Federal Grant Award Summary

Yale University received a $190,580 Project Grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) under the Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279) beginning March 1, 2026, with completion targeted for February 28, 2031. The award funds development and pilot testing of a multiple health behavior change (MHBC) intervention designed to address concurrent weight loss and smoking cessation among pre-bariatric surgery patients. The project will conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) enrolling 64 pre-surgical patients with severe obesity who smoke cigarettes. The intervention arm (N=32) will receive a 4-month concurrent behavioral intervention combined with pharmacotherapy (naltrexone 50 mg/day and bupropion 300 mg/day), while a standard-of-care control group (N=32) will receive usual treatment during the same period.

The project will deliver comprehensive research products including preliminary qualitative interview data from six participants to refine intervention protocols, quantitative outcome assessments measuring weight loss and smoking cessation at baseline, monthly intervals, post-treatment (4 months), and 6-month follow-up, and biochemically-confirmed smoking abstinence data via exhaled carbon monoxide testing. Additional deliverables include documentation of bariatric surgery completion rates and assessment of intervention feasibility and acceptability. This research addresses a critical gap in evidence-based treatment for the estimated 40% of pre-bariatric surgery patients who smoke, providing scientific data on managing competing health behavior goals in this vulnerable surgical population.