Ongoing and Recent Research

Mindfulness-based Smoking Cessation Enhanced with Mobile Technology for Low-Income Smokers (iQuit Mindfully)

• • Our team developed a text messaging program, "iQuit Mindfully," to teach mindfulness and provide 24/7 support for quitting smoking among low-income adults. Funded by the National Cancer Institute, this R01 project (PI Dr. Claire Spears) will evaluate iQuit Mindfully and examine mechanisms underlying mindfulness-based treatment. 

Mindfulness-Based Addiction Treatment Delivered through Mobile Technology for Low-Income Smokers (iQuit Mindfully 2.0)

• • This project is developing, refining and evaluating the feasibility of fully delivering mindfulness-based smoking cessation treatment through a smartphone app (iQuit Mindfully 2.0) that is specifically designed for low-income smokers (R34 funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, PI Dr. Claire Spears). 

Sympatho-inhibition with Mindfulness in Chronic Kidney Disease 

• • This project is testing the sustained effects of an adapted mindfulness intervention on sympathetic nervous system function and blood pressure profiles in chronic kidney disease patients (R61/R33 funded by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, PI Dr. Jeannie Park at Emory University, GSU Site PI Dr. Claire Spears). 

Does Community Engagement Promote Health Equity by Increasing Recruitment and Retention of Racially and Ethnically Diverse Samples?  

• • This project is conducting analysis of NIH-funded studies to identify associations between level of community involvement and study process outcomes relevant to health equity (funded by the Augusta University and Georgia State University Seed Award Program for Collaborative Clinical & Translational Science, MPIs Dr. Claire Spears and Dr. Christy Ledford of the Medical College of Georgia)

Southern Urban Research for Growth and Equity (SURGE)   

• • This project creates the infrastructure to recruit and retain a prospective longitudinal cohort of Atlanta adults to examine policies and factors that affect urban health within the southeastern US. It is funded by a Georgia State University RISE (Research Innovation and Scholarly Excellence) award and led by Dr. Lucy Popova.

Cultural Adaptation and Evaluation of mHealth Interventions for Smoking Cessation in China and Vietnam 

• • This project aims to develop and evaluate culturally appropriate mHealth interventions (including mindfulness) for smoking cessation in China and Vietnam (R01 funded by the Fogarty International Center, MPIs Dr. Michael Eriksen and Dr. Jidong Huang, Co-investigator Dr. Claire Spears, in collaboration with Fudan University in Shanghai, China and Hanoi University of Public Health in Vietnam).

Establishing Smoke-Free Homes with Families Involved in Child Protective Services: An Effectiveness-Implementation Trial of an Integrated Program 

• • This project evaluates the integration of smoke-free home interventions with child maltreatment prevention (R01 funded by the National Cancer Institute, MPIs Dr. Shannon Self-Brown [GSU] and Dr. Michelle Kegler at Emory University)

Environmental and Sanitation Improvements with mHealth 

• • This project is using community based participatory research strategies to develop an mHealth application to improve sanitation interventions in Brazil (R21/R33 funded by the Fogarty International Center (NIH), MPIs Dr. Christine Stauber [GSU] and Dr. Federico Costa at Universidade Federal da Bahia)

Pilot Evaluation of a Mobile Health Intervention for Smoking Cessation in Rural and Urban Georgia 

• • Funded by the Augusta University and Georgia State University Seed Award Program for Collaborative Clinical and Translational Research, this project is evaluating iQuit Mindfully in both rural and urban Georgia (PIs Dr. Claire Spears and Dr. Martha Tingen). 

Formative Evaluation of Blood Pressure Self-Management Text Messaging Program for African Americans

• • Funded by the Augusta University and Georgia State University Seed Award Program for Collaborative Clinical and Translational Research, this project is examining the feasibility of a blood pressure self-management mHealth program among African Americans with hypertension.  (PIs Dr. Haidong Zhu and Dr. Dawn Aycock). 

Novel Tobacco Product Use among Low-Income Smokers: A Mixed-Methods Study with Ecological Momentary Assessment 

• • By combining ecological momentary assessment and in-depth qualitative interviews, this study aims to elucidate how novel tobacco products (e.g., e-cigarettes) are perceived and used among low-income smokers. This study was funded by a GSU Research Initiation Grant (PI Dr. Claire Spears). 

Stress and Stress Management for Adult Learners in Literacy Programs 

• • This project aims to adapt mindfulness-based interventions for improving stress management and learning outcomes among adults with low literacy. This project was funded by the GSU Adult Literacy Research Center (Co-PIs Dr. Ken Rice, Dr. Claire Spears, Dr. Daphne Greenberg, and Dr. Sarah Carlson)