Columbia County Mental Health Center
Psychiatric Nurse and Tobacco Treatment Counselor
Topics of Expertise:
Tobacco cessation in the mentally ill, integrating tobacco treatment in behavioral health, motivational interviewing, and
smoking cessation and substance abuse disorders.
Location: Hudson, NY
Education: 1983, RN – Columbia Memorial Hospital School of Nursing
Rosanne (Rose) Aulino is a psychiatric/community mental health nurse at the Columbia County Mental Health Center. She is a former critical care nurse and lifetime advocate for smoking cessation, and has formally treated clients for tobacco cessation since completing the UMass Worcester Curriculum for Tobacco Cessation Specialists in 2016. She is a member of the Association for the Treatment of Tobacco Use and Dependence (ATTUD).
Ms. Aulino works closely with Tobacco-Free Action of Columbia-Greene Counties and Health Systems for a Tobacco-Free New York (through St. Peter’s Health Partners). She is currently working on a Cohort Management Initiative (CMI) project of Tobacco & E-cigarette Use and Cessation in conjunction with Better Health Northeastern NY (BHNNY) CMI program. Ms. Aulino maintains a social media presence under the moniker “Nicotine Ninja RN.”
* Member of the Quitline’s Healthcare Professional Task Force *
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Associate Professor of Oncology, Department of Health Behavior
Topics of Expertise:
Tobacco/ENDS* product marketing,
tobacco/ENDS regulation,
tobacco/ENDS health warnings, and
consumer perceptions of tobacco/ENDS products.
*ENDS = electronic nicotine delivery systems
Location: Buffalo, NY
Education: 2006, PhD, Epidemiology and Community Health – State University of New York at Buffalo
2006, MS, Epidemiology – State University of New York at Buffalo
Dr. Maansi Bansal-Travers directs the Health Communications Testing Lab at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. The Lab focuses on testing cigarette and ENDS pack design variations, print messages, television ads, and retail marketing using Web surveys, focus groups, and eye-tracking methodology to help produce the most salient and effective health communications campaigns.
Dr. Bansal-Travers’ research interests include exploring areas of misperceptions held by tobacco users about package design, warning labels, product characteristics, and the health effects of smoking and using ENDS. She also works to design and evaluate materials to correct these misperceptions and promote behavior change. Beyond her many ongoing research studies at Roswell Park, Dr. Bansal-Travers serves on the Tobacco Control Advisory Board for the New York State Department of Health.
To connect with Dr. Bansal-Travers, please contact us.
Patricia Bax, RN, MS, NCTTP
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Marketing and Outreach Coordinator, New York State Quitline
Topics of Expertise:
Tobacco control policy,
state and private quitlines,
health plan and patient referral programs, and
tobacco cessation marketing and education.
Location: Buffalo, NY
Education: BS, Nursing – Niagara University
MS, Counselor Education – Canisius College
Patricia Bax has nearly four decades of experience in healthcare and
joined the New York State Quitline in 2004. She was a longtime Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor
(CASAC) and maintains her license as a Registered Professional Nurse. Throughout her career, Patricia has presented and written
on various health and behavioral topics. Patricia is a trusted expert on tobacco cessation partner outreach and recently received
an appointment to North American Quitline Consortium’s (NAQC) Advisory Council, a leadership group
of tobacco cessation industry experts which provide advice and guidance on strategic program issues to NAQC members and staff. The
Advisory Council also participates in NAQC’s strategic discussions
about new nicotine products, new delivery models, practices to better serve priority populations, and the future of quitlines.
Stony Brook University School of Medicine
Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Stony Brook Children's Hospital Attending Physician
Topics of Expertise:
Effects of smoking on youth and newborns,
tobacco control policy,
patient referral programs, such as Opt-to-Quit™, and
ENDS-use/vaping among adolescents.
Location: Stony Brook, NY
Education: 2002, MD – Stony Brook University School of Medicine
Dr. Rachel Boykan is a pediatric hospitalist and Associate Pediatric Residency Director for the Stony Brook Pediatric Residency Program. In 2012, she spearheaded a partnership between Stony Brook Children’s Hospital and the New York State Quitline Opt-to-Quit™ Program – the first implementation of this electronic referral program at a children’s hospital.
Dr. Boykan also works closely with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to address smoking exposure in children and use of electronic cigarettes in teenagers. Since 2014, she has served as a member of AAP’s Tobacco Consortium, and; since 2018, she has served as the Education and Membership Chair of the AAP Section on Tobacco Control.
* Member of the Quitline’s Healthcare Professional Task Force *
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Client Relations and Outreach Director, New York State Quitline
Topics of Expertise:
State and private quitlines,
health communications,
tobacco cessation marketing and education,
health plan and patient referral programs, and
tobacco control policy.
