Behavioral Epidemiology and Pharmacology (BEP) Laboratory

• PhD, Behavior, Cognition, and Neuroscience (Psychology), American University
• BS, Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park
• Postdoctoral Fellowship, Drug Dependence Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
• Postdoctoral Fellowship, Behavioral Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center

Sociopharmacology

Substance use is driven by a variety of factors, from "cells to society." Dr. Harrell's laboratory investigates a wide spectrum of these factors, from human behavioral pharmacology to cognition, affect, and sociocultural influences. Current research focuses on tobacco use and how to address e-cigarette use ("vaping"). Projects include examination of beliefs ("expectancies") about vaping as well as real-time laboratory assessment of responses to smoking and vaping.

A Risk-Tailored Approach to Connecting Youth with Vaping Prevention and Cessation Resources  (2021-2024)

Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth

PI: Paul Harrell, PhD

This grant addresses adolescent vaping concerns by developing, disseminating, and evaluating a risk-tiered decision tree and resource connection system to improve outcomes for vaping prevention and cessation for adolescents in the community.

Effects of Nicotine Salt Aerosol on Cigarette Smokers (2019-2020)

Center for the Study of Tobacco Products (CSTP) Pilot Grants Program

PI: Paul Harrell, PhD

This grant compares the effects of cigarette smoking, protonated nicotine ("salt") aerosol, and unprotonated nicotine aerosol on nicotine delivery, nicotine craving and other outcomes in cigarette smokers.

A Social Ecological Approach to Alternative Tobacco Education (2018-2021)

Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth

Role: Co-Investigator

PI: Kelli England, PhD

This grant uses a community-engaged research process to understand what information is currently being used in local community settings related to Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (ENDS) education for teens, to what degree that information is evidence-based, and if the information being used for education is engaging and effective with teens.

Smoking Cessation Self-Help for Dual Users of Tobacco Cigarettes and E-cigarettes (2015-2020)

National Institute on Drug Abuse - R01DA037961

Role: Co-Investigator April-July, 2015, changed to Consultant Role due to new institutional affiliation

PI: Thomas Brandon, PhD

This project develops and tests a self-help intervention to assist dual users to quit tobacco smoking and e-cigarette use. My role in this project is in questionnaire development and analyses of mechanisms of change.

Marijuana Use and Marijuana Possession Arrests: Have Changes in Marijuana Policy affected Disparities between Blacks and Whites? (2018-2020)

National Institute on Drug Abuse - NIDA R03DA046757

Role: Co-Investigator

PI: Andrew Plunk, PhD

This grant compares states that have implemented a marijuana policy to a "synthetic control": state constructed from outcomes and covariates from states without a policy to determine if legalization and decriminalization policies have led to reductions in adolescent arrests, if there are differences based on race or sex, and whether differences in marijuana use at the state level account for arrest disparities.

Assessing the Impact of Smoke-free Public Housing on Smoking Behavior, Environmental Tobacco Smoke, Third-hand Smoke, Other Tobacco Use, and Smoking Related Disparities (2016-2019)

Housing and Urban Development Healthy Homes Research Program

Role: Co-Investigator

PI: Andrew Plunk, PhD

This grant examines smoking behaviors and environmental outcomes among public housing communities before and after mandated smoke-free public housing.

Adolescent Beliefs about E-cigarettes: Measure Development to Understand and Reduce Youth Initiation (2016-2018)

Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth

PI: Paul Harrell, PhD

This grant expands on the NIH R03 (see below) to adapt and test a measure of beliefs about the effects of using e-cigarettes ("e-cigarette expectancies") for adolescents.

Measure Development for Prediction of E-cigarette Initiation (2015-2018)

National Cancer Institute - NCI R03CA195124

PI: Paul Harrell, PhD

This grant received a perfect score (10) on its second submission and received a (delayed) funding offer from FDA/NCI from its first submission. This project uses qualitative and quantitative methods to develop an expectancy measure for e-cigarettes. This involves focus groups among young adults, qualitative analysis using a constant comparative framework, input from an expert panel using the Delphi method, survey administration, and data analysis using Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Item Response Theory.

Ongoing grant funding:
A Risk-Tailored Approach to Connecting Youth with Vaping Prevention and Cessation Resources 2021-2024
Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth
Role: Principal Investigator
Total funds: $450,000; Direct costs: $411,873; Indirect costs: $38,127
This grant addresses adolescent vaping concerns by developing, disseminating, and evaluating a risk-tiered decision tree and resource connection system to improve outcomes for vaping prevention and cessation for adolescents in the community.

Completed grant funding:
Smoking Cessation Self-Help for Dual Users of Tobacco Cigarettes and E-cigarettes 2015-2022
National Institute on Drug Abuse - R01DA037961
Role: Co-Investigator since April 2015, changed to Consultant Role in July 2015 due to new institutional affiliation
PI: Thomas Brandon, Ph.D.
Total funds: $3,581,119; Direct costs: $2,165,103; Indirect costs: $1,498,510
This project develops and tested a self-help intervention to assist dual users to quit tobacco smoking and e-cigarette use. My role in this project was in questionnaire development and analyses of mechanisms of change.

