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Residency Faculty

Jason A. Oliver, PhD
Family and Preventive Medicine

Jason A. Oliver, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine

Health Promotion Research Center
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
655 Research Parkway, Suite 400
Oklahoma City, OK  73104

(405) 271-6872

jason-oliver@ou.edu

Jason A. Oliver, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences. He completed his PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of South Florida in 2015 followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in Addiction Neuroscience at Duke University. After completion of fellowship, Dr. Oliver remained on as faculty at Duke University where he conducted research on tobacco use and maintained an active clinical practice specializing in health behavior change and coping with chronic illness. He joined the TSET Health Promotion Research Center at SCC and OUHSC in 2021.

Dr. Oliver's research program draws on concepts and methods from basic, clinical and epidemiological research to help improve our understanding of why people engage in unhealthy behaviors and develop novel behavioral and pharmacological interventions that can help people lead healthier lives. One current topic of focus in Dr. Oliver's lab is the development and testing of interventions that can curtail the impact of environment on smoking behavior by enabling smokers to better cope with the "breakthrough" cravings that can emerge in settings they associate with smoking. Another focus is on understanding the role that alternative rewards (i.e. pleasurable activities incompatible with smoking, drinking or other drug use) can play in the development and maintenance of addiction. Cutting across both topics is an effort to better understand how these factors may contribute to health disparities. For example, by increasing exposure to environments where smoking, drinking or other drug use are common or by limiting access to alternative rewards.

Dr. Oliver has served as Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator on grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Cancer Institute, the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation and the American Heart Association.

Academic Section(s):

OUFMC Research Division

Education:

Degree-Granting Institutions:

  • University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, PhD, 2015, Clinical Psychology
  • State University of New York at Buffalo, Amherst, NY, BA/BS, 2005, Psychology and Business Administration

Postgraduate Training:

  • Postdoctoral Fellowship, Addiction Neuroscience, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 2015 - 2017
  • Clinical Psychology Resident, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 2014 - 2015

Funding:

Active (Selected)

Tonkin S (PI), Businelle MS (Mentor)*, Oliver J (Mentor)*.
"A translational evaluation of depressive symptomology and smoking cessation treatment mechanisms for just-in-time-adaptive-interventions."
Sponsored by National Institute on Drug Abuse, Federal
Grant/Contract Number: K23DA062104
Award period: 09/01/2025 - 08/30/2030

McClernon FJ (PI), Engelhard M (Co-Investigator), Oliver J (Co-Investigator), Carpenter M (Co-Investigator). 
"Project DEDUCE: Digital Envirotyping to Develop Understanding of Cigarette smoking and the Environment."
Sponsored by National Institute on Drug Abuse, Federal
Grant/Contract Number: R01DA062639
Award period: 07/15/2025 - 03/31/2030

Oliver JA (PI), Businelle MS (Co-PI), Walters ST (Co-PI), Vesely (Co-Investigator), Shi D (Co-Investigator). 
"Efficacy of a smartphone-based just-in-time adaptive intervention to reduce drinking among adults experiencing homelessness."
Sponsored by National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Federal
Grant/Contract Number: R01 AA031280
Award period: 08/20/2024 - 04/30/2029

Fish L (PI), Pollak K (Co-Investigator), Noonan D (Co-Investigator), Oliver J (Co-Investigator), Brandon T (Consultant), Shiffman S (Consultant).
"Feasibility of cue-based treatment intervention to promote cessation among light and intermittent smokers."
Sponsored by National Cancer Institute, Federal
Grant/Contract Number: R34
Award period: 09/01/2025 - 08/31/2028

Pope ZC (PI), Yabluchanskiy A (Co-PI), Kellawan JM (Co-PI), Oliver J (Co-Investigator), Robertson MC (Co-Investigator), Henson CE (Co-Investigator).
"Cerebrovascular, Cognitive, Pro-Inflammatory, and Cardiometabolic Outcomes in Cancer Survivors with and without Type II Diabetes Reporting Chemo-Brain: Baseline Differences and Impact of Activity."
Sponsored by Harold Hamm Diabetes Center/Stephenson Cancer Center/The University of Oklahoma, Institutional 
Award period: 07/01/2024 - 06/30/2027

Completed (Selected)

Oliver J (PI)
"Nicotine withdrawal and reward processing: Connecting neurobiology to real-world behavior." Career Development Award
Sponsored by National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Federal
Grant/Contract Number: K23DA042898
Award period: 04/01/2017 - 03/31/2024

Oliver J (PI), Smoski M (Co-Investigator), Schick R (Co Investigator).
"Anhedonia and activity patterns: Working towards a geospatial understanding of etiology and intervention," NARSAD Young Investigator Award
Sponsored by Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, Foundation
Grant/Contract Number: 28608
Award period: 01/15/2020 - 01/14/2024