Location: Buffalo, NY
Paula Celestino has a career in tobacco control spanning more than 30 years. She was a member of the team that established the New York State Quitline in 2000 and served as its director for 17 years. Her knowledge and expertise include quitline operations, the provision of cessation counseling and medications, web-based/digital communications, patient and health plan referral programs, public health campaigns and promotions, tobacco control policy advocacy, and the coordination and implementation of cancer screening prevention programs. Paula also contributes to quitline-related research and is a co-author for multiple publications. She is an original member of the North American Quitline Consortium (NAQC) and currently serves on its Advisory Council and as chair for its Board of Directors.
University of Rochester Medical Center
Assistant Professor, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
Topics of Expertise:
Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS),
new tobacco products,
respiratory issues with smoking and air pollution, and
occupational and environmental lung disease.
Location: Rochester, NY
Education: 2011, MPH – Indiana University Department of Public Health
2011, MD – Indiana University Medical Center
Dr. Daniel Croft
focuses on occupational lung disease and conducts research on the health effects of both indoor and outdoor air pollution. Accordingly, he is invested in helping patients quit smoking and also studies the effects of inhaled toxins.
In collaboration with experts in public health sciences, Dr. Croft aims to better connect patients with smoking cessation resources. Furthermore, he studies the effects of
electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) on health through a variety of educational and formal research activities, including as an investigator in the Western New York
Center for Research on Flavored Tobacco Products (CRoFT).
* Member of the Quitline’s Healthcare Professional Task Force *
Adjunct Associate Professor and Assistant Dean for Inclusive Excellence, University at Buffalo (UB) School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences
Pharmacist Consultant, UB School of Dental Medicine
Topics of Expertise:
Pharmacist interventions for smoking cessation, Training dental students on quit-strategies, Nicotine replacement therapy recommendations, and Gauging patient readiness to quit smoking.
Location: Buffalo, NY
Education:
2010, PharmD – University of Florida (cum laude)
1992, B.Sc.Pharm – University of Manitoba
Dr. Kalpesh (Kal) Desai
is a pharmacist by training and occupation; however, for nearly a decade, he continues to educate dental students on best practices in tobacco cessation. In conjunction with the associate dean for the University at Buffalo (UB) School of Dental Medicine, Kal and a pharmacist colleague developed a formal smoking cessation program as part of the education curriculum for dental students and faculty. They also added prompts for available nicotine replacement therapy medication options into electronic health records to encourage the writing of prescriptions. Prior to joining UB, Kal initially began his career as a pharmacy store manager at Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada and later became a longtime pharmacist for a local hospital. No matter where Kal has traveled, one passion remained constant: the desire to help patients quit use of tobacco products.
* Member of the Quitline’s Healthcare Professional Task Force *
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Professor of Oncology, Department of Health Behavior
Director of Shared Resource,
NicoTAR
Topics of Expertise:
Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS),
new tobacco products,
effects of new tobacco regulations, and
the interaction of alcohol and smoking.
Location: Buffalo, NY
Education: 2007, PhD – Medical University of Silesia, Poland
2002, PharmD – Medical University of Silesia, Poland
Dr. Maciej Goniewicz’s primary research area is in nicotine pharmacology, with a focus on nicotine dependence and smoking cessation. He has research experience in smoking cessation behavioral treatment, pharmacotherapy, and pharmacokinetics in both clinical and community-based settings. His findings are internationally recognized and he regularly appears in news coverage for major outlets such as CNN, The New York Times, and CBC News.
Dr. Goniewicz’s current research is focused on new nicotine-containing products and alternative forms of tobacco. He examines safety and efficacy of ENDS, including the laboratory evaluation of the products, pharmacological and toxicological assessment, surveys among their users, and their potential application in harm reduction and smoking cessation. He also evaluates implementation of new tobacco control laws and role of community pharmacists in smoking cessation.
NYS Office of Mental Health:
Hutchings Psychiatric Center
Director of Operations
Outpatient and Residential Services
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
Topics of Expertise:
Pharmacological interventions for smoking cessation,
cognitive behavioral therapy for smoking cessation, and
policy creation for smoke-free facilities in NYS.
Location: Syracuse, NY
Education: 2016, DNP – SUNY Upstate College of Nursing
2010, MS (Nursing, Psychiatric NP) – Stony Book University
Dr. Christine Harrington
is a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner with 10 years of smoking cessation experience. She is an advocate for tobacco control, and has assisted healthcare professionals in a variety of settings to find resources for treating tobacco-using patients.
Dr. Harrington continues to be involved with many community smoking cessation teams as well as numerous tobacco-free committees at different facilities throughout New York State.
