International Research Community for Tobacco and Nicotine Honors Roswell Park Leader

BUFFALO, N.Y. — One of the nation’s foremost experts in tobacco control will receive recognition from the international research community for his contributions to the betterment of public health. At its 2026 annual conference held March 4 to 7 in Baltimore, the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) will bestow the John Slade Award to Andrew Hyland, PhD, Senior Vice President of Population Sciences and chair of Health Behavior. 
 
The SRNT is a professional association with thousands of members across 40 countries, with shared goals of advancing science, improving health and saving lives. The annual John Slade Award recognizes a SRNT member who has made outstanding contributions to public health and tobacco control through science-based public policy and public advocacy. 
 
Dr. Hyland is a native of Western New York and 30-year employee of Roswell Park with more than 400 published scholarly papers in his career. He has advised several prominent institutions, such as the FDA, CDC, National Cancer Institute and International Agency for Research on Cancer. Chief among his scientific endeavors is his lead role on the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study, which tracks more than 46,000 adults and children nationally over a 14-year period to understand changes in tobacco use behaviors and health. Dr. Hyland also directs the New York State Quitline, a statewide public service that has helped more than 2 million people since 2000 to overcome addiction to commercial tobacco products. 
 
“Dr. Hyland embodies what it means to be an outstanding team member at Roswell Park,” said Candace Johnson, PhD, President and CEO of Roswell Park. “His leadership and passionate dedication to understand the impacts of tobacco products shape how we improve public health, advocacy and treatment. His tireless, evidence-based efforts continue to positively impact the community locally, nationally and internationally.” 
 
In addition to Dr. Hyland’s award, he and a contingent of researchers from Roswell Park will actively participate in 31 presentations and poster sessions at the SRNT 2026 Annual Conference. Dr. Hyland and fellow colleague Maansi Bansal-Travers, PhD, Associate Professor of Oncology and Tobacco Control Outreach Program Director, will each chair a breakout session. Dr. Bansal-Travers will lead “Flavored Tobacco Policies and their Consequences: Evaluating Regulation, Behavior, and Public Health Impacts ” on Thursday, March 5 at 10 a.m. while Dr. Hyland will lead “The Emergence of Nicotine Pouches in the U.S.: Nicotine Pouch Use Patterns, Harm Perceptions, and Longitudinal Use Transitions among Youth, Young Adults, and Adults in the PATH Study (2022-2024)” on Friday, March 6 at 8:30 a.m. 

As part of the SRNT 2026 pre-conference workshops, Michelle Page, PhD and Noel Leigh, MS, Research Scientists from Roswell Park’s Department of Health Behavior, presented “Tobacco Market Surveillance and Product Characterization: from Purpose to Practice” on Wednesday, March 4 at 9 a.m. 
 
The following Roswell Park experts in Health Behavior will deliver the following oral presentations throughout the 2026 SRNT conference: 

• Maciej Goniewicz, PhD, PharmD, Professor of Oncology, will lead a presentation titled, “Investigating Nicotine Delivery from Oral Nicotine Pouches (ONPs) Using a Mixed Method Approach: From Laboratory Bench to Clinical Trials” on Thursday, March 5 at 10 a.m. Six Health Behavior team members will join Dr. Goniewicz:
  • Michelle Page, PhD, Research Scientist
  • Noel Leigh, MS, Research Scientist
  • Lisa Kaiser, MPH, RN, Research Scientist
  • Ashleigh Block, MS, Senior Research Associate
  • Connor Martin, MA, Senior Research Specialist
  • Matthew Travers, High School Student Trainee 

In addition, Dr. Goniewicz, Connor Martin, and Lisa Kaiser will present “Markers of Respiratory Health among People Who Vape Products with Different Flavors” on Friday, March 6 at 8:30 a.m. 

• Karin Kasza, PhD, Assistant Professor of Oncology, together with Dr. Hyland and Dr. Goniewicz, presents “Vaping and Cigarette Cessation among Adults in the US during the Salt-Based Nicotine ENDS Era” on Thursday, March 5 at 3 p.m. Additionally, Dr. Kasza presents two findings from Waves 7-8 of PATH study (2022-2024) on Friday, March 6 at 8:30 a.m. – “Nicotine Pouch Initiation and Trajectories of Use among Youth and Young Adults” and “Transitions from Combusted Tobacco Product Use to Nicotine Pouch Use in Adults.”

• Danielle Smith, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Oncology, presents twice on Friday, March 6 at 3:30 p.m. – “International Differences in Cigarette and Cannabis Co-Use Practices: Findings from the 2022 (Wave 4) International Tobacco Control Four Country Smoking and Vaping Survey” and “Nicotine-Cannabis Co-Use Patterns and Impacts on Subjective Drug Effects: A Pilot EMA Study.” 

   

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From the world’s first chemotherapy research to the PSA prostate cancer biomarker, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center generates innovations that shape how cancer is detected, treated and prevented worldwide. The Roswell Park team of 4,000+ makes compassionate, patient-centered cancer care and services accessible across New York State and beyond. Rated “Exceptional” by the National Cancer Institute, Roswell Park, founded in 1898, was one of the first NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the country and remains the only one in Upstate New York. To learn more about Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Roswell Park Care Network, visit www.roswellpark.org, call 1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355) or email ASKRoswell@RoswellPark.org.