Nikki L. Nollen, B.S., M.A., Ph.D.

Professional Background

Dr. Nicole Nollen is a Professor in the Department of Population Health at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, co-leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control program within the University of Kansas Cancer Center (KUCC), and PI of the KL2 training program within Frontiers Clinical and Translational Science Institute.

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.

• PhD, Univ. of Missouri-Kansas City
• MA, Ball State Univ.
• BS, Iowa State Univ.
• Post Doctoral Fellowship, K30 Research Fellowship, University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC), Kansas City, KS

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Research

Overview

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 eliminating tobacco-related health disparities in low income and racial/ethnic minority communities by evaluating promising behavioral and pharmacotherapy treatments for racial/ethnic minority adult smokers interested in quitting and examining novel electronic nicotine delivery products for adult smokers unwilling or unable to quit combustible cigarettes.

Current relevant projects as PI will generate important evidence on the short- and long-term impact of e-cigarettes on health in adult combustible smokers who switch (R01 MD018123); the efficacy of varenicline in helping dual users quit combustible cigarettes (R01 MD018123); the impact of menthol flavoring in helping adults in the US who smoke menthol cigarettes switch to e-cigarettes (R01 DA055999); and 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 105 peer-reviewed publications and many important contributions to the field, including generating the first-known data on nicotine salt-based electronic cigarettes as an effective harm reduction strategy Black and Latinx adult smokers who are not ready to quit smoking combustible cigarettes, informing the FDA’s proposed ban on menthol cigarettes, informing clinical practice for treating Black adults in the US who are non-daily or light daily smokers, and helping elucidate the role of nicotine metabolism, tobacco use, and cessation specific to Black adults in the US who smoke.

• 4th generation e-cigarettes in African American smokers: Reducing harm and quitting combustible cigarettes in dual users, NIH, PI
• Improving smoking abstinence outcomes in African American community through extended treatment , National Institutes of Health , Co-PI

• Pulvers, K, Nollen, N., L, Rice, M, Schmid, C., H, Qu, K, Benowitz, N., L, Ahluwalia, J., S. 2020. Effect of Pod e-Cigarettes vs Cigarettes on Carcinogen Exposure Among African American and Latinx Smokers: A Randomized Clinical Trial.. JAMA network open, 3 (11), e2026324
• Nollen, N., L, Mayo, M., S, Cox, L., S, Benowitz, N., L, Tyndale, R., F, Ellerbeck, E., F, Scheuermann, T., S, Ahluwalia, J., S. 2019. Factors that Explain Differences in Abstinence between Black and White Smokers: A Prospective Intervention Study.. Journal of the National Cancer Institute
• Nollen, N., L, Mayo, M., S, Saint Onge, J., M, Scheuermann, T., S, Cox, L., S, Chae, D, Leavens, E, Ahluwalia, J., S. 2021. The effect of area-level disadvantage and race on smoking abstinence in a clinical trial.. Experimental and clinical psychopharmacology
• Arnold, M., J, Nollen, N., L, Mayo, M., S, Ahluwalia, J., S, Leavens, E., L, Zhang, G, Rice, M, Pulvers, K. 2021. 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.. Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco
• Leavens ELS, Nollen, N., L, Ahluwalia, J., S, Mayo, M., S, Rice, M, Brett, E., I, Pulvers, K. 2021. Changes in dependence, withdrawal, and craving among adult smokers who switch to nicotine salt pod-based e-cigarettes.. Addiction (Abingdon, England)
• Nollen, N., L, Ahluwalia, J., S, Sanderson Cox, L, Okuyemi, K, Lawrence, D, Samuels, L, Benowitz, N., L. 2021. Assessment of Racial Differences in Pharmacotherapy Efficacy for Smoking Cessation: Secondary Analysis of the EAGLES Randomized Clinical Trial.. JAMA network open, 4 (1), e2032053
• Nollen, N., L, Cox, L., S, Mayo, M., S, Ellerbeck, E., F, Arnold, M., J, Salzman, G, Shanks, D, Woodward, J, Greiner, K., A, Ahluwalia, J., S. 2022. Protocol from a randomized clinical trial of multiple pharmacotherapy adaptations based on treatment response in African Americans who smoke.. Contemporary clinical trials communications, 30, 101032
• Nollen , NL, Leaven, ELS, Ahluwalia , JS, Rice, M, Mayo, MS, Pulvers, K. 2022. Menthol versus non-menthol flavoring and switching to e-cigarettes in black and Latinx adult menthol combustible cigarette smokers: secondary analyses from a randomized clinical trial.
• Cox, L., S, Nollen, N., L, Mayo, 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, 327 (22), 2201-2209
• Santiago-Torres, M, Mull, K., E, Sullivan, B., M, Kwon, D, Nollen, N., L, Zvolensky, M., J, Bricker, J., B. 2022. Efficacy and utilization of an acceptance and commitment therapy-based smartphone application for smoking cessation among Black adults: secondary analysis of the iCanQuit randomized trial.. Addiction (Abingdon, England), 117 (3), 760-771