* Member of the Quitline’s Healthcare Professional Task Force *
To connect with Dr. Harrington, please contact us.
Andrew Hyland, PhD
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Chair, Department of Health Behavior
Division of Cancer Prevention & Population Sciences
Topics of Expertise:
Evaluation of tobacco policies, cancer and tobacco surveillance, biostatistical support, and
treating priority populations.
Location: Buffalo, NY
Education: 1998, PhD, Epidemiology and Community Health – State University of New York at Buffalo
1994, MA, Statistics – State University of New York at Buffalo
Dr. Andrew Hyland
has more than 25 years of experience conducting tobacco control research and is widely recognized internationally for his expertise. He directs the New York State Quitline and maintains contracts with the New York State Department of Health to work with community and clinical stakeholders to advance their tobacco control work plan. Dr. Hyland serves as the Scientific Leader of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study, which is supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to study more than 46,000 adults and children nationally over a 14-year period to understand changes in tobacco use behaviors and health. He also is a co-investigator for the International Tobacco Control Study, tracking cohorts of tobacco users in 29 countries to evaluate tobacco control policies.
Erie County Medical Center, Department of Dentistry
Attending Dentist
SUNY at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine
Clinical Assistant Professor
Topics of Expertise:
Motivating dental patients to become tobacco-free,
oral lesions as a result of smoking,
educating dental teams, and
tobacco cessation medications.
Location: Buffalo, NY
Education: 2013, DDS – SUNY at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine
2008, MS – Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Dr. Elizabeth Kapral is a hospital dentist at Erie County Medical Center and a part-time Clincal Assistant Professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine. She has researched tobacco use among dental patients since 2006, in conjunction with the New York State Quitline.
Dr. Kapral’s overarching goals are to motivate more patients to quit tobacco use and to educate dental team members to feel confident in doing the same.
* Member of the Quitline’s Healthcare Professional Task Force *
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Medical Director, Undiagnosed Cancer Clinic
Medical Director, New York State Quitline
Topics of Expertise:
Pharmacotherapy for tobacco cessation,
early detection of lung cancer, and
electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS)
Location: Buffalo, NY
Education:
MD – Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo
PhD – State University of New York at Buffalo
Dr. Martin Mahoney serves as the medical director for the New York State Quitline. He has played key roles in the design, successful implementation, and analyses of multiple smoking cessation clinical trials involving a variety of pharmacotherapies and interventions including: nicotine-free cigarettes, St. John’s Wort, bupropion, a nicotine conjugate vaccine, liquid nicotine delivery systems, nicotine replacement, and varenicline.
Together with fellow researchers, Dr. Mahoney continues to investigate new methods of treating tobacco dependence, including studying consumer perception of electronic nicotine delivery systems and evaluating the efficacy of novel approaches to pharmacotherapy.
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Professor of Oncology, Department of Health Behavior
Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, Cancer Pathology and Prevention
Topics of Expertise:
Tobacco use patterns and addiction,
flavored tobacco products and toxicity levels,
tobacco products and consumer behavior, and
effective communication about tobacco products.
Location: Buffalo, NY
Education: 2004, PhD, Biobehavioral Health – Pennsylvania State University
1999, BA, Psychology – George Washington University
Dr. Richard O’Connor has authored more than 200 scientific papers on topics related to tobacco control. His program of research focuses on building the evidence base for tobacco regulatory science, with a particular focus on product-user interactions. He is a co-investigator on the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project (ITC) and a project director on the NCI-funded Consortium on Methods for Evaluating Tobacco (COMET).
The Tobacco Research Laboratory, which Dr. O’Connor directs, works to characterize popular products sold on the international market in terms of physical and design features. This research provides greater insight into user-product interactions which may affect addiction and/or health outcomes. The laboratory also houses the International Tobacco Product Repository,
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Director of Training, Development, and Support, New York State Quitline
Topics of Expertise:
Impact of flavored/menthol tobacco products, Overcoming nicotine addiction, Motivational interviewing, Tobacco Treatment Specialist training
Location: Buffalo, NY
Education:
2004, MS, Rehabilitation Counseling – SUNY at Buffalo
Sarah Pearson-Collins
is the clinical team lead for the NY Quitline and brings 25 years of experience spanning health service, training integration, counseling, social work, addiction support, and rehabilitation therapies. She oversees the clinical implementation of all protocols, develops training, implements the clinical portion of the Quality Improvement Plan, and provides supplemental training for support staff, including a course on tobacco-related disparities for the Tobacco Treatment Specialist Training Program at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Sarah also provides a voice and expertise in her local community on matters of health equity and disparities, especially the harms of menthol cigarettes on African American communities. She also co-owns an organization called Race Card LLC, which serves to facilitate candid conversations about race, disparities, and discrimination.
