Babalola Faseru, MB.ChB (MD Equivalent), MPH

Professional Background

Dr. Babalola Faseru is an Associate Professor with joint appointments in the Department of Population Health and Family Medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) and Consultant Medical Epidemiologist at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). He received his Medical Degree from Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria, and obtained his Master of Public Health from the University of Kuopio (Eastern Finland) in Finland with a Cancer Research Fellowship award from the WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France. He worked as a researcher at the Environmental Epidemiology Division of the National Public Health Institute in Finland before his appointment at KUMC where he did a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Nicotine Dependence and Smoking Cessation and another NIH K30 Fellowship in Clinical Epidemiology before his faculty appointment. He is a full member of the University of Kansas Cancer Center and the Director of the Tobacco Treatment Education program at the University of Kansas that has trained over 250 tobacco treatment specialists for Kansas within the past 6 years. He has served as a Faculty Advisor to over 40 KU medical students posted to 15 countries on international health electives. He received Excellence in Public Health Teaching awards in 2011, 2014, and 2022; and he was 2018 and 2019 University of Kansas Black History Month Honoree. He was featured in the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) Member spotlight in 2019 for his impact in tobacco-related health disparities research. Dr. Faseru has served on the Executive Board of Association for Multidisciplinary Education and Research in Substance use and Addiction (AMERSA) as Member-at-Large and Treasurer, and he has served on the Program Committees of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) World Conferences and the Annual Meetings of the SRNT, SBM and AMERSA. He was a section head of the SRNT Global Certification Program Curriculum Review Board. He currently serves as a member of the Kansas Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant Advisory Committee, Kansas Cancer Partnership steering committee and the Tobacco Free Kansas Coalition board. He serves on NIH study sections, Council for Tobacco Treatment Training Programs (CTTTP) and National Certification Commission for Addiction Professionals Nicotine Dependence Specialist Task Force. He is the Lead Section Editor of the Epidemiology and Prevention Section of the Seventh Edition of the ASAM Principles of Addiction Medicine and he Chairs the Education subcommittee for the IASLC Tobacco Control and Smoking Cessation Committee. He is on the editorial board of Contemporary Clinical Trials and the Deputy Editor in Chief of Substance Abuse Journal.

• MBChB, Medicine and Surgery, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
• MPH, Public Health, University of Kuopio (University of Eastern Finland), Kuopio, Finland
• Clinical Fellowship, Clinical Epidemiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas
• Post Doctoral Fellowship, Nicotine Dependence and Smoking Cessation, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas
• Post Doctoral Fellowship, Cancer Research, WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Lyon, France
• Residency, Community Medicine, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria

• Association for the Treatment of Tobacco Use and Dependence (ATTUD), Member, 2014 - Present
• Association for Multidisciplinary Education and Research in Substance use and Addiction (AMERSA), Member, 2008 - Present
• Kansas Public Health Association (KPHA), Member, 2007 - Present
• International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), Member, 2006 - Present
• Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM), Member, 2005 - Present
• Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT), Member, 2004 - Present
• International Epidemiological Association, Member, 2003 - Present

Research

Overview

Dr. Faseru’s research is focused on cancer prevention and control with special emphasis on tobacco dependence and smoking cessation among underserved populations. He has been a Principal investigator and Co-investigator on multiple National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, private foundation grants and state contracts aimed at reducing tobacco-related health disparities affecting underserved populations. These include NIH clinical trials among African Americans, American Indians and hospitalized patients; National Cancer Institute P30 supplement for population health assessment in the University of Kansas cancer center catchment area; Kansas Health Foundation (KHF) grants to increase capacity for tobacco dependence treatment in behavioral health settings in Kansas and multiple contracts from Kansas Department of Health Environment and Kansas Department of Education.

