James Brawner, BSE, M.Ed., NCTTP
CoxHealth, United States
CoxHealth, United States
Jim Brawner is the Community Educator for CoxHealth Medical System in Southwest Missouri. A graduate of the University of Arkansas, Jim is a Mayo Clinic Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist as well as a University of Massachusetts Medical School Trainer of Tobacco Treatment Specialists. He holds a certificate in tobacco treatment from the National Association for Addiction Professionals and a certificate in tobacco treatment in oncology from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. His former experience as an instructor, coach, and principal, along with 20 years of experience in marriage and family conferences, gives him a knowledge of practical helps for overcoming addictions. Most of his clients are low income, homeless, and/or in recovery populations.
Deborah Buckles, BS, RRT, NCTTP
Indiana University Simon Cancer Center, Tobacco Treatment Program, United States
Indiana University Simon Cancer Center, Tobacco Treatment Program, United States
Deborah Buckles, NCTTP is the Tobacco Control Branch Leader of the Indiana University Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center's Office of Community Outreach and Engagement. Ms. Buckles has received her Bachelor of Science degree in Respiratory Therapy, the National Certificate in Tobacco Treatment Practice, is a certified-UMass Tobacco Treatment Specialist trainer and serves on a couple of national organizations including the Council for Tobacco Treatment Training Programs and the Association for the Treatment of Tobacco Use and Dependence.
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Employed by the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center (IUSCCC) since 1997, the first 13 years of Ms. Buckles' career was dedicated to helping individuals overcome their tobacco addiction. Since 2008, Ms. Buckles has dedicated her career to the "Rethink Tobacco Indiana" project, focused on tobacco cessation systems change in mental health & substance abuse centers across Indiana. Receipt of a grant from the National Cancer Institute's Moonshot Initiative in 2017 allowed Ms. Buckles the opportunity to develop a tobacco treatment program for cancer patients and again work on tobacco cessation systems change this time in the cancer center. Currently, she oversees Tobacco Outreach in the IUSCCC Office of Community Outreach and Engagement and Rethink Tobacco Indiana, including the Tobacco Treatment Specialist course. During Ms. Buckles' more than 25 years in the field of tobacco treatment she has coordinated and developed training programs for health care professionals and lay persons across Indiana, worked on multiple research efforts, provided technical assistance to many different types of healthcare organizations and recognized as a leader in the state on tobacco control efforts.
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Employed by the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center (IUSCCC) since 1997, the first 13 years of Ms. Buckles' career was dedicated to helping individuals overcome their tobacco addiction. Since 2008, Ms. Buckles has dedicated her career to the "Rethink Tobacco Indiana" project, focused on tobacco cessation systems change in mental health & substance abuse centers across Indiana. Receipt of a grant from the National Cancer Institute's Moonshot Initiative in 2017 allowed Ms. Buckles the opportunity to develop a tobacco treatment program for cancer patients and again work on tobacco cessation systems change this time in the cancer center. Currently, she oversees Tobacco Outreach in the IUSCCC Office of Community Outreach and Engagement and Rethink Tobacco Indiana, including the Tobacco Treatment Specialist course. During Ms. Buckles' more than 25 years in the field of tobacco treatment she has coordinated and developed training programs for health care professionals and lay persons across Indiana, worked on multiple research efforts, provided technical assistance to many different types of healthcare organizations and recognized as a leader in the state on tobacco control efforts.
Audrey Darville, PhD, APRN, NCTTP, FAANP
University of Kentucky College of Nursing. United States
University of Kentucky College of Nursing. United States
Audrey Darville is an associate professor in the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Nursing, a Family Nurse Practitioner and Tobacco Treatment Specialist. She provides tobacco dependence treatment, engages in research, and collaborates to provide cessation programs, prevention initiatives, and provider training. As co-director of the Tobacco Prevention and Treatment Division of BREATHE (Bridging Research Efforts and AdvocacyToward Healthy Environments), Audrey is the course director of the all-online BREATHE Tobacco Treatment Specialist training program. She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar, and past-president of the Association for the Treatment of Tobacco Use and Dependence (ATTUD).
Babalola Faseru, MD, MPH
University of Kansas Medical Center, United States
University of Kansas Medical Center, United States
Babalola Faseru, MD, MPH is a Tenured Professor with joint appointments in the Department of Population Health and the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC). He is also the Consultant Medical Epidemiologist at the Bureau of Health Promotion, Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). Dr. Faseru is the Director of the Tobacco Treatment Education Program funded by the Kansas Health Foundation at the University of Kansas. His research is focused on reducing tobacco-related health disparities affecting under served populations.
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He has served on the Executive Board of Association for Multidisciplinary Education and Research in Substance use and Addiction (AMERSA) as Member-at-Large and Treasurer, .and on the Program Committees of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) World Conference on Lung Cancer; the Annual Meetings of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) and AMERSA. He served as a section head of the SRNT Global Certification Program Curriculum Review Board within the SRNT University.He is currently a Deputy Editor in Chief of Substance Abuse Journal and a member of the editorial board of Contemporary Clinical Trial Journal. Dr. Faseru obtained his medical degree from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria; Master of Public Health from the University of Kuopio (now University of Eastern Finland) in Finland with post doctoral cancer research fellowship from the WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Lyon, France. He also completed Post doctoral research fellowships in smoking cessation and nicotine dependence and NIH K30 Fellowship in clinical epidemiology at the University of Kansas Medical Center before his faculty appointment.
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He has served on the Executive Board of Association for Multidisciplinary Education and Research in Substance use and Addiction (AMERSA) as Member-at-Large and Treasurer, .and on the Program Committees of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) World Conference on Lung Cancer; the Annual Meetings of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) and AMERSA. He served as a section head of the SRNT Global Certification Program Curriculum Review Board within the SRNT University.He is currently a Deputy Editor in Chief of Substance Abuse Journal and a member of the editorial board of Contemporary Clinical Trial Journal. Dr. Faseru obtained his medical degree from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria; Master of Public Health from the University of Kuopio (now University of Eastern Finland) in Finland with post doctoral cancer research fellowship from the WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Lyon, France. He also completed Post doctoral research fellowships in smoking cessation and nicotine dependence and NIH K30 Fellowship in clinical epidemiology at the University of Kansas Medical Center before his faculty appointment.
Monique Johnson, BS, TTS
Civic Communications LLC, United States
Civic Communications LLC, United States
Monique Johnson received her Bachelors of Science in Health Education and Behavior from The University of Florida and is currently a graduate student at The University of Central Florida Clinical Masters in Social Work program. Monique has worked in tobacco cessation for six years, serving as the Systems Change Coordinator for a local health education center that covers seven counties in Northeast Florida. In her current role with tobacco prevention, she serves local residents as Tobacco Policy Manager for the Florida tobacco free partnership. Monique is dedicated to working with local government, organizations, and schools to create tobacco free environments for healthier lives. Monique is very passionate about improving the overall health and well-being of individuals and this is reflected in her volunteerism; serving as an advisory council member for UF/IFAS extension centers, School Health/Wellness Advisory Council, School Health Services Plan, and a board fellow with Clay County Habitat for Humanity.
Chris Kotsen, PsyD, CTTS
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, United States
Chris Kotsen is a licensed clinical psychologist with broad expertise in clinical psychology, health psychology, and addictions treatment, with specific expertise as a tobacco treatment specialist. Since 2001 he provides tobacco treatment services within outpatient settings (individual and group counseling), worksite programs, and inpatient hospital settings. He currently treats cancer patients with adjustment issues, psychological distress such as depression, anxiety, other co-occurring addictions, and tobacco dependence. He has extensive experience managing administrative aspects of clinical operations and providing clinical supervision to other clinical staff. He co-directs MSKCC's 4-Day Tobacco Treatment Specialist (TTS) Accredited Training Program. His primary research areas involve implementation and sustainability of tobacco treatments within healthcare settings with a particular focus on overcoming barriers in delivering telehealth services and in delivering group telehealth tobacco treatments.
Amylynn Liskiewicz, MA, NCTTP
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, United States
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, United States
Amylynn Liskiewicz joined the staff of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (Roswell Park) in 2018 as a Research Associate in the Bio-Behavioral Health and Recovery Lab in the Department of Health Behavior, Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences. In 2022 she became a Senior Research Specialist. She manages the BBHR lab, coordinates the studies being conducted by the lab, and is the TrainingProgram Manager for Roswell Park's Tobacco Treatment Specialist Training Program. Amylynn has taught Intro, Developmental, Abnormal and Forensic psychology classes at area undergraduate colleges and has 10 years of various research experience.
Pamela Luckett, MCC, LPC, CTTS
PGL Consulting, LLC, United States
PGL Consulting, LLC, United States
Pamela Graef Luckett, MCC, LPC, CTTS has over 40 years in behavioral health counseling, 23 years in tobacco control and cessation. She holds a Master's Degree in Counseling, is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist. She is also a Master Trainer for the Society of Public Health Education (SOPHE) in Washington, DC training healthcare providers in the Smoking Cessation or Reduction in Pregnancy Treatment (SCRIPT) program and is a member of the North American Quitline Consortium (NAQC) Advisory Council. Pamela continues to work as a tobacco cessation counselor with the Tobacco Quitline and consults for behavioral health services training and tobacco control training and projects through the Mississippi Public Health Institute, MSDH Office of TobaccoControl and MD Anderson Hospital. She has also contributed as Primary Investigator in an MD Anderson research regarding lung cancer evaluation and treatment. Pamela and her husband, Mike, are long time residents of Madison, Mississippi.
Jamie McConaha, PharmD, NCTTP, BCACP, CDE
Duquesne University School of Pharmacy, United States
Duquesne University School of Pharmacy, United States
Dr. Jamie McConaha is an Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Duquesne University School of Pharmacy in theDivision of Pharmacy Practice. After graduating from Duquesne, she completed a two-year academic and teaching fellowship with the school. Upon completion of her fellowship, Dr. McConaha joined the school of pharmacy's clinical faculty. Dr. McConaha's teaching and research interests focus on the role of the pharmacist in ambulatory care, specifically with the disease states of diabetes, COPD, and tobacco cessation. In 2013, Dr. McConaha developed and implemented the Duquesne University Tobacco TreatmentSpecialist (TTS) training and certificate course. Since its inception, this course has graduated over 1,000 TTS' from across the country. Most recently, this course has been incorporated into the required pharmacy curriculum for the school.
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Dr. McConaha practices in the field of ambulatory care. For the past 10 years, she has worked as an embedded pharmacist within two primary care physician practices. In this setting, Dr. McConaha offers a variety of clinical services for her patients including medication therapy management appointments, transition of care consults, and group tobacco cessation classes. Dr. McConaha developed and teaches a group smoking cessation class to patients of her practice and throughout the greater Pittsburgh community. She has published on the topics of electronic nicotine delivery systems, and spoken on this topic at the local and national level. Dr. McConaha was a board member for Tobacco Free Allegheny, past Secretary of the Association for the Treatment of Tobacco Use and Dependence (ATTUD), and currently offers cessation services at Allegheny Health Network through a partnership with Adagio Health.
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Dr. McConaha practices in the field of ambulatory care. For the past 10 years, she has worked as an embedded pharmacist within two primary care physician practices. In this setting, Dr. McConaha offers a variety of clinical services for her patients including medication therapy management appointments, transition of care consults, and group tobacco cessation classes. Dr. McConaha developed and teaches a group smoking cessation class to patients of her practice and throughout the greater Pittsburgh community. She has published on the topics of electronic nicotine delivery systems, and spoken on this topic at the local and national level. Dr. McConaha was a board member for Tobacco Free Allegheny, past Secretary of the Association for the Treatment of Tobacco Use and Dependence (ATTUD), and currently offers cessation services at Allegheny Health Network through a partnership with Adagio Health.
Tim Milbrandt, MS, LMFT
Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center, United States
Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center, United States
Tim has worked in the mental health field for more than 20 years in a variety of settings and has specialized in tobacco treatment for over 10 years. During his time at the Nicotine Dependence Center, Tim has worked under all three of the Mayo Shields-Treatment, Education, and Research. Tim currently serves as the Addictions Coordinator at the NDC, leading the Tobacco Treatment Specialist training program, and providing supervision to the counseling staff among other duties. Tim is passionate about providing trainings and educational presentations for professionals and has been fortunate to deliver them across the United States and internationally. Tim has received basic and advanced training in Motivational Interviewing and is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers.