To connect with Ms. Pearson-Collins, please contact us.
Amanda Quisenberry, PhD
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Assistant Professor of Oncology, Department of Health Behavior
Topics of Expertise:
Tobacco addiction and impulsivity, behavioral economics, tobacco regulatory science, and new tobacco products and experimental psychology.
Location: Buffalo, NY
Education: 2013, PhD, Behavioral Pharmacology – Western Michigan University
2007, MS, Experimental Psychology – Western Illinois University
Dr. Amanda Quisenberry studies tobacco regulatory science to prospectively evaluate the effects of tobacco policy on consumption in individuals who use tobacco products. As an addiction scientist trained in psychology, she specializes in using behavioral economics to identify mechanisms of change as cancer prevention efforts. Dr. Quisenberry is particularly interested in discovering the interventions – including policy and treatment – that decrease impulsivity and valuation of drugs, specifically tobacco. Through these investigations, her research provides insight into the societal and individual mechanisms of tobacco use which can be used to decrease risky behavior that causes many types of cancer. Currently, Dr. Quisenberry is conducting a clinical trial to determine if a ban on menthol cigarettes and/or flavored e-cigarettes will lead to smoking cessation and/or harm reduction.
To connect with Dr. Quisenberry, please contact us.
Sara Siddiqui, MD, FAAP, DipABOM, IBCLC
Pediatrician, Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at New York University (NYU) Langone Health Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Topics of Expertise:
Smoking/vaping and effects on children, Tailored cessation for youth and young adults, Electronic nicotine delivery systems and flavors, and New tobacco products.
Location: Huntington, NY
Education:
1996, MD – Stony Brook University
1994, BS, Pre-Medical Studies – The City College of New York
Dr. Sara Siddiqui, MD, FAAP, DipABOM, IBCLC,
is a clinical assistant professor in the department
of pediatrics at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and also treats patients at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital
at NYU Langone on Long Island. She is a passionate advocate for greater education of electronic nicotine delivery
systems (ENDS) among school educators and parents, and volunteers her time with PAVe (Parents Against Vaping
e-cigarettes). To deepen her expertise and further her advocacy efforts, Sara became an active member of the
New York State Chapter 2 for the American Academy of Pediatrics. The national organization recognized her as
an E-Cigarette Chapter Champion for 2021-2022. Sara firmly believes in helping adolescents learn how to quit
smoking or vaping, especially in place of disciplinary action.
* Member of the Quitline’s Healthcare Professional Task Force *
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Associate Professor of Oncology Council of Tobacco Treatment Training Programs
Executive Director
Topics of Expertise:
Tobacco Treatment Specialist training,
health behavior change,
transcranial magnetic stimulation, and
methods for increasing prospective thinking.
Location: Buffalo, NY
Education: 2002, PhD, Psychology – Jackson State University
1997, MA, Psychology – University of West Florida
Dr. Sheffer
is a licensed clinical psychologist and leading researcher of biobehavioral
mechanisms and treatments to improve health behaviors. Her expertise extends to implementing tobacco treatment services in a variety
of healthcare settings. Her long-term goal is to increase the efficacy and uptake of evidence-based treatment for tobacco use and other
risky behaviors. Dr. Sheffer is the director of the Roswell Park Tobacco Treatment Service and serves as president for the
Council for Tobacco Treatment Training Programs,
the international accrediting body for tobacco treatment specialist training programs. She also is a member of the American Lung Association’s
Scientific and Medical Editorial Review Panel.
New York University School of Medicine
Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine
Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine
Topics of Expertise:
Medications for smoking cessation,
electronic cigarettes and vaping,
motivational intervewing, and
education, outreach, primary care/clinical medicine.
Location: New York, NY
Education: MD – University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Dr. Susan Urban is a board-certified internist who focuses on smoking cessation, electronic cigarettes, and motivational interviewing. She is especially interested in the education of physicians and healthcare professionals at all stages of training, as well as outreach to members of the wider community.
Dr. Urban currently collaborates with the New York Chapter of the American College of Physicians (NYACP), the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM), and other organizations for educational activities. She recently presented webinars on medications for smoking cessation (through NYACP) and electronic cigarettes (through a consortium of NYACP, SGIM, and NYC Health + Hospitals).
* Member of the Quitline’s Healthcare Professional Task Force *
Hours of operation
Mon-Thurs 9AM-9PM, Fri-Sun 9AM-5PM. Chat and text support may vary from the hours above based on request volume and coach availability.
For immediate support, please call during operational hours.
People who identify as Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or Speech Impaired
Please call the NY Relay Service at 7-1-1 (Voice or TTY), and provide the operator with the Quitline number
1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487).
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