The goal of this study is to better understand how drinking alcohol may lead to oral cancers. Acetaldehyde, a chemical formed when the body breaks down alcohol, is believed to play an important role. This study will measure acetaldehyde and DNA damage levels in the mouth of participants after a low dose of alcohol. The levels will be compared between three groups, all having different degrees of risk for developing oral cancer, in order to identify DNA damage that might be crucial to cancer formation.

Alcohol Study - alcohol-study@umn.edu

The purpose of this study to examine the effects of cigarette smoking and drinking alcohol on the formation of DNA damage in the mouth. The overall goal is to identify DNA damage that may be important to the development of cancer.

Laura Garcia Pimentel - garci970@umn.edu

The purpose of this study is to better understand how switching from smoking to the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) may change users’ exposures to various harmful chemicals. Your participation will also help us to understand how nicotine that is present in e-cigarettes is taken in and modified by your body.

Andrew Egbert - egber014@umn.edu

This is a study of individuals older than 18, undergoing abdominal surgery, and are amenable to fat samples being collected during their surgical procedure, with the option to participate in other tests that can provide information on insulin sensitivity and fat distribution. This study is trying to figure out how fat tissue is related to an individual's health status and health conditions, and the analysis of the aging of cells that make up the human body.

Allison Wolf - wolfx494@umn.edu

The purpose of this study is to study the evolution of early life risk factors that may lead to cancer and other conditions. This is a prospective cohort study of families who reside in Minnesota.

Clemen Wilcox - clemenw@umn.edu

The proposed study is an individual three-arm randomized controlled tiled aimed at utilizing state-of-the-art intervention methods to examine whether increasing the quality and the quantity of family meals reduces childhood obesity.

Marah Aqeel - aqeel002@umn.edu

This study includes healthy adults between 18-70 years old who are either non-smokers or cigarette smokers interested in quitting. The purpose of this study is to learn more about how people respond to stress and to taking one dose of a widely and safely used drug called naltrexone as well as to learn about how these responses relate to whether or not someone smokes, smoking cessation, and smoking relapse.

Behavioral Medicine Laboratories - bml-tc@d.umn.edu

The purpose of this study is to better understand how tobacco and nicotine products affect our bodies. In this observational study smokers, vapers, smokeless tobacco users, nicotine replacement product users, non-users, and ex-users will be asked to provide biological samples. We will look for biological “markers” (biomarkers), or chemical changes in the body, that occur due to tobacco or nicotine exposure. Collected samples will be used for the development of biomarkers of toxicant exposure and for assessing exposure between the different groups. The intent is to eventually use these biomarkers to improve detection, prevention, and treatment strategies for tobacco-related diseases. This study will allow us to test currently used biomarkers, and to establish a biorepository (sample bank) to identify and develop new biomarkers associated with tobacco exposure and cessation. The type of samples and amount collected will depend on the specific biomarker(s) being developed or tested. Potential samples include saliva, cheek (buccal) & oral cells, blood, urine, hair, and/or nail clippings.

Laura Garcia Pimentel - garci970@umn.edu