Alina Shevorykin, PhD, LMHC, NCC, TTS
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, United States
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, United States
Alina Shevorykin is a licensed mental health and national board-certified counselor, scientist-practitioner, and post-doctoral fellow at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Her research focuses on the treatment and prevention of tobacco use and other addictions, as well as co-morbidity with PTSD.
Surabhi Somani, BDS, PhD
Toxin Taxation, India
Toxin Taxation, India
Dr. Surabhi Somani is a Tobacco Cessation expert with over 12 years of national and international experience in clinical, government, education, corporate and non profit settings. Through her initiative Toxin Taxation she aims to create an ecosystem which taxes people of their toxins and motivates them to quit their addictions. She aims to contribute to achieve SDG Goal of Good Health and Well-being by bringing together all the relevant stakeholders to work in an integrated manner to achieve the goal. She is an expert in behavioural change communication, health education & promotion, training HCPs and holding counselling sessions.
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Her work focuses on creating centres of tobacco control across geographies, training people to become advocates of tobacco control, improving efficacy of public health programs, creating awareness about tobacco use and its impact specially among disparate population and overall creating strategies to develop a tobacco free ecosystem. She holds a certificate on Global Tobacco Control from John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health based at Baltimore US and has her Master's in Public Health post her Bachelors of Dental Surgery. Currently, she is a WHO consultant and provides tobacco cessation services in Nauru, Western Pacific Island country and has previously worked across multiple geographies including Maldives, Africa and multiple states of India.
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Her work focuses on creating centres of tobacco control across geographies, training people to become advocates of tobacco control, improving efficacy of public health programs, creating awareness about tobacco use and its impact specially among disparate population and overall creating strategies to develop a tobacco free ecosystem. She holds a certificate on Global Tobacco Control from John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health based at Baltimore US and has her Master's in Public Health post her Bachelors of Dental Surgery. Currently, she is a WHO consultant and provides tobacco cessation services in Nauru, Western Pacific Island country and has previously worked across multiple geographies including Maldives, Africa and multiple states of India.
Chrishuna Vasser, MBA, MSRC, RRT, NHA
Greene County Nursing Home Administrator, Greene County Health System, United States
Greene County Nursing Home Administrator, Greene County Health System, United States
Chrishuna Vasser is a goal-oriented Respiratory Care Practitioner with a demonstrated history of working in various healthcare environments within the healthcare industry. Strengths include adult acute, critical, long-term, and home care environments. She has a passion for education, emphasizing smoking cessation and disease management education. As an educator, she take pride in motivating, influencing, and sharing professional experiences. Chrishuna is a small business entrepreneur who administers life-saving training courses using the curriculums of the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross. She is also a practicing COPD Educator and Pulmonary Disease Educator.
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Professional goals include building her brand as a dynamic Respiratory Care Practitioner and serving the aging population as a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator while facilitating effective team organization and collaboration. She is a proud and active member of the American Association for Respiratory Care, the Oklahoma Society for Respiratory Care, the American Association for Notaries, the National Notary Association, and the American College of Health Care Administrators. As State Captain, Chrishuna takes pride in empowering patients and caregivers with evidence-based knowledge to leverage clinical understanding and increase awareness. She enjoys working with state, local, and national officials to improve COPD policy. COPD Education is her passion, and she enjoys participating in research opportunities, health fairs, and community events.
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Professional goals include building her brand as a dynamic Respiratory Care Practitioner and serving the aging population as a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator while facilitating effective team organization and collaboration. She is a proud and active member of the American Association for Respiratory Care, the Oklahoma Society for Respiratory Care, the American Association for Notaries, the National Notary Association, and the American College of Health Care Administrators. As State Captain, Chrishuna takes pride in empowering patients and caregivers with evidence-based knowledge to leverage clinical understanding and increase awareness. She enjoys working with state, local, and national officials to improve COPD policy. COPD Education is her passion, and she enjoys participating in research opportunities, health fairs, and community events.