A controlled evaluation of abstinence-induced withdrawal and motivation to vape/smoke among daily ENDS users vs. cigarette smokers. Withdrawal is considered a major feature of nicotine/tobacco addiction and a key challenge to quitting smoking and/or electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). However, little is known about nicotine withdrawal in ENDS users or its role in driving product use. This project systematically and comprehensively characterizes withdrawal among daily vapers compared to daily smokers, filling gaps in our understanding of ENDS dependence/abuse liability and contributing to the development of therapies.

Automatic detection of vaping rate and patterning in the lab and the natural environment using Flexible, Robust Instrumentation of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (FRIENDS). Our ability to accurately characterize and non-obtrusively track ENDS puff behavior is quite limited. To overcome this barrier, this research uses a novel Flexible Robust Instrumentation of ENDS (FRIENDS) monitor to assess puff behavior in the lab and natural environment. We aim to advance our understanding of ENDS use behavior, make available to the field a validated, inexpensive, and accurate method for future studies, and guide the development of improved self-report assessments.

Remote vs. In-Person Study Evaluation (RISE): Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) of the Impact of Decentralized Trial Methods on Accrual Efficiency, Retention, Biospecimen Capture, and Treatment Utilization. Although remote trial methods have become increasingly common since the COVID-19 pandemic, the evidence for their strengths and weaknesses is mostly anecdotal. To address this knowledge gap, we are conducting three harmonized RCTs in the contexts of smoking cessation, depression, and opioid overdose prevention.

We collaborate on other funded projects, with our lab focusing on cognitive performance and clinical psychophysiology:

Selected Publications

Hawk, L.W., Jr., Schnoll, R.A., Dahne, J., Carpenter, M.J., Cropsey, K.L., Wilding, G.E., Duerr, C., Allen, C.G., Nghiem, V.T., Shelton, R.C., Boccardo, J., Foster, C.D., & Mahoney, M.C. (2026). Remote vs. In-Person Study Evaluation (RISE) Trial 1 of 3 to Examine the Impact of Decentralized Trial Methods on Accrual Efficiency, Retention, Biospecimen Capture, and Treatment Utilization: Study Protocol for a Multi-Center Randomized Controlled Trial in the Context of Smoking Cessation (RISE above Smoking). Trials. 10.1186/s13063-026-09910-1.
Johnstone, S., Cooper, R.K., Mahoney, M.C., Tiffany, S., Brandon, T., Ashare, R.L., Tyndale, R., Wray, J.M., Tonkin, S., Knapp, K.S., Maguin, E., Colder, C.R., & Hawk, L.W., Jr. (2025). Evaluating mediators of the effect of varenicline preloading on smoking abstinence in a randomized controlled trial. Addiction, 120, 1223-1237. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/add.16772. PMCID: PMC12212235.
Cooper, R.K., Gass, J., Mahoney, M.C., Tiffany, S.T., Colder, C.R., Maguin, E., Schlienz, N.J., Lawson, S.C., Tyndale, R.F., Sandhur, B., & Hawk, L.W., Jr. (2025). Do lab-based assessments of pre-treatment smoking reinforcement and cue-specific craving predict smoking cessation with varenicline? Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 39(8), 713-722. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/adb0001081. PMCID: PMC12318362.
Hawk, L.W., Jr., Murphy, T., Hartmann, K.E., Burnett, A., & Maguin, E. (2024). A randomized controlled trial of a team science intervention to enhance collaboration readiness and behavior among early career scholars in the CTSA network. Journal of Clinical and Translational Science, 8(1), e6. DOI: 10.1017/cts.2023.692
Dahne, J., & Hawk, L.W., Jr. (2023). Health equity and decentralized trials. JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.6982.
Tonkin, S.S., Gass, J.C., Wray, J.M., Maguin, E., Mahoney, M.C., Colder, C.R., Tiffany, S.T., & Hawk, L.W., Jr. (2023). Evaluating declines in compliance with ecological momentary assessment in longitudinal health behavior research. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 25, e43826. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2196/43826.
Hawk, L.W., Jr., Tiffany, S.T., Colder, C.R., Ashare, R.L., Wray, J.M., Tyndale, R.F., Brandon, T.H., & Mahoney, M.C. (2022). Effect of extending the duration of pre-quit treatment with varenicline on smoking abstinence: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network Open, 5(11):e2241731. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.41731.
Tonkin, S.S., Colder, C., Mahoney, M.C., Swan, G., Cinciripini, P., Schnoll, R., George, T., Tyndale, R.F., Lerman, C., & Hawk, L.W., Jr. (2022). Evaluating treatment mechanisms of varenicline: Mediation by affect and craving. Nicotine & Tobacco Research. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntac138. PMID: 35639828. [Editor’s Choice]
Lawson, S.C., Gass, J.C., Cooper, R.K., Tonkin, S.S., Colder, C.R., Mahoney, M.C., Tiffany, S.T., & Hawk, L.W., Jr. (2021). The impact of three weeks of pre-quit varenicline on reinforcing value and craving for cigarettes in a laboratory choice procedure. Psychopharmacology, 238, 599-609. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-020-05713-7.
Tonkin, S., Williams, T., Simms, L., Tiffany, S., Mahoney, M., Schnoll, R., Cinciripini, P., & Hawk, L.W., Jr. (2020). Withdrawal symptom, treatment mechanism, and/or side effect? Developing an explicit measurement model for smoking cessation research. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 482-491. https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/nty262. PMID: 30535357. PMCID: PMC7164574.
Hawk, L.W., Jr., Fosco, W.D., Colder, C.R., Waxmonsky, J.G., Pelham, W.E., Jr., & Rosch, K.S. (2018). How do stimulant treatments for ADHD work? Evidence for mediation by improved cognition. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. doi:10.1111/jcpp.12917.
Schlienz, N., & Hawk, L.W., Jr. (2017). Probing the behavioral and neurophysiological effects of acute smoking abstinence on drug and non-drug reinforcement during a cognitive task. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 19, 729-737. doi:10.1093/ntr/ntw277.
Rhodes, J.D., & Hawk, L.W., Jr. (2016). Smoke and mirrors: The overnight abstinence paradigm as an index of disrupted cognitive function. Psychopharmacology, 233(8), 1395-1404.DOI:10.1007/s00213-016-4227-8. PMID: 26875757.
Hawk, L.W., Jr., Ashare, R.L., Rhodes, J.D., Oliver, J., Cummings, K.M., & Mahoney, M.C. (2015). Does extended pre-quit bupropion aid in extinguishing smoking behavior? Nicotine & Tobacco Research,17, 1377-84. PMID: 25589680.
Lerman, C., Schnoll, R.A., Hawk, L.W., Jr., Cinciripini, P.M., George, T.P., Wileyto, E.P., Swan, G.E., Benowitz, N.L., Heitjan, D.F., & Tyndale, R.F. on behalf of the PGRN-PNAT Research Group (2015). A randomized placebo-controlled trial to test a genetically-informed biomarker for personalizing treatment for tobacco dependence. Lancet Respiratory Medicine, 3(2), 131-138. PMID: 25588294. PMCID: PMC4480925.

Selected Honors and Awards

Fellow, Association for Psychological Science
Fellow, Society for Research on Nicotine & Tobacco
UB Exceptional Scholar—Sustained Achievement Award
UB President Emeritus and Mrs. Meyerson Award for Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching and Mentoring
Distinguished Scholar Alumni Award, Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham