Faculty & Staff

Susan K. Peterson, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair ad interim
Director of the Assessment, Intervention and Measurement (AIM) Core

Research Interests: genetic counseling and testing for hereditary cancers, adherence to prevention and early detection recommendations, e-health and mobile health technology

Isabel Marcella Estudillo
Sr. Administrative Assistant to Dr. Peterson
Email: imestudi@mdanderson.org        
Work: 713-745-5008

Diane Beneventi, Ph.D.
Associate Professor

Research Interests: delivery of fully integrated, evidence-based tobacco treatment to populations within the community that smoke at significantly higher rates, utilizing a Quitline platform

Janice A. Blalock, Ph.D.
Professor
Fellowship Program Director, Clinical Psychology

Research Interests: developing smoking cessation interventions for smokers with comorbid psychiatric and medical disorders

Maggie Britton, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Co-Principal Investigator of the Tobacco Health Equity and Cancer Prevention Science Laboratory

Research Interests: social determinants of health, tobacco health equity, tobacco control and intervention in the workplace and implementation science

Carrie Cameron, Ph.D.
Associate Professor

Research Interests: the relationship between communication skills, identity development and career trajectory of STEM researchers

Paul Cinciripini, Ph.D.
Professor

Research Interests: smoking cessation, nicotine psychopharmacology, neurobiology of addiction, clinical trials, genetics and pharmacogenetics

Yong Cui, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

Research Interests: identifying cognitive and affective mechanisms in smoking and its intervention, leveraging novel technologies, especially mobile health (mHealth) to develop non-pharmacological treatments for nicotine dependence

Maher A. Karam-Hage, M.D.
Professor
Medical Director, Tobacco Treatment Program

Research Interests: addiction, focused on the specific areas of tobacco, alcohol and comorbid disorders

George Kypriotakis, Ph.D.
Associate Professor

Research Interests: cancer survivorship, addiction, social effects, statistics and genetics

Isabel Martinez Leal, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Co-Principal Investigator of the Tobacco Health Equity and Cancer Prevention Science Laboratory

Kathrin Milbury, Ph.D.
Professor

Research Interests: designing and evaluating dyadic behavioral interventions to improve the quality of life of cancer patients, survivors, and their loved ones

Jennifer A. Minnix, Ph.D.
Associate Professor

Research Interests: cognitive and affective correlates of addiction and co-morbid disorders

Jane R. Montealegre, Ph.D.
Associate Professor

Research Interests: cancer screening and prevention, with a focus on cervical and other HPV-associated cancers, among underserved populations and in low-resource settings

Lorraine R. Reitzel, Ph.D., F.A.A.H.B., F.S.R.N.T.
Professor
Director of the Tobacco Health Equity and Cancer Prevention Science Laboratory

Research Interests: social determinants, tobacco health equity, implementation science, minoritized and marginalized groups, workplace interventions and research mentorship

Jason D. Robinson, Ph.D., 
Professor
Executive Director, Tobacco Research and Treatment Program (TRTP)

Research Interests: neurobehavioral mechanisms underlying nicotine dependence and withdrawal and translating this knowledge to assist those wishing to quit smoking

Eileen Huh Shinn, Ph.D.
Associate Professor

Research Interests: health behaviors and health outcomes, coping with cancer treatment and prevention of late-term effects, stress-mediated cancer outcomes, and dissemination of efficacious screening and diagnostic technologies in cancer

Francesco Versace, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Director, Behavioral Research and Treatment Center (BRTC)

Research Interests: brain imaging techniques (fMRI, ERPs) to identify the neuropsychological mechanisms that increase individuals' vulnerability to behavioral dysregulation (smoking and overeating)

Lorenzo Cohen, Ph.D.
Professor, Integrative Medicine Research

Research Interests: integrative medicine, biobehavioral effects of psychosocial interventions, incorporation of complementary programs (such as meditation, stress management, emotional writing, yoga and tai chi/qigong) with conventional treatment

Charles Green, Ph.D.
Visiting Associate Professor

Seokhun Kim, Ph.D.
Visiting Research Collaborator