Nicole Nollen, B.S., M.A., Ph.D.

Dr. Nicole Nollen is a Professor in the Department of Population Health at the University of Kansas School of Medicine and co-leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control program within the University of Kansas Cancer Center (KUCC).

Dr. Nollen received her PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Missouri at Kansas City and was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at the University of Kansas School of Medicine before joining the faculty. Her career is focused on understanding social and behavioral determinants of health and health behaviors among vulnerable populations. Dr. Nollen has maintained a continuous stream of funding in this area since 2002.

The long-term goal of Dr. Nollen’s research is to reduce tobacco-related morbidity and mortality for low income and racial/ethnic minority populations. Her specific research interests are in evaluating promising behavioral and pharmacotherapy treatments for nicotine addiction, as well as examining psychosocial and biological mechanisms underlying tobacco use and treatment outcomes.

Current projects include an ongoing NIH-funded electronic cigarette switching study to monitor changes in health outcomes among African American smokers who switch from cigarettes to electronic cigarettes (SC3 GM122628), a intervention study to examine disparities in quitting between African American and White smokers (Quit2Live) (R01DA031815), an ongoing PCORI-funded randomized trial that is the first treatment study for African American non-daily smokers (Quit2Live2) (AD-1310-08709), and a novel adaptive therapy randomized trial to examine if changing pharmacotherapy when it is not working leads to better treatment outcomes for African American smokers compared to continuing with a single pharmacotherapy throughout the duration of treatment (Quit2Live3) (DA-046576).

Findings from this work have resulting in over 70 publications that have made important contributions to the field. Our work has impacted clinical practice guidelines for treating light and non-daily smokers, highlighted the important role of nicotine metabolism phenotype and genotype on tobacco use and cessation in patterns African American smokers, informed the FDA on decisions regarding menthol cigarettes as a threat to public health, and provided some of the first data on electronic cigarettes as an effective harm reduction strategy for adult smokers who are not ready to quit smoking combustible cigarettes.

A randomized clinical trial of counseling and nicotine replacement therapy for treatment of African American non-daily smokers: Design, accrual, and baseline characteristics.

Analyses of nicotine metabolism biomarker genetics stratified by sex in African and European Americans.

Assessment of Racial Differences in Pharmacotherapy Efficacy for Smoking Cessation: Secondary Analysis of the EAGLES Randomized Clinical Trial.

Changes in dependence, withdrawal, and craving among adult smokers who switch to nicotine salt pod-based e-cigarettes.

Effect of Pod e-Cigarettes vs Cigarettes on Carcinogen Exposure Among African American and Latinx Smokers: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Factors that Explain Differences in Abstinence between Black and White Smokers: A Prospective Intervention Study.

Harm reduction associated with dual use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes in Black and Latino smokers: Secondary analyses from a randomized controlled e-cigarette switching trial.

Impact of early nausea on varenicline adherence and smoking cessation.

"It is the One Thing that has Worked": facilitators and barriers to switching to nicotine salt pod system e-cigarettes among African American and Latinx people who smoke: a content analysis.

The effect of area-level disadvantage and race on smoking abstinence in a clinical trial.

Advancing Tobacco Use Treatment for African American Smokers

Cancer Center Support Grant- Addressing African American Cancer Disparities through a Community Health Educator

Individualizing Pharmacotherapy: A Novel Optimization Strategy to Increase Smoking Cessation in the African American Community

Informing Tobacco-Treatment Guidelines for African American Non-Daily Smokers

Understanding Disparities in Quitting in African American and White Smokers