Effects of Nicotine Salt Aerosol on Cigarette Smokers 2019-2021
Center for the Study of Tobacco Products (CSTP, U54DA036105)
Pilot Grants Program Subaward No. FP00006477_SA007
Role: Principal Investigator
Total funds: $45,000; Direct costs: $30,000 Indirect costs: $15,000
This grant compared the effects of cigarette smoking, protonated nicotine (“salt”) aerosol, and unprotonated nicotine aerosol on nicotine delivery, nicotine craving, and other outcomes in cigarette smokers. Due to COVID-19, project was switched to online format assessing tobacco user attitudes regarding nicotine salts.

A Social Ecological Approach to Alternative Tobacco Education 2018-2021
Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth
Role: Co-Principal Investigator
PI: Kelli England, Ph.D.
Total funds: $450,000; Direct costs: $412,671; Indirect costs: $37,329
This grant uses a community-engaged research process to understand what information is currently being used in local community settings related to Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (ENDS) education for teens, to what degree that information is evidence-based, and if the information being used for education is engaging and effective with teens.

Assessing the Impact of Smoke-free Public Housing on Smoking Behavior, Environmental Tobacco Smoke, Third-hand Smoke, Other Tobacco Use, and Smoking Related Disparities 2016-2019
Housing and Urban Development Healthy Homes Research Program
Role: Co-Principal Investigator
PI: Andrew Plunk, Ph.D.
Total funds: $502,592; Direct costs: $338,533; Indirect costs: $166,059
This grant examines smoking behaviors and environmental outcomes among public housing communities before and after mandated smoke-free public housing.

Marijuana Use and Marijuana Possession Arrests: Have Changes in Marijuana Policy affected Disparities between Blacks and Whites? 2018-2019
National Institute on Drug Abuse - NIDA R03DA046757
Role: Co-Investigator
PI: Andrew Plunk, Ph.D.
Total funds: $162,922; Direct costs: $110,318; Indirect costs: $52,604
This grant compares states that have implemented a marijuana policy to a “synthetic control” state constructed from outcomes and covariates from states without a policy to determine if legalization and decriminalization policies have led to reductions in adolescent arrests, if there are differences based on race or sex, and whether differences in marijuana use at the state level account for arrest disparities.

Adolescent Beliefs about E-cigarettes: Measure Development to Understand and Reduce Youth Initiation 2016-2018
Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth
Role: Principal Investigator
Total funds: $29,963 Direct costs
This grant expands on the NIH R03 (see below) to adapt and test a measure of beliefs about the effects of using e-cigarettes (“e-cigarette expectancies”) for adolescents.

Measure Development for Prediction of E-cigarette Initiation 2015-2018
National Cancer Institute - NCI R03CA195124
Role: Principal Investigator
Total funds: $166,378; Direct costs: $126,999; Indirect costs: $56,661
This grant received a perfect score (10) on its second submission and received a (delayed) funding offer from FDA/NCI from its first submission. This project used qualitative and quantitative methods to develop an expectancy measure for e-cigarettes. This involved focus groups among young adults, qualitative analysis using a constant comparative framework, input from an expert panel using the Delphi method, survey administration, and data analysis using Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Item Response Theory.

1. Selected Peer-reviewed Journal Articles (out of 50+):
   * indicates student author
   
   1. Brockenberry, L.O.*, Braitman, A.L. & Harrell, P.T. (2022, May). Emotion dysregulation, transdiagnostic vulnerabilities, and e-cigarette expectancies in a young adult sample. Addictive Behaviors, 128, 107253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107253 PMID: 35085950, PMCID: PMC8820465.
   
   2. Sutton, S.K., Brandon, K.O., Harrell, P.T., Martinez, U., Simmons, V.N., Gore, L.R., Bullen, C.R., & Brandon, T.H. (2022). Identifying prospective subpopulations of combustible and electronic cigarette dual users in the United States via finite mixture modeling. Addiction. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.15906 PMID: 35491736.

   3. Massey, Z.B.*, Brockenberry, L.O.*, Murray, T.E.*, & Harrell, P.T. (2021, July). Dripping technology use among young adult e-cigarette users. Tobacco Use Insights, 14, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1177/1179173X211035448 PMID: 34377042, PMCID: PMC8327010.
   
   4. Ursula, M., Simmons, V.N., Sutton, S.K., Drobes, D.J., Meltzer, L.R., Brandon, K.O., Bryne, M.M., Harrell, P.T., Eissenberg, T.E., Bullen, C.R., & Brandon, T.H. (2021, July). Smoking cessation for dual users of combustible and electronic cigarettes: A randomized controlled trial. Lancet Public Health, 6(7), e500-e509. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(20)30307-8 PMID: 34175001, PMCID: PMC8281505.
   