• Medical Epidemiology Consultation and Support (State Contract), Kansas Department of Health and Environment, PI
• Urban and Reservation Implementation of All Nations Breath of Life to Improve Smoking Cessation Rates among American Indians, NIH National Cancer Institute (R01), Co-I

• Richter, Kimber., P, Catley, Delwyn, Gajewski, Byron., J, Faseru, Babalola, Shireman, Theresa., I, Zhang, Chuanwu, Scheuermann, Taneisha., S, Mussulman, Laura., M, Nazir, Niaman, Hutcheson, Tresza, Shergina, Elena, Ellerbeck, Edward., F. 2023. The Effects of Opt Out versus Opt In Tobacco Treatment on Engagement, Cessation, and Costs: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Internal Medicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36848129/
• Leavens, Eleanor., LS, Roberts, Jordan, Faseru, Babalola, Thompson, Mark, Denes-Collar, Karin, Shah, Hina. 2023. Development and Implementation of the ECHO Model in a School Setting to Address Youth Electronic Cigarette use in Kansas: A Protocol. Front Public Health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9879567/
• Faseru, B, Fagan, P, Okuyemi, K. 2022. Additional Benefits of Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle After Quitting Smoking. JAMA Network Open. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2796620
• Sanderson Cox, L, Nollen, N., L, Mayor, M., S, Faseru, B, Greiner, A, Ellerbeck, E., F, Krebill, R, Tyndale, R., F, Benowitz, N., L, Ahluwalia, J., S. 2022. Effect of Varenicline Added to Counseling on Smoking Cessation Among African American Daily Smokers: The Kick It at Swope IV Randomized Clinical Trial . JAMA. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35699705/
• Faseru., B., Mussulman., L.M., Nazir., N., Ellerbeck., E.F., Shergina., E., Scheuermann., T.S., Gajewski., B.J., Catley., D., Richter., K.P.. 2022. Use of Pre-Enrollment Randomization and Delayed Consent to Maximize Participation in a Clinical Trial of Opt-In versus Opt-Out Tobacco Treatment. Substance Abuse Journal. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35435813/
• Jensen., J. D., Shannon., J., Iachan., R., Deng., Y., Kim., S.J., Demark-Wahnefried., W. , Faseru., B., Paskett., E.D., Hu., J., Vanderpool., R.C., Lazovich., D., Mendoza., J.A., Shete., S., Robertson., L.B., Balkrishnan., R., Briant., K.J., Haaland., B., Haggstrom., D.A., Fuemmeler., B.F.. 2022. Examining Rural-Urban Differences in Fatalism and Information Overload: Data from Twelve NCI-designated Cancer Centers. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35091459/
• Shete, S, Deng, Y, Shannon, J, Faseru, B, Middleton, D, Iachan, R, Bernardo, B, Balkrishnan, R, Kim, S., J, Huang, B, Millar, M., M, Fuemmler, B, Jensen, J., D, Mendoza, J., A, Hu, J, Lazovich, D, Robertson, L, Demark-Wahnefried, W, Paskett, E., D. 2021. Differences in Breast and Colorectal Cancer Screening Adherence Among Women Residing in Urban and Rural Communities in the United States.. JAMA Network Open, 4 (10), e2128000. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34605915/
• Dai, H, Ramos, A., K, Faseru, B, Hill, J., L, Sussman, S., Y. 2021. Racial Disparities of E-Cigarette Use Among US Youths: 2014‒2019.. American Journal of Public Health, 111 (11), 2050-2058. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34554815/
• Daley, C., M, Lewis, C, Nazir, N, Daley, S., M, Goeckner, R, Hale, J, Gunville, J, Faseru, B, Greiner, K., A, Choi, W., S. 2021. Pilot Testing All Nations Snuff Out Smokeless (ANSOS): A Culturally Tailored Smokeless Tobacco Cessation Program for American Indians.. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 32 (4), 2154-2166. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34803065/
• Hale, J., W, Lewis, C, Niaman, N, Daley, S., M, Goeckner , R, Gunville, J, Faseru, B, Greiner, K., A, Choi, W., S, Daley, C., M. 2020. One-Time Education Sessions to Help American Indian Smokeless Tobacco Users Quit. J Community Health, 45 (3), 526-533. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31773565/