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2025 Alton Ochsner award for smoking cessation research winners announced
Dr. Li-Shiun Chen and Dr. Robin Mermelstein are co-winners of the 40th annual Alton Ochsner Award Relating Smoking and Disease
NEW ORLEANS - Ochsner Health has announced that Dr. Li-Shiun Chen, a professor of psychiatry at the Washington University School of Medicine, and Dr. Robin Mermelstein, a professor of psychology, distinguished professor of the College of Liberal Arts and Science and director of the Institute for Health Research and Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago, are co-winners of the 2025 annual Alton Ochsner Award Relating Smoking and Disease. Both researchers are experts in the science of smoking cessation. The award is given annually by Ochsner to researchers who advance the science of treatment for smoking-related diseases and help further the goal of ending tobacco consumption.
"At Ochsner Health, we honor Dr. Alton Ochsner’s legacy in educating patients about the dangers of smoking by recognizing researchers who make critical advancements to deepen our understanding of smoking cessation and disease prevention. We know that this important work helps evolve science and allows clinicians to unlock innovative treatments,” said Leonardo Seoane, MD, chief academic officer for Ochsner Health and professor of medicine at The University of Queensland Medical School – Ochsner Health and the Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine. “Congratulations to Dr. Li-Shiun Chen and Dr. Robin Mermelstein for their incredible advancements in understanding the psychology of tobacco dependence, and for finding innovative solutions in helping our patients and community members quit smoking.”
Work of Dr. Chen and Dr. Mermelstein
Dr. Chen, who serves as director of the Tobacco Treatment Program at the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Hospital, is recognized as a leading expert on the genetics of tobacco dependence with specific investigation into variations in the CHRNA5 gene. Her translational research has led to the development of precision tobacco strategies using genetic markers that may predict the prognosis and treatment response to smoking cessation pharmacotherapy. Her ongoing research has shown that tobacco treatment extends survival and improves outcomes for all patients with cancer.
In addition to directing the Institute for Health Research and Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Dr. Mermelstein is also clinical professor of community health sciences in the UIC School of Public Health, an assistant dean of the UIC College of Medicine, and the co-principal investigator of the UIC Center for Clinical and Translational Science. Her career is characterized by her groundbreaking contributions to the understanding of the initiation, progression and cessation of tobacco use. Her research has explored smoking behaviors with particular attention to e-cigarette use in adolescents and young adults. In addition to her extensive scientific contributions, Dr. Mermelstein has been a key figure in formulating tobacco public health policies.
The work of Dr. Chen and Dr. Mermelstein will be highlighted at Ochsner Research Week in 2026.
The Alton Ochsner Award Relating Smoking and Disease
The prestigious award, established in 1986, recognizes groundbreaking scientific research that deepens our understanding of biological mechanisms linking tobacco smoking and human disease.
The award honors Dr. Alton Ochsner, who first identified smoking as a primary cause of lung cancer in 1939. Recipients receive an honorarium and award medallion, as well as a plaque detailing the recipient's key research findings. This accolade continues Dr. Ochsner's legacy by highlighting exemplary contributions that advance the fight against smoking-related diseases.
Learn more by visiting www.ochsner.org/research.
Media contact: pr@ochsner.org
About Ochsner Health
Ochsner Health is the leading nonprofit healthcare provider in the Gulf South, delivering expert care at its 47 hospitals and more than 370 health and urgent care centers. Ochsner is nationally recognized for inspiring healthier lives and stronger communities through unmatched expertise, quality, and digital connectivity. In 2024, Ochsner’s more than 40,000 dedicated team members and 4,900 employed and affiliated physicians cared for 1.6 million people from every state in the nation and 63 countries. To learn more about how Ochsner empowers people to get well and stay well, visit www.ochsner.org.
