MARVEL: Understanding Vaping Risks for Teens
Official title: MARVEL: A Multidisciplinary Assessment of Risks from Vaping during Early Life
Funded at Wake Forest University Health Sciences · NIH-11326312 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A program to understand how vaping affects teens and to create messages that help reduce vaping among adolescents.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wake Forest University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Winston-Salem, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,893,034 |
| NIH project number | 5P01CA269048-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11326312 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Teens and young adults aged 12–20 who vape or are at risk of starting to vape.
✕Less likely to help
Teens who do not vape and have no interest in prevention messaging may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
Project MARVEL takes a comprehensive look at vaping among 12- to 20-year-olds, studying how nicotine-containing vapors relate to dependence and health. It combines analyses of behavior, biology, and brain development to map how vaping changes adolescents over time. The work includes testing prevention messages designed to reduce vaping in real-world settings. The initiative is organized into four interrelated projects, all backed by a Biostatistics Core and other translational resources.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could lead to better prevention messages and targeted interventions that reduce teen vaping and its health impacts.
How similar studies have gone: Past work shows rising teen vaping and a need for improved prevention, with some evidence that tailored messages help reduce risky behaviors.
Where this research is happening
-
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Winston-Salem, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sutfin, Erin L — Wake Forest University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Sutfin, Erin L
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Flavor rules and youth smoking/vaping: what happens when flavors are restricted
A nationwide study will look at how banning or limiting flavored tobacco products affects how often adults and youth smoke or vape.
-
Vaping cessation for teens using Kick-Nic! and a CBT app
A Youth-focused program tests a CBT-based smartphone app and a virtual in-person CBT to help teens quit vaping.
-
Social media groups help teens quit vaping
A teen-focused program on Instagram direct message groups aims to help adolescents stop using e-cigarettes.
-
Parents Helping Parents: A Two-Arm Trial to Help Teens Quit Vaping
A two-arm trial tests a parent-supported approach to help youths aged 15–18 quit vaping.
-
How vaping prevention ads affect teens and young adults
A nationwide project looks at which vaping-prevention video ads work best for teens and young adults and how they might reduce vaping when shown online.
-
Motivation-based teen vaping profile to guide quitting help
Aims to understand why adolescents vape and use that knowledge to tailor stopping tools that fit teens.
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.