Faculty

Abigail C. Halperin

Lecturer

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.
-- Mahatma Gandhi

Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1983

MPH

University of Washington, 2000
Health Services

Wellesley College, 1977
Psychology

Lecturer, Family Medicine (primary appt.)

Department of Health Services Program Affiliations:
- Health Care and Population Health Research Track, (MPH program)

Dr. Halperin is a member of the Department of Family Medicine faculty and is Director of the Tobacco Studies in Public Health and Tobacco Scholars Program.

Contact Information

Center for Health Education and Research
901 Boren Avenue, Suite 1100
Box: 359932
Seattle, WA 98104
(voice) 206-616-4482 (fax) 206-221-4945
abigail@u.washington.edu

Teaching Interests

Tobacco control research, advocacy and policy development

HSERV 590
Tobacco and Public Health: Impact, Prevention, Policy and Social Change

Research Interests

Reduction of tobacco use and related illnesses through education, advocacy, policy change, implementation of clinical practice guidelines, and community-based interventions. Clinical interventions for treatment of tobacco dependence and alcohol-related risk reduction among college students.

Projects

Tobacco Studies in Public Health and Tobacco Scholars Program

This program was established at the UW SPHCM in 2002 with initial funding from the American Legacy Foundation (Legacy) in conjunction with the Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH) as part of their STEP UP project (Scholarship, Teaching, and Education Program for Tobacco Use Prevention). Now funded by the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), the program offers a tobacco studies curriculum and provides scholarship funding and mentorship for MPH and other health science and policy students interested in pursuing a concentration in tobacco use prevention, treatment or research.
depts.washington.edu/tobacco/

Campus Health Action on Tobacco (CHAT) Study

This National Cancer Institute (NCI) funded project consists of a collaborative, group-randomized trial to decrease smoking among college students. A two-year comprehensive, campus-based intervention to prevent smoking onset and increase smoking cessation among college students was tested at thirty colleges and universities in the Pacific Northwest. The project is based at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (PI, Dr. Beti Thompson) and research partners include the University of Washington, the Free & Clear tobacco treatment program, and the WA, OR and ID Departments of Health.
www.fhcrc.org/phs/cprp/projects/collegesmoking.html

College Health Intervention Projects (CHIPs)

University of Washington is one of five sites for this randomized trial testing an intervention for reducing adverse outcomes from high risk drinking among college students, utilizing a motivational interviewing protocol in a primary care setting. The project, based at the University of Wisconsin Madison (PI, Dr. Michael Fleming), is funded by the National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA).
www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/

SCCA Smoke Free Life Program

Dr. Halperin currently serves as Medical Director of the Smoke Free Life Program of the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.
SCCA Profile

External Funding (sampling of current and past involvement)

DOH - Tobacco Studies

WA State Department of Health
PI: Halperin Dates: 07/2005 - 06/2007
The contract provides the opportunity to continue building an academic program in tobacco studies with the aim of increasing awareness and knowledge of the impact of tobacco on public health.

Tobacco Cessation Program

Free & Clear
PI: Halperin Dates: 07/2005 - 06/2006
Dr. Halperin will provide medical oversight of Free & Clear cessation specialists, engage in evaluation and quality improvement activities, outreach to health care providers to increase use of Free & Clear services, and contribute to Free & Clear communications.

Tobacco Studies Public Health Curriculum

Association of Schools of Public Health
PI: Halperin Dates: 06/2002 - 05/2005
The proposed project is designed to enhance and build curricular innovation in tobacco-related studies within the University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine and to attract and support students who wish to gain expertise and develop careers in this field.

Randomized Study to Decrease Smoking in College Students

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
PI: Halperin Dates: 09/2001 - 08/2004
This project will conduct a group-randomized trial among 30 colleges in WA and OR to test a campus program designed to reduce the rate of smoking onset.

Selected Publications

Halperin AC. Smoking Trends and Academic Performance in a University Population [Master’s Thesis]. Seattle, WA: University of Washington; 2000.

Halperin AC. Chapter 1: Boca Raton Action Plan, in Zeltner T, Kessler D, Martiny A and Randera F. Tobacco Company Strategies to Undermine Tobacco Control Activities at the World Health Organization. Geneva: World Health Organization. July 2000.
http://www.who.int/tobacco/policy/who_inquiry/en/print.html

Halperin AC, Rigotti NA. US Public Universities' Compliance with Recommended Tobacco Control Policies. Journal of American College Health. 2003;51(5):181-188.

Savage S, Halperin AC. Building an Academic Tobacco Control Program While Forging Links with Practice: The University of Washington Tobacco Studies Program. Public Health Reports. 2006 Sep;121(5):529-37.

Halperin AC, Thompson LA, Hymer JC, Peterson AK, Thompson B. A Case-Based Clinician Training Program for Treating Tobacco Use in College Students. Public Health Reports. 2006 Sep;121(5):557-62.
More info . . .

Dissertation, Thesis and Capstone Committees (recent graduates)

2007

Member, thesis committee for DeAnn Cromp

Barriers and facilitators to smoking cessation among homeless populations

2006

Advisor, capstone for Sarah Ross-Viles

Healthy air survey of King County Housing Authority

2005

Member, thesis committee for Beatriz Carlini

The tobacco industry's response to the COMMIT trial : an analysis of legacy tobacco documents