We are interested in understanding why it is difficult for people to stop smoking. If you are interested in participating in our studies please contact us!
Research in the lab is characterized by an interdisciplinary approach that integrates theory and methods from traditional behavioral addiction research with those derived from the affective, cognitive and social neurosciences (e.g., functional magnetic resonance imaging). Thematically, our work is organized around three interrelated questions. First, what are the neurobiological and psychological mechanisms underlying relapse in those trying to quit smoking? Second, how do certain individual differences (e.g., sex, personality traits) make people more or less successful at quitting smoking? Third, what are the best strategies to teach people to make them more successful when trying to quit smoking?
Most people who smoke cigarettes report that they would like to stop, but very few people who make such an attempt are successful. This is a very important issue, as cigarette smoking remains one of the leading preventable causes of death in the world. The overarching mission of the Smoking Research Lab is to advance our understanding of why it is so hard for people to quit using cigarettes and, in turn, to devise ways to use this information to advance the treatment of smoking.