Wheeler D (Co-PI), Fuemmeler B (Co-PI), McClernon FJ (Co-Investigator), Oliver J (Co-Investigator), Murphy S (Co-Investigator), Hoyo C (Co-Investigator), Dahman B (Co-Investigator). 
"Clarifying the role of tobacco retail outlets on maternal smoking during pregnancy and child secondhand smoke exposure."
Sponsored by National Cancer Institute, Federal
Grant/Contract Number: R01CA239595 
Award period: 05/02/2019 - 04/30/2024

McClernon FJ (PI), Oliver J (Co-Investigator), Engelhard M (Co-Investigator), Carin L (Co-Investigator).
"Deep learning-based image analysis for assessing real-time smoking risk," R21 CEBRA (Cutting-Edge Basic Research Awards)
Sponsored by National Institute on Drug Abuse, Federal
Grant/Contract Number: R21DA047131 
Award period: 09/01/ - 08/31/2020

Oliver J (PI), McClernon FJ (Co-Investigator), Sweitzer MM (Co-Investigator), Dew RE (Co-Investigator). 
"Neurobehavioral substrates of propranolol's effects on drug cue reactivity,"
Sponsored by National Institute on Drug Abuse, Federal
Grant/Contract Number: R03DA043756
Award period: 09/01/2017 - 08/31/2019

Oliver J (PI)
"Paving the road to cardiovascular health: Translational science for smoking cessation."
Sponsored by American Heart Assocation, Non-Profit
Grant/Contract Number: 13PRE1466007
Award period: 01/01/2014 - 12/31/2015

Select Honors & Accomplishments:

2015 to Present:

  • Editorial Fellow, Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology (2022)
  • Selected for Alcohol Medical Scholars Program, University of California, San Diego (2020)
  • Selected for Early Career Reviewer Program, NIH Center for Scientific Review (2020)
  • Co-author on “2018 Best Paper Award”, Society for Research on Nicotine & Tobacco (2018)
  • Reviewer of the Year, Nicotine & Tobacco Research (2017)
  • Top 2% of Reviewers in Timeliness, Quality and Volume, Nicotine & Tobacco Research (2017)
  • American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Travel Award (2017)
  • New Investigator Award for Best Abstract, Society for Research on Nicotine & Tobacco (2016)

Select Publications:

  1. Boozary LK, Chen M, Frank-Pearce SG, Hebert ET, Chen S, Alexander AC, Ogunsanya ME, Sifat MS, Oliver JA, Businelle MS, Kendzor DE. Discrimination experiences are associated with same-day and next-day smoking among adults with low socio-economic status trying to quit: A secondary analysis of data from a randomized clinical trial. Addiction, 2026; 121(8): 2197-2209.  DOI: 10.1111/add.70419
  2. Tonkin SS, Chen M, Oliver JA, Walters ST, Gajos JM Businelle MS. Daily variations and factors related to alcohol avoidance motivation and alcohol use among adults who are unhoused. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse, 2026; 52(2): 270-281 Accession Number: 41984067. DOI: 10.1080/00952990.2026.2640488
  3. Pope ZC, Yabluchanskiy A, Mukli P, Robertson MC, Oliver JA, Borengasser SJ, et al. Smartphone-Based Physical Activity Program to Reduce "Chemo-Brain" Symptoms and Improve Health in Cancer Survivors With and Without Type 2 Diabetes: Protocol for a Single-Arm Pre-Post Pilot Trial. JMIR Res Protoc, 2025; 14: e79739.  DOI: 10.2196/79739
  4. Richards VL, Mallett KA, Turrisi RJ, Oliver JA, Croff JM, Russell MA. Effects of nicotine-alcohol co-use on alcohol-induced blackouts and other alcohol-related consequences in college students. Psychopharmacology (Berl), 2025; 242(12): 2757-2767.  DOI: 10.1007/s00213-025-06830-x
  5. Fuemmeler BF, Dahman B, Glasgow TE, Barsell DJ, Oliver JA, Zhang J, et al. Tobacco exposures are associated with healthcare utilization and healthcare costs in pregnant persons and their newborn babies. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2024; 26(11): 1530-1537. DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntae128
  6. Gibson K, Cernasov P, Styner M, Walsh EC, Kinard JL, Kelley L, Bizzell J, Phillips R, Pfister C, Scott M, Freeman L, Pisoni A, Nagy GA, Oliver JA, Smoski MJ, Dichter GS. The effects of psychotherapy for anhedonia on subcortical brain volumes measured with ultra-high field MRI. Journal of Affective Disorders, 2024; 361: 128-138. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.05.140
  7. Bello MS, Zhang Y, Cho J, Kirkpatrick MG, Pang RD, Oliver JA, et al. Nicotine deprivation amplifies attentional bias toward racial discrimination stimuli in African American adults who smoke cigarettes. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 2023; 31(6): 1023-1031. DOI: 10.1037/pha0000662
  8. Tonkin S, Kezbers KM, Noble B, Cropsey K, Kendzor DE, Oliver J, et al. Comparison of the Bluetooth iCOquit, piCO, and Vitalograph for the assessment of breath carbon monoxide among adults initiating smoking cessation and standardized canisters. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2023; 50: 110902. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.110902
  9. Wheeler DC, Boyle J, Barsell DJ, Maguire RL, Dahman B, Murphy SK, Hoyo C, Zhang J, Oliver JA, McClernon J, Fuemmeler BF. Neighborhood deprivation is associated with increased risk of prenatal smoke exposure. Prevention Science, 2022; 23(7): 1078-1089. DOI: 10.1007/s11121-022-01355-7
  10. Ekhtiari H, Zare-Bidoky M, Sangchooli A, Janes AC, Kaufman MJ, Oliver JA, Prisciandaro JJ, et al. A methodological checklist for fMRI drug cue reactivity studies: Development and expert consensus. Nature Protocols, 2022; 17(3): 567-595. DOI: 10.1038/s41596-021-00649-4
  11. Wheeler DC, Boyle J, Barsell DJ, Glasgow T, McClernon FJ, Oliver JA, et al. Associations of alcohol and tobacco retail outlet rates with neighborhood disadvantage. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2022; 19(3): 1134. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19031134
  12. Engelhard MM, D’Arcy J, Oliver JA, Kozink R, McClernon FJ. Prediction of smoking risk from repeated sampling of environmental images: model validation. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 2021: 23(11); e27875.  DOI 10.2196/27875
  13. Oliver JA, Sweitzer MM. Commentary on Kunas et al.: Hijacked brain reward systems-how methodological advances can help to bridge gaps in the translational science pipeline. Addiction, 2022; 117(3): 713-714.    DOI 10.1111/add.15678
  14. Oliver JA, Sweitzer MM, Engelhard MM, Hallyburton MB, Ribisl KM, McClernon FJ. Identifying neural signatures of tobacco retail outlet exposure: Preliminary validation of a "community neuroscience" paradigm. Addiction Biology, 2021; 26(5): e13029. DOI 10.1111/adb.13029
  15. Cernasov P, Walsh EC, Kinard JL, et al, Oliver JA, et al. Multilevel growth curve analyses of behavioral activation for anhedonia (BATA) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy effects on anhedonia and resting-state functional connectivity: Interim results of a randomized trial. Journal of Affective Disorder, 2021; 292: 161-171. DOI 10.1016/j.jad.2021.05.054
  16. Liautaud MM, Kechter A, Bello MS, Guillot CR, Oliver JA, et al. Anhedonia in tobacco withdrawal among African-American smokers. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 2021; 29(5): 511-523.   DOI 10.1037/pha0000474
  17. Oliver JA, Foulds J. Association between cigarette smoking frequency and tobacco use disorder in U.S. adults. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2021; 60(5): 726-728. DOI 10.1016/j.amepre.2020.10.019
  18. Pollak KI, Oliver JA, Pieper C, et al. Cue-based treatment for light smokers: A proof of concept pilot. Addictive Behaviors, 2021; 114: 106717. DOI 10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106717
  19. Oliver JA, Pacek LR, Locey EN, Fish LJ, Hendricks PS, Pollak KI. Lack of utility of cigarettes per day cutoffs for clinical and laboratory smoking research. Addictive Behaviors, 2019; 98: 106066. DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.106066
  20. Engelhard MM, Oliver JA, Henao R, Hallyburton MB, Carin LE, Conklin CA, McClernon FJ. Identifying smoking-risk environments from everyday images with deep learning. JAMA Network Open, 2019; 2(8): e197939. DOI 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.7939
  21. Maynard OM, McClernon FJ, Oliver JA, Munafo MR. Using neuroscience to inform tobacco control policy. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2019; 21(6): 739-746. DOI: 10.1093/ntr/nty057
  22. Oliver JA, Hallyburton MB, Pacek LR, Mitchell JT, Vilardaga R, Fuemmeler BF, McClernon FJ. What do smokers want in a smartphone-based cessation application? Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2018; 20(12): 1507-1514. DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntx171
  23. Fowler CD, Gipson CD, Kleykamp A, Rupprecht LE, Rees VW, Gould TJ, Oliver JA, Bagdas D, Damaj MI, Schmidt H, Harrell PT, Duncan A, De Biasi M. Basic science and public policy: Informed regulation for nicotine and tobacco products. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2018; 20(7): 789-799. DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntx175
  24. Oliver JA, Evans DE, Addicott MA, Brandon TH, Drobes DJ. Nicotine withdrawal induces neural deficits in reward processing. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2017; 199(6): 686-693. DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntx067