Benjamin Toll, PhD
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About
Biography
Dr. Benjamin Toll is a licensed clinical psychologist and a Professor, Adjunct in the Department of Psychiatry. He specializes in clinical research on the treatment of tobacco use disorders, alcohol use disorders, and improvement of health behaviors.
Dr. Toll has received grants from the National Institutes of Health, including multiple R01 grants from the National Cancer Institute, and he is an author of over 130 peer-reviewed publications relating to nicotine and tobacco research, including several clinical trials published in first tier medical (e.g., Journal of the National Cancer Institute) and psychology journals (e.g., Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology) and clinical practice guidelines and policy statements from international medical societies. He has served as an author for the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) on a policy statement encouraging physicians to provide tobacco treatment for cancer patients, the American College of Chest Physician (ACCP) treatment guidelines for smoking cessation among lung cancer patients, and the American Thoracic Society's (ATS) clinical practice guideline for treatment of tobacco dependent adults. He also holds leadership positions in national associations relating to tobacco treatment research. Dr. Toll is a past Board Member for the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT), and a current member of the AACR Tobacco and Cancer Subcommittee.
Dr. Toll’s NCI funded research has focused on testing novel smoking cessation treatments and he has conducted numerous clinical trials in this regard. Many of his studies have investigated promotion of smoking cessation through novel message framing and motivational interventions, including those delivered via telephone and in person. Dr. Toll has tested several pharmacological and counseling interventions, and he also has expertise in the measurement of tobacco use and tobacco related syndromes (e.g., withdrawal, craving), and mediators and moderators of response to treatment. He has served as a reviewer for numerous peer-reviewed publications, including the Surgeon General’s Report (The Health Consequences of Smoking: 50 Years of Progress, Chapter: Cigarette Smoking and Adverse Health Outcomes in Cancer Patients and Survivors).
Education & Training
- PhD
- Nova Southeastern University (2002)
- MS
- Nova Southeastern University (1999)
- BA
- Cornell University (1996)
Research
Overview
Dr. Toll’s primary research interest involves developing novel psychosocial and pharmacological treatments for tobacco use disorders. Current studies focus on message framing to promote smoking cessation. He has been working with the New York State Smokers' Quitline on studies testing gain-framed counseling (e.g., if you quit smoking you will live longer) and mediators and moderators of responses to gain-framed counseling. He has also been working on studies of naltrexone for minimization of post smoking cessation weight gain. In addition, Dr. Toll is involved in several studies of psychometrics, assessment, and methodological issues with addictive behaviors.
- “Promoting Tobacco and Cancer Control: Message Framing for Telephone Quitline Callers” This project will be a secondary analysis of our New York State Smokers’ Quitline data.
- “Smoking Cessation to Improve Survival Rates of Head and Neck Cancer Patients” This project is an 8-week, open label clinical trial comparing smoking cessation treatment with varenicline 2 mg to nicotine patch 21 mg in a sample of 30 patients who completed treatment for head and neck cancer.
Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
Global Health; Psychiatry; Smoking Cessation
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Benjamin Toll's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Benjamin Toll's research output by year.
Research Interests
Research topics Benjamin Toll is interested in exploring.
Lisa Fucito, PhD
Marney A. White, PhD, MS
Peter Salovey, PhD
Robert Makuch, PhD
Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD
Sherry McKee, PhD
16Publications
454Citations
Smoking Cessation
Publications
2024
Implementation of an “opt-out” tobacco treatment program in six hospitals in South Carolina
Cummings K, Talbot V, Roberson A, Bliss A, Likins E, Brownstein N, Stansell S, Adams-Ludd D, Harris B, Louder D, McCutcheon E, Zebian R, Rojewski A, Toll B. Implementation of an “opt-out” tobacco treatment program in six hospitals in South Carolina. BMC Health Services Research 2024, 24: 741. PMID: 38886764, PMCID: PMC11184783, DOI: 10.1186/s12913-024-11205-7.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsPost-discharge follow-up callsTobacco treatment programFollow-up callsEnhance careBasic careSmoking statusConsultation visitTobacco treatment specialistStop Smoking ServicesStop smoking medicationsAssess smoking statusResultsSmoking prevalenceSmoking ServicesMedical University of South CarolinaSmoking medicationsIntervention groupQuit ratesTreatment deliveryTreatment specialistsSurveyed patientsDaily smokersHigh caseloadsUniversity of South CarolinaHospital dischargeSouth CarolinaDevelopment of an Electronic Health Record Self-Referral Tool for Lung Cancer Screening: One-Group Posttest Study
Stang G, Tanner N, Hatch A, Godbolt J, Toll B, Rojewski A. Development of an Electronic Health Record Self-Referral Tool for Lung Cancer Screening: One-Group Posttest Study. JMIR Formative Research 2024, 8: e53159. PMID: 38865702, PMCID: PMC11208829, DOI: 10.2196/53159.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricBarriers and facilitators to involvement in cancer education opportunities among South Carolina cancer care professionals: A cancer training and diversity, equity, and inclusion training needs assessment
