Dr. Kendzor is a tenured Professor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Co-Director of the TSET Health Promotion Research Center (HPRC), and Co-Leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at the NCI-Designated Stephenson Cancer Center (SCC). She established and leads the HPRC Tobacco Treatment Research Program (TTRP), which offers free tobacco cessation counseling and pharmacotherapy to the public while 1) collecting data relevant to the process of quitting and 2) facilitating recruitment into ongoing research studies. She earned her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from Louisiana State University and completed her postdoctoral training in cancer prevention and health disparities research at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. Her published work has focused on tobacco use and cessation, medical cannabis use, cancer prevention and survivorship, mobile health assessment/intervention, and health disparities. She is MPI of the renewable $15.1 million TSET grant which supports the TSET Health Promotion Research Center and PI of the American Cancer Society Cancer Health Equity Research Center (CHERC) which will support research designed to understand and address cancer disparities in prevention and early detection in Oklahoma. Her NCI-funded research has focused on evaluating smoking cessation interventions, with an emphasis on using financial incentives to promote smoking cessation among socioeconomically disadvantaged adults via clinic- and smartphone-based methods. She was just awarded a new NCI grant to evaluate the combination of varenicline and nicotine lozenges, and a smartphone-based medication adherence intervention.
Academic Section(s):
OUFMC Research Division
Education:
BA, Psychology, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL (2000)
MA, Clinical Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA (2005)
PhD, Clinical Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA (2007)
Fellowship:
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Cancer Prevention Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (2007 - 2009)
Clinical Psychology Internship, