they occur and change. Read her bio.

 

Xiaojing (Romy) Wang, Ph.D., is a Cancer Research Training Award fellow in the Basic Biobehavioral and Psychological Sciences Branch and the Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch. Dr. Wang’s research focuses on using communicative and psychological strategies to promote health equity for underserved populations. Topics of interest include interrelationships among health communication, cultural identity, and mediated technologies. Read her bio.

Scientific Advances

O'Connor SG, Boyd P, Bailey CP, Nebeling L, Reedy J, Czajkowski SM, Shams-White MM. A qualitative exploration of facilitators and barriers of adherence to time-restricted eating. Appetite. 2022 Nov 1;178:106266. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2022.106266. Epub 2022 Aug 5. PMID: 35934114.

Carroll JE, Olmstead R, Haque R, Irwin MR. Accelerated mononuclear cell telomere attrition in breast cancer survivors with depression history: a 2-year longitudinal cohort study. Cancer. 2022 Aug 15;128(16):3109-3119. doi: 10.1002/cncr.34329. Epub 2022 Jun 7. PMID: 35670038.

Pagoto SL, Waring ME, Groshon LC, Rosen AO, Schroeder MW, Goetz JM. Proof-of-concept feasibility trial of a dissonance-based sun safety intervention for young adult tanners. Ann Behav Med. 2022 Aug 2;56(8):830-841. doi: 10.1093/abm/kaab116. PMID: 35179176; PMCID: PMC9345184.

Brown AGM, Shi S, Adas S, Boyington JEA, Cotton PA, Jirles B, Rajapakse N, Reedy J, Regan K, Xi D, Zappalà G, Agurs-Collins T. A decade of nutrition and health disparities research at NIH, 2010-2019. Am J Prev Med. 2022 Aug;63(2):e49-e57. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2022.02.012. Epub 2022 Apr 22. PMID: 35469699; PMCID: PMC9340660.

Pokhrel P, Phillips KT, Tam H, Kawamoto CT, Nakama M, Kaholokula JK. Ethnicity and the mechanisms of point-of-sale e-cigarette marketing's influence on behavior: a longitudinal study. Psychol Addict Behav. 2022 Aug;36(5):452-465. doi: 10.1037/adb0000784. Epub 2021 Sep 27. PMID: 34570528; PMCID: PMC9232211.

Yang B, Massey ZB, Popova L. Effects of modified risk tobacco product claims on consumer comprehension and risk perceptions of IQOS. Tob Control. 2022 Aug;31(e1):e41-e49. doi: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2020-056191. Epub 2021 Mar 9. PMID: 33688084; PMCID: PMC8426425.

Root JC, Zhou X, Ahn J, Small BJ, Zhai W, Bethea T, Carroll JE, Cohen HJ, Dilawari A, Extermann M, Graham D, Isaacs C, Jacobsen PB, Jim H, McDonald BC, Nakamura ZM, Patel SK, Rentscher K, Saykin AJ, Van Dyk K, Mandelblatt JS, Ahles TA. Association of markers of tumor aggressivity and cognition in women with breast cancer before adjuvant treatment: the Thinking and Living with Cancer Study. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2022 Jul;194(2):413-422. doi: 10.1007/s10549-022-06623-2. Epub 2022 May 19. PMID: 35587324; PMCID: PMC9392482.

Melara RD, Ahles TA, Prashad N, Fernbach M, Edelman JA, Root J. Longitudinal effects of breast cancer treatment on neural correlates of attention. Arch Clin Neuropsychol. 2022 Jul 29:acac051. doi: 10.1093/arclin/acac051. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35901461.

Seaman EL, Corcy N, Chang JT, Chomenko D, Hartman AM, Kittner DL, Reyes-Guzman CM. Menthol cigarette smoking trends among United States adults, 2003-2019. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2022 Jul 21:EPI-22-0095. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-22-0095. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35861654.

George SM, Sliwa SA, Cornett KA, Do V, Bremer AA, Berrigan D. Improving active travel to school and its surveillance: an overlooked opportunity in health promotion and chronic disease prevention. Transl Behav Med. 2022 Jul 18;12(7):810-815. doi: 10.1093/tbm/ibac023. PMID: 35665832.

Himbert C, Hathaway CA, Daniels B, Salas K, Ashworth A, Gigic B, Lin T, Viskochil R, Kirchhoff AC, Grossman D, Ose J, Tward J, Scaife C, Figueiredo JC, Toriola AT, Beck A, Shibata D, Gonzalez BD, Matsen C, Christenson C, Ma DS, Colman H, Hunt JP, Jones KB, Lee CJ, Larson M, Onega T, Akerley WL, Li CI, Schneider M, Penedo FJ, Siegel EM, Tworoger SS, Ulrich CM, Peoples AR. Factors associated with changes in exercise behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cancer Causes Control. 2022 Jul;33(7):939-950. doi: 10.1007/s10552-022-01580-z. Epub 2022 May 12. PMID: 35554777; PMCID: PMC9096745.

Im EO, Yi JS, Chee W. A decision tree analysis on the impact of a technology-based program on symptom distress: Asian American breast cancer survivors. Comput Inform Nurs. 2022 Jul 1;40(7):487-496. doi: 10.1097/CIN.0000000000000825. PMID: 34570008; PMCID: PMC8943471.

Loh KP, Watson E, Culakova E, Flannery M, Sohn M, Xu H, Kadambi S, Magnuson A, McHugh C, Sanapala C, Kehoe L, Vogel VG, Burnette BL, Vinciguerra V, Mohile SG, Duberstein PR. Caregiver-oncologist prognostic concordance, caregiving esteem, and caregiver outcomes. J Geriatr Oncol. 2022 Jul;13(6):828-833. doi: 10.1016/j.jgo.2022.02.018. Epub 2022 Mar 8. PMID: 35277372; PMCID: PMC9283218.

Waters EA, Kiviniemi MT, Hay JL, Orom H. Dismissing "don't know" responses to perceived risk survey items threatens the validity of theoretical and empirical behavior-change research. Perspect Psychol Sci. 2022 May;17(3):841-851. doi: 10.1177/17456916211017860. Epub 2021 Nov 23. PMID: 34813719; PMCID: PMC9081103.

Adams MA, Phillips CB, Patel A, Middel A. Training computers to see the built environment related to physical activity: detection of microscale walkability features using computer vision. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Apr 9;19(8):4548. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19084548. PMID: 35457416; PMCID: PMC9028816.

Mollica MA, Smith AW, Tonorezos E, Castro K, Filipski KK, Guida J, Perna F, Green P, Jacobsen PB, Mariotto A, Tesauro G, Gallicchio L. Survivorship for individuals living with advanced and metastatic cancers: National Cancer Institute meeting report. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2022 Apr 11;114(4):489-495. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djab223. PMID: 34878107; PMCID: PMC9002286.

Jose T, Schroeder DR, Warner DO. Changes in cigarette smoking behavior in cancer survivors during diagnosis and treatment. Nicotine Tob Res. 2022 Mar 21:ntac072. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntac072. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35311999.

Schembre SM, Jospe MR, Bedrick EJ, Li L, Brewster AM, Levy E, Dirba DD, Campbell M, Taylor RW, Basen-Engquist KM. Hunger training as a self-regulation strategy in a comprehensive weight loss program for breast cancer prevention: a randomized feasibility study. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2022 Mar 1;15(3):193-201. doi: 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-21-0298. PMID: 34893531; PMCID: PMC8898303.

Blake KD, Gaysynsky A, Mayne RG, Seidenberg AB, Kaufman A, D'Angelo H, Roditis M, Vollinger RE Jr. U.S. public opinion toward policy restrictions to limit tobacco product placement and advertising at point-of-sale and on social media. Prev Med. 2022 Feb;155:106930. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106930. Epub 2021 Dec 24. PMID: 34954242; PMCID: PMC8896313.

Miller CR, Sutanto E, Smith DM, Hitchman SC, Gravely S, Yong HH, Borland R, O'Connor RJ, Cummings KM, Fong GT, Hyland A, Quah ACK, Goniewicz ML. Awareness, trial and use of heated tobacco products among adult cigarette smokers and e-cigarette users: findings from the 2018 ITC Four Country Smoking and Vaping Survey. Tob Control. 2022 Jan;31(1):11-18. doi: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2020-055985. Epub 2020 Sep 29. PMID: 32994299; PMCID: PMC8005508.

Career and Training Opportunities

Communication position in BRP

BRP welcomes letters of interest for a position as a member of the communication team in the Office of the Associate Director. The BRP communication team serves alongside scientists and leadership to promote the program’s mission and disseminate priorities in behavioral research and cancer control. The ideal candidate will have an advanced degree in communication, public health, or related field and 5 or more years’ experience supporting research activities through internal and external communication. Interested applicants should submit a one-page letter of interest and CV by November 1, 2022. Read the position description.

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Health Behaviors Research

As a member of the Health Behaviors Research Branch, the postdoctoral fellow will work collaboratively on various projects to address cancer-related behaviors (e.g., diet and nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol, medication adherence) and associated factors (e.g., genetics, family, environment, culture, policy) to advance behavioral and social science for cancer prevention and control. The branch seeks candidates with a Ph.D. or equivalent degree (or highly qualified Ph.D. candidates), and a strong interest in interdisciplinary behavioral and social science research in cancer prevention and control, particularly in behavioral interventions and clinical trials, multilevel and policy research, implementation and health sciences research, and/or cross-disciplinary areas of behavioral science. Read the position description.

Resources

New NCI Tobacco Control Monograph

Monograph 23—Treating Smoking in Cancer Patients: An Essential Component of Cancer Care—synthesizes the evidence that smoking cessation treatment increases the quit rate for patients who smoke, identifies evidence-based interventions that have the potential to enhance the delivery of smoking cessation treatment in the cancer care setting, discusses special considerations for medically underserved and vulnerable populations, and identifies important research gaps related to these topics. Read the monograph.

Smokefree.gov Supports FDA’s Newly Launched Campaign for Native Americans

The Smokefree.gov Initiative released a new website in support of FDA’s Next Legends campaign to educate American Indian/Alaska Native youth (ages 12-17) about the harms of vaping. The site extends key campaign messaging and provides access to SmokefreeTeen information, behavioral change techniques, and encouragement to assist adolescents in quitting e-cigarettes. Learn more about the campaign.

PATH Study Tables and Figures Now Widely Available

The Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study is a nationally representative, longitudinal cohort study of tobacco. PATH is a collaboration between the NIH and FDA. In March 2022, the first set of widely available PATH Study Data Tables and Figures was released, featuring a series of cross-sectional and longitudinal tables and figures providing national estimates on tobacco use among youth (aged 12-17), young adults (aged 18-24), and adults (aged 25+) using data from Waves 1-5 (2013-2019) of the PATH Study. View the tables and figures available for public use.

Updated HINTS 5, Cycle 4 Data Now Available, and HINTS Brief 49 Released

An updated version of the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 5, Cycle 4 dataset (collected in 2020) is now available for download on the HINTS website. The latest HINTS Brief examines changes in awareness of human papillomavirus (HPV) and HPV vaccines among US adults since 2008. Download HINTS data. View HINTS Brief 49.

NCI Community Outreach and Engagement Case Studies Now Available

The FY20 Community Outreach and Engagement case studies are now available online to read, download, and share. The purpose of collating case studies from the 23 NCI-designated Cancer Centers is to share best practices within and among the larger cancer center community. Read the case studies.

New Features Added to Catchment Areas of NCI-Designated Cancer Centers Visualization Tool

NCI developed a web-based visual tool to assist researchers in understanding the geographically defined catchment areas of the 71 NCI-designated Cancer Centers. Recently, NCI added new features to the tool, including demographic variables and 5-year cancer mortality rates. Explore the tool.

NCI FY 2024 Annual Plan and Budget

NCI recently released the FY 2024 NCI Annual Plan and Budget Proposal, which highlights several of the Institute’s scientific priorities, the funding needed to deliver research progress, and stories of people at the heart of cancer research. The featured scientific priorities include persistent poverty, multi-cancer detection tests, cell therapy, and “undruggable” targets. Read the plan.

NCI Cancer Trends Progress Report

The latest NCI Cancer Trends Progress Report, continually updated since its first issue in 2001, has recently been released. The online report, intended for policy makers, researchers, and public health professionals, summarizes US advances against cancer in relation to Healthy People targets. It includes key measures of progress along the cancer control continuum and uses national trend data to illustrate where improvements have been made. Access the report.

NCI Releases Latest SEER Data and Statistics

Since the early 1970s, the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program has been an invaluable resource for statistics on cancer in the United States, tracking and reporting trends in incidence, mortality, survival, and prevalence. NCI released SEER’s latest data (November 2021 data submission), which includes 1975-2019 SEER Incidence Data and updates to Cancer Stat Facts, SEER* Explorer and Cancer Query Systems. New mortality statistics data, including deaths through 2020, are also available in SEER* Explorer. View the SEER website.

CCT Launches New Tool to Help Researchers

The Center for Cancer Training (CCT) supports NCI's goal of training cancer researchers for the 21^st century. To contribute to NCI’s goal, CCT launched a new online tool to help researchers find funding opportunities for cancer training based on their career stage. This tool facilitates decision-making by optimizing and speeding the current search process. View the tool.

Awards and Recognitions

BRP Program Specialist Ms. Kimberly Woodhouse received the Hubert H. Humphrey Award for Service to America award for her work in support of The Office of Refugee Resettlement mission during 2021. The US Department of Health and Human Services has recognized her work to support both Operation Artemis and Operation Allies Welcome.

 

BRP Branch Chief Dr. Paige Green joined the journal Health Psychology® as an Associate Editor. Health Psychology® is the official scientific journal of the Society for Health Psychology (Division 38 of the American Psychological Association).

 

BRP Cancer Prevention Fellow Dr. Naomi Greene received a 2022 Junior Leadership Award from the LGBT Health Workforce Conference.

 

 

BRP Grantee Dr. Adam Leventhal received the American Psychological Foundation Gold Medal for Impact in Psychology. This award is in recognition of his significant contributions to the body of research on youth tobacco use and vaping, which has led to policy decisions responsive to an urgent social problem in the form of the US FDA decisions to prohibit sales of flavored e-cigarette products that attract youth.

Dr. Pebbles Fagan has been named associate director for Cancer Prevention and Control for the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Dr. Fagan is a former Program Director in the BRP Tobacco Control Research Branch with expertise in tobacco-related health disparities. During her NCI tenure, Dr. Fagan co-led the NCI Tobacco Research Network on Disparities (TReND), an initiative to eliminate tobacco related disparities through transdisciplinary research that advances the science, translates that scientific knowledge into practice, and informs public policy. Read more.

Dr. Jasmin A. Tiro has been named associate director of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences at the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Tiro’s research focuses on cancer care delivery, identifying multilevel determinants of cancer prevention and early detection behaviors, and developing interventions to improve health outcome interventions for underserved patients seen by urban safety-net health care systems. Dr. Tiro was a NCI Cancer Prevention Fellow in the Behavioral Research Program from 2005 to 2008. Read more.

Dr. Simon Craddock Lee, a former NCI Cancer Prevention Fellow, was recently named chair and Sosland Family Professor in Preventive Medicine in the Department of Population Health in the School of Medicine at the University of Kansas. Dr. Lee currently serves on the steering committee of the NCI Consortium for Cancer Implementation Science and the central institutional review board for the NCI Community Oncology Research Program. Read more.

Events

November 1-2 – 2022 NCI Cohort Consortium

The virtual meeting will convene consortium researchers to discuss emerging science, scientific progress of consortium projects and groups, gaps and opportunities for collaboration across studies, and ideas for new scientific projects in the consortium. Learn more and register.

November 7 – Associations between aging biomarkers and cancer risk and outcomes: findings from the Women’s Health Initiative and the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort

Dr. Jeanine Genkinger and Dr. Zhaoming Wang will present data on aging biomarkers and their associations with cancer risk and outcomes. Learn more and register.

November 8 – Pre-Application Webinar, Advancing Adolescent Tobacco Cessation Intervention Research

NIH program staff will provide prospective applicants with an overview of the funding opportunities, Advancing Adolescent Tobacco Cessation Intervention Research (RFA-CA-22-042 and RFA-CA-22-043)—including specific application requirements—and will be available to address general questions. Learn more and register.

November 14-15 – Workshop on Housing and Obesity: Gaps, Opportunities, and Future Directions for Advancing Health Equity

This multi-agency-sponsored workshop will explore the role of housing insecurity in obesity-related health disparities, the evidence base for housing-related interventions to address obesity disparities, and future directions to advance health equity for all. Learn more and register by November 9.

November 17 - Toward equity in cancer pain management for medically underserved pediatric and AYA populations

Two clinical experts and a research advocate will address challenges in the assessment and management of pain during and following cancer treatment in children, adolescents, and young adults. Learn more and register.

December 11-14 – 15^th Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation in Health

Co-sponsors NIH and AcademyHealth will host the 15^th Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation in Health as an in-person event in Washington, DC, in mid-December. This year’s theme is (Re)Building Better Systems: Being Proactive, Nimble, and Responsive. Learn more.