Lisa Fucito, PhD

I am an expert in tobacco and hazardous alcohol use, other modifiable lifestyle risk behaviors (i.e., deficient sleep, and physical inactivity), and digital health technology. My research focuses on: 1) better understanding and predicting these risks; 2) phenotyping risk variability within individuals; 3) developing novel lifestyle interventions that are tailored to these unique risk profiles; and 4) implementing lifestyle risk behavior/mental health screening and intervention in clinical settings. I utilize various technologies including biosensors, smartphones, telehealth, and electronic health record tools to monitor these behaviors, derive integrated biometric feedback, deliver interventions, and improve healthcare. In addition, I am interested in digitally-derived endpoints as alternative endpoints for clinical trials.

In a separate and distinct line of research, I study the effects of different tobacco products and their constituents in adults to inform the regulation of tobacco products by the FDA.

I also direct the Tobacco Treatment Service at Smilow Cancer Hospital and teach/mentor graduate students, residents, fellows, and junior faculty in addiction, behavioral medicine, health technology, and clinical research.

Current studies include:

(1) Observational Study: phenotyping heavy drinking and alcohol use disorder risk in young adults using advances in web-based neuropsychological assessment, smartphone sensing technology, machine learning and statistical modeling (n=350)

(2) RCT: evaluating effects of e-cigarettes vs. oral nicotine pouches and their constituents (menthol flavor, nicotine concentration) on cigarette smoking in adults (N=256)

(3) RCT: testing a personalized sleep/cardiovascular wellness feedback intervention using the OuraRing and smartphone diaries for young adults who drink heavily (n=60)