Center for Health Behaviors Research - CHBR

03/26/2026

Public health policies don’t operate in a vacuum. This research examines how people adapt to menthol cigarette bans—and what those responses mean for improving to***co regulation.

People who smoke menthol ci******es face higher mortality rates than non-menthol smokers. Researcher Carol Bovo will use a Postdoctoral Excellence Award to study the factors that may inform the decision of whether to quit following a regulatory menthol ban.

03/24/2026

Congratulations to our very own, Dr. Emma Leslie of Donnut Lab! We are so proud of you!!!!

03/20/2026

🎤 Research Spotlight at SRNT 2026

CHBR researcher Ana Carolina de Lima Bovo presented her poster, “Menthol accessory use in menthol cigarette bans: a comparison of hypothetical and actual policy scenarios from the United States, Canada, and England,” at the Society for Research on Ni****ne and To***co (SRNT) Annual Meeting in Baltimore.

Her research examines how menthol cigarette bans may influence the use of menthol accessories and how these behaviors vary across different policy environments. Understanding these patterns is critical for designing policies that effectively reduce to***co use and improve public health outcomes.

Great work representing Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Recovery Research Center (ARRC), and CHBR at this international meeting! 👏

***coResearch

03/18/2026

🎤 Addiction Recovery Research Center (ARRC) at SRNT!

Maddy Mason, post-doctoral associate with the Addiction Recovery Research Center (ARRC) at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, recently shared her research at the annual meeting of the Society for Research on Ni****ne and To***co (SRNT).

Maddy delivered an oral presentation on “Modeling the Effects of Integrated Tax Policies on To***co/Ni****ne Product Purchasing in an Experimental To***co Marketplace,” examining how tax policies across ni****ne products may influence purchasing behavior.

She also presented a poster, “Evaluating the Validity and Flexibility of the Experimental To***co Marketplace,” highlighting the Experimental To***co Marketplace as a tool for studying to***co regulatory policy and consumer behavior.

SRNT brings together leading scientists in to***co regulatory science, addiction, and public health from around the world, and we are proud to see ARRC researchers sharing their work on the international stage.

Great work, Maddy! 👏

03/18/2026

Let’s pack the stands and support a great cause! 🏀💙 Every donation helps continue Morgan’s legacy by supporting future VTCSOM medical students.

03/17/2026

🍀 **A little green science for St. Patrick’s Day!** 🍀

How do we learn to prefer certain flavors? 🤔

Researchers in the Donnut Lab at Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute are studying **flavor-nutrient learning**—how the gut and brain work together to shape what we like to eat and drink.

In this study, participants sampled unusual flavors like **yuzu, horchata, and bilberry** in drinks with and without calories. The findings suggest that **blood sugar regulation may influence how our brains learn flavor preferences**, sometimes even more than body weight.

🍀 Turns out our bodies might be finding the “pot of gold” in nutrients long before we realize it.

03/16/2026

Mark your calendars! One of our own TBMH students, Emma Leslie of the Donnut Lab at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute will be defending her dissertation on Monday, March 23

03/14/2026

TBMH student, Laura Bruckner of the Freitas-Lemos Lab and Addiction Recovery Research Center (ARRC) recently presented ongoing research at the annual scientific meeting of the Society for Research on Ni****ne and To***co👏 Congratulations to Laura Bruckner!

Laura, a trainee in the Freitas-Lemos Lab and the Addiction Recovery Research Center (ARRC) at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, recently presented ongoing research at the annual meeting of the Society for Research on Ni****ne and To***co (SRNT).

At the conference, Laura presented two posters:

• "Subjective Evaluation of To***co and Ni****ne Products and Associations with Perceived Risk of Cigarette Addiction" — This research explores how people perceive different to***co and ni****ne products and how those perceptions relate to perceived addiction risk.

• "Attitudes and Response to Campus To***co-Free Policy and Compliance Strategies" — This work examines how individuals respond to campus to***co-free policies and identifies factors that may influence compliance with these policies.

SRNT brings together leading scientists in to***co regulatory science, addiction, and public health from around the world. We’re proud to see the important work coming out of the Center for Health Behaviors Research (CHBR) represented on the international stage.

Great work, Laura! 🎉

****neResearch

03/13/2026

Recovery isn’t always all-or-nothing. And it doesn’t have to be.

Nearly 50 million Americans live with substance use disorders, and many use more than one substance. Yet recovery is often measured as complete abstinence from everything — leaving little room to recognize real progress.

New research from Allison Tegge and the Addiction Recovery Research Center (ARRC) at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute proposes a new way to measure recovery: Proportion of Remission.

Instead of an all-or-nothing approach, the measure recognizes progress when someone stops using one substance, even while continuing to work on others. In a study of more than 2,400 people in recovery, greater progress was linked with better physical, psychological, environmental, and emotional quality of life. Article available https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12954-025-01370-1

✨ Every step forward matters.
✨ Every reduction in risk matters.
✨ Recovery can happen one step at a time.

Background and aims History of multiple substance use disorders (SUDs) or polysubstance use is highly prevalent, associated with worse treatment outcomes and higher mortality rates compared to single substance use. Although a few longitudinal studies have measured recovery progress over time, no met...

03/12/2026

Highlighting one of our many labs, the Donnut Lab!

03/12/2026

The Center for Health Behaviors Research (CHBR) and the Addiction Recovery Research Center (ARRC) invite you to join us for the Pioneers in Biomedical Research Seminar Series this Friday!

We’re excited to host Dorothy Hatsukami, a global leader in to***co regulatory science, who will present:

“A Ni****ne-Focused Regulatory Strategy: The Science.”

Her work has helped shape the scientific evidence guiding ni****ne and to***co regulation and public health policy worldwide.

📅 Friday, March 13
⏰ 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
📍 Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC – Room G101 A/B
💻 Zoom option available

Faculty, trainees, students, and community members are all welcome. Come learn from one of the pioneers advancing research on ni****ne, addiction, and public health.

Learn more and join us:
https://fbri.vtc.vt.edu/events/pioneers-in-biomedical-research/2025-26/2026-03-13-hatsukami.html

03/09/2026

🧠 Brain School Reminder! 📚✨

Have you heard about Brain School yet? Now’s your chance to learn more about the brain, behavior, and the science behind how we think, decide, and act.

Whether you're brain-curious, a student, or just love learning something new, Brain School is a great opportunity to hear directly from researchers and explore fascinating neuroscience topics in an engaging way.

👇 Learn more and register here:
🔗 https://go.vt.edu/brainschool-fb

🧠 Learn
💡 Ask questions
🔬 Discover the science of the brain

We hope to see you there!

An annual Brain Awareness Week campaign hosted by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTCMarch 9, 2026, 5-7:30 p.m.