Hatch A, Shungu N, Ford M, Toll B. Barriers and facilitators to involvement in cancer education opportunities among South Carolina cancer care professionals: A cancer training and diversity, equity, and inclusion training needs assessment. Journal Of The National Medical Association 2024, 116: 283-291. PMID: 38816266, DOI: 10.1016/j.jnma.2024.05.001.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsHealthcare professionalsInductive content analysis approachCancer care professionalsNon-Hispanic whitesIdentified educational needsSocial risk factorsAttend educational programsContent analysis approachCases of cancerCancer trainingCancer careCare professionalsPerceived barriersHealth systemMental healthAnalyzed quantitative dataOptimal careTraining needs assessmentTraining needsEducation programsSouth CarolinaQualitative dataBusy schedulesRisk factorsSurvey instrumentVarenicline for E-Cigarette Cessation in Adults: A Preliminary Placebo-Controlled Randomized Trial
Fucito L, Baldassarri S, Baker N, Palmer A, O'Malley S, Carpenter M, Krishnan-Sarin S, Gray K, Toll B. Varenicline for E-Cigarette Cessation in Adults: A Preliminary Placebo-Controlled Randomized Trial. American Journal Of Preventive Medicine 2024 PMID: 38752949, DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2024.04.007.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricNicotine e-cigarettes: considerations for healthcare providers
Toll B, Smith T, King B. Nicotine e-cigarettes: considerations for healthcare providers. Nature Medicine 2024, 30: 1513-1514. PMID: 38627561, DOI: 10.1038/s41591-024-02926-7.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricImplementation, enrollment, and engagement in an opt‐out telehealth pharmacist‐assisted tobacco treatment program for patients seen in oncology outpatient clinics
Cummings K, Toll B, Talbot V, Roberson A, Wilson D, Dunlap M, Ware E, Palmer A, Bliss A, Anokye V, Warren G. Implementation, enrollment, and engagement in an opt‐out telehealth pharmacist‐assisted tobacco treatment program for patients seen in oncology outpatient clinics. Cancer 2024, 130: 2482-2492. PMID: 38546445, PMCID: PMC11214603, DOI: 10.1002/cncr.35291.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsTobacco treatment programOncology outpatient clinicQuit ratesDelivering smoking cessation treatmentSelf-reported quit ratesOutpatient clinicSmoking cessation counselingHollings Cancer CenterFollow-up surveyNicotine replacement medicationsTreatment programsSmoking cessation treatmentCessation counselingOncology clinicVisit clinicsCessation treatmentSmoking statusTelephone surveyCancer CenterReplacement medicationsRandom sampleAdult patientsFollow-upSmokingPatientsHospitalization as an opportunity to improve lung cancer screening in high-risk patients
Nielsen E, Zhang J, Marsden J, Bays C, Moran W, Mauldin P, Lenert L, Toll B, Schreiner A, Heincelman M. Hospitalization as an opportunity to improve lung cancer screening in high-risk patients. Cancer Epidemiology 2024, 90: 102553. PMID: 38460398, DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2024.102553.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsLung cancer screeningLow-dose computed tomographyCancer screeningLDCT completionRates of lung cancer screeningAnnual low-dose computed tomographyImprove lung cancer screeningElectronic health record dataUniversity-based internal medicine clinicLung cancer-related mortalityPrimary care clinicsHealth record dataInternal medicine clinicAssociation of hospitalCox proportional hazards modelsScreening ratesHigh-risk patientsCare clinicsProportional hazards modelRetrospective cohort studyCurrent smokersEligible adultsMedicine clinicReferral programOverall healthShift From Smoking Cigarettes to Vaping Nicotine in Young Adults
Sanford B, Brownstein N, Baker N, Palmer A, Smith T, Rojewski A, Toll B. Shift From Smoking Cigarettes to Vaping Nicotine in Young Adults. JAMA Internal Medicine 2024, 184: 106-108. PMID: 37955869, PMCID: PMC10644245, DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.5239.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and Concepts
2023
Is hospitalization a missed opportunity to intervene on tobacco cessation?
Nielsen E, Zhang J, Marsden J, Bays C, Moran W, Mauldin P, Lenert L, Toll B, Schreiner A, Heincelman M. Is hospitalization a missed opportunity to intervene on tobacco cessation? The American Journal Of The Medical Sciences 2023, 367: 89-94. PMID: 38043793, DOI: 10.1016/j.amjms.2023.11.024.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsTobacco cessationNRT prescriptionCurrent smokersTobacco usePatient-centered medical homeStudy periodNicotine replacement therapy productsRetrospective cohort studyPrimary care physiciansLogistic regression modelsProportion of adultsHealth-related changesAdult patientsCohort studyHospital dischargeMost patientsCare physiciansElevated morbidityMedical homeHospitalizationSmokersPatientsCessationPrescriptionTeachable momentExpectations and Preferences for Digital Cessation Treatment Among Older Adults Who Smoke Cigarettes (Preprint)
Fahey M, Carpenter M, O'Neal R, Pebley K, Schick M, Ware E, Toll B, Dahne J. Expectations and Preferences for Digital Cessation Treatment Among Older Adults Who Smoke Cigarettes (Preprint). Journal Of Medical Internet Research 2023 DOI: 10.2196/52919.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
Academic Achievements and Community Involvement
activity Committee Member
CommitteesClinical Research Committee, Connecticut Mental Health CenterDetails07/01/2008 - Presentactivity Reviewer
Peer Review Groups and Grant Study SectionsYale College Fellowships for Research in Health StudiesDetails2009 - PresentDescriptionGrant review
Links & Media
News
- May 16, 2024
First U.S. Trial of Varenicline for E-cigarette Cessation Shows Positive Results
- June 30, 2021Source: Preventive Medicine Reports
Use and Perceptions of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems Among Patients Attending Lung Cancer Screening Who Smoke
- February 07, 2019
Krishnan-Sarin, Toll elected to SRNT board
- May 01, 2017
Yale study: Chest physicians split on pros and cons of e-cigarettes
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