Fostering Short-Term Smoking Cessation to Help Quit for Good
Official title: A Mechanistic Test of Treatment Strategies to Foster Practice Quitting
Funded at Rush University Medical Center · NIH-11391055 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A program tests a new way to help people who smoke try abstaining for a few hours or days, with the goal of making quitting more likely over time.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rush University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $492,663 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL160656-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11391055 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults who smoke and are not ready to quit immediately, including those with anxiety disorders or chronic illness who want to reduce tobacco use.
✕Less likely to help
People who are ready and eager to quit now may not experience additional benefit from a practice-quitting approach.
What this research studies
This project explores a different approach to quitting smoking by encouraging people to practice abstaining for short periods, even if they aren’t ready to quit permanently. It will study how this “practice quitting” works and what mechanisms help people move toward longer-term cessation. The study uses real-world treatment strategies that could be added to existing tobacco programs to help a broader group of smokers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to more flexible quitting strategies that fit people at different stages of readiness, potentially lowering smoking rates and associated health risks.
How similar studies have gone: There is growing evidence that short-term abstinence strategies can lead to longer quit attempts, but the exact mechanisms are still being explored.
Where this research is happening
-
Rush University Medical Center
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mathew, Amanda R — Rush University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Mathew, Amanda R
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.