The Tobacco Use Research Center started with a few small studies back in the early 1980’s. Early studies at the university of Minnesota helped to characterize physical dependence on nicotine and the nicotine withdrawal syndrome. Some of our early treatment studies examined the effectiveness of nicotine gum and the nicotine patch.
The Tobacco Use Research Center has been awarded over 20 grants from the National institutes on Drug Abuse, National Cancer Institute, Robert Wood Johnson foundation, Minnesota Partnership action against tobacco, University of Minnesota Academic Health Center. The Tobacco Use Research Center has also participated in over 18 clinical trials sponsored by pharmaceutical companies using nicotine replacement or new medications.
Dorothy Hatsukami, Ph.D. is the founding Director of this center. She is internationally recognized for her expertise in tobacco dependence and the health effects of tobacco use. The Tobacco Use Research Center has faculty from multiple disciplines: Medicine, Family Practice, Psychiatry, Cancer Center, Pharmacology, Psychology, Epidemiology, and Public Health.