Genetics of Smoking
Dr. Sean David’s research encompasses a collaborative, transdisciplinary initiative to translate molecular insights to genomically tailored and patient-centered personalized medicine. Investigations are focused on the integration of three translational streams of investigation. The first stream triangulates genome-wide association studies with preclinical research using functional neuroimaging and other modalities aimed at elucidating biobehavioural mechanisms nicotine dependence and smoking cessation. The second stream investigates moderating effects of genotype on health-related behavior and drug response (particularly in smoking cessation treatment) in multiple ancestral populations. The third stream investigates the efficacy of genomically tailored drug and behavioural therapies in prospective first-in-human clinical trials and evidenced-based medicine and policy research (e.g., systematic review/meta-analyses, cost-effectiveness analyses, healthcare delivery systems & educating the primary care workforce). His current projects include the following:
- Behaviorally-Enhanced Counseling on Nicotine Dependence (BEACON) Trial: The BEACON Trial, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)/National Institutes of Health (NIH), is and developed and initiated the, in progress, The BEACON Trial is the first U.S. prospective, genetically tailored trial of pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation, which is studying the feasibility of implementing personalized medicine for smoking cessation in large health care organization (Group Health Cooperative). More details about the BEACON Trial can be found by clicking here or clicking here.
- Medical Students helping patients Quit Tobacco (MSQuit) Trial: Dr. David is the Stanford University site PI for the MSQuit Study, (PI: Judith Ockene, Ph.D., University of Massachusetts), which is a randomized trial of multimodal medical education for smoking cessation in 10 U.S. medical schools funded by the National Cancer Institute. In the MS-Quit Trial, Stanford students have been participating in surveys and clinical performance examinations and combined with students from other participating schools, more than 1,000 medical students are participating in MSQuit. Stanford medical students will be followed for the next three years in the largest study of its kind to date. More details about the MSQuit Trial are available here »
- Extended Treatment for Smoking Cessation: Dr. David is co-investigator and study physician for this randomized clinical trial of extended cognitive behavioral therapy, combined with pharmacotherapy, for smoking cessation and relapse prevention. This trial is funded by the National Cancer Institute/NIH (PI: Joel Killen Stanford University). More details about the Extended Treatment Trial are available here »
- Additional projects are focused on translating pharmacogenomic data into evidence-based clinical applications as a participant in Stanford’s PharmacoGenetic Knowledge Base (PharmGKB), triangulating genomic data from clinical trials with functional neuroimaging studies, and studying the genomic architecture of nicotine dependence and smoking cessation in multiple ancestral groups internationally.