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Youth

UNC's Sarah Kowitt Awarded $762,196 Grant for Tobacco Regulatory Research in Youth

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have awarded Sarah Kowitt, PhD, MPH, a five-year, $762,196 grant as part of the Mentored Research Scientist Career Development Award (K01 grant) program. This research focuses on tobacco regulatory research in youth, specifically on how to communicate the harms of multiple tobacco products. With tobacco use being the leading preventable cause of death and disease in the U.S., Kowitt emphasizes the importance of preventing tobacco use, especially during adolescence and young adulthood.

Key Takeaways:

  • The grant is part of the K01 program, which is designed to support the career development of cancer-focused research scientists. The success rate for being awarded one of these grants from the NIH in 2021 was just 31%.
  • Kowitt has published over 55 peer-reviewed papers in top-tier journals, including Health Affairs, JAMA Network Open, and Tobacco Control.
  • The study aims to communicate the harms of multiple tobacco product use among youth, with nearly one in three youth using two or more tobacco products simultaneously in 2021, translating to approximately 580,000 high school students.
  • Kowitt's mentorship team consists of experienced tobacco researchers, including Adam Goldstein, Seth Noar, Allison J. Lazard, and James Thrasher.
  • As a faculty member at UNC Family Medicine and a member of the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Kowitt's research focuses on preventing and reducing youth and young adult substance use, including tobacco, cannabis, and alcohol use.

Statistics:

  • The grant is worth $762,196 over five years.
  • The success rate for being awarded a K01 grant from the NIH in 2021 was 31%.
  • Approximately 580,000 high school students simultaneously used two or more tobacco products in 2021.
  • Kowitt has published over 55 peer-reviewed papers in top-tier journals.

Sources:

  • UNC School of Medicine
  • National Cancer Institute (NCI)
  • Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
  • Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
  • UNC Department of Family Medicine

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