   5. England, K.J., Harrell, P.T., Edwards, A.L., Paulson, A.C., Plunk, A.D., Herman, M.C., Yilmaz, B., & Mondejar, K.A. (2021, March). Development of a Risk Behavior Diagnosis Scale for E-cigarette use. American Journal of Health Behavior, 45(2), 342-351. https://doi.org/10.5993/AJHB.45.2.13 PMID: 33888194.
   
   6. England, K.J., Edwards, A.L., Paulson, A.C., Libby, E.P., Harrell, P.T., & Mondejar, K.A. (2021, February). Rethink Vape: Development and evaluation of a risk communication campaign to prevent youth E-cigarette use. Addictive Behaviors, 113, 106664. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106664 PMID: 33038677.
   
   7. Meltzer, L.R., Simmons, V.N., Piñeiro, B., Drobes, D.J., Quinn, G.P., Meade, C.D., Brandon, K.O., Palmer, A., Unrod, M., Harrell, P.T., Bullen, C.R., Eissenberg, T., & Brandon, T.H. (2021, February). Development of a self-help cessation intervention for dual users of tobacco cigarettes and e-cigarettes. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18, 2328. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18052328 PMID: 33673413. PMCID: PMC7956571.
   
   8. Massey, Z.B.*, Brockenberry, L.O.*, & Harrell, P.T. (2021, January). Vaping, smartphones, and social media use among young adults: Snapchat is the platform of choice for young adult vapers. Addictive Behaviors, 112, 106576. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106576 PMID: 32768796; PMCID: PMC7572840.
   
   9. Martinez, U., Martinez-Loredo, V., Simmons, V.N, Meltzer, L.R., Drobes, D.J., Brandon, K.O., Palmer, A.M., Eissenberg, T., Bullen, C.R., Harrell, P.T., & Brandon, T.H. (2020). How does smoking and nicotine dependence change after onset of vaping? A retrospective analysis of dual users. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 22(5), 764-770. https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntz043 PMID: 30883640. PMCID: PMC7171272.
   
   10. Soule, E., Plunk, A.D., Harrell, P.T., Hayes, R., & Edwards, K.C. (2020). Longitudinal analysis of associations between reasons for electronic cigarette use and change in smoking status among adults in the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 22(5), 663-671. https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntz005 PMID: 30698815. PMCID: PMC7171285.
   
   11. Harrell, P.T., Brandon, T.H., England, K.J., Barnett, T.E., Brockenberry, L.O.*, Simmons, V.N., & Quinn, G.P. (2019). Vaping expectancies: A qualitative study among young adult non-users, smokers, vapers, and dual users. Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment, 13, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1178221819866210 PMID: 31456638. PMCID: PMC6702779.
   
   12. Brandon, K. O., Simmons, V. N., Meltzer, L. R., Drobes, D. J., Martínez, Ú., Sutton, S.K., Palmer, A. M., Bullen, C. R., Harrell, P. T., & Brandon, T. H. (2019). Vaping Characteristics and Expectancies are Associated with Smoking Cessation Propensity among Dual Users. Addiction, 114(5), 896-906.https://doi.org/10.1111/add.14551 PMID: 30644627. PMCID: PMC6629519.
   
   13. Juliano, L.M., Kardel, P.G., Harrell, P.T., Meunch, C., &. Edwards, K.C. (2019). Investigating the role of expectancy in caffeine withdrawal using the balanced placebo design. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, 34, e2692. https://doi.org/10.1002/hup.2692 PMID: 30861208.
   
   14. Plunk, A.D., Peglow, S.L., Harrell, P.T., & Grucza, R.A. (2019) Youth and adult cannabis possession arrests following cannabis decriminalization and legalization. JAMA Pediatrics, 173(8):763-769. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.1539 PMID: 31206147. PMCID: PMC6580444.
   
   15. Harrell, P.T., & Eissenberg, T.E. (2018). Automated dripping devices for vapers: RDTA’s, bottomfeeders, squonk mods, and dripboxes. Tobacco Control, 27(4):480-482. PMID: 28735274. PMCID: PMC5826899.
   
   16. Fowler, C.D., Gipson, C.D., Kleykamp, A., Rupprecht, L.E., Harrell, P.T., Rees, V.W., Gould, T.J., Oliver, J., Bagdas, D., Damaj, M.I., Schmidt, H., Duncan, A., & De Biasi, M. (2018). Basic science and public policy: Informed regulation for nicotine and tobacco products. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 20(7), 789-799. PMID: 29065200. PMCID: PMC5991436. Paper received 2018 Best Paper Award from Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT).
   
   17. Harrell, P.T., Naqvi, S.M.H., Plunk, A.D., Ji, M., & Martins, S.S. (2017). Patterns of youth tobacco and polytobacco usage: The shift to alternative tobacco products. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 43(6), 694-702. PMID: 27668320. PMCID: PMC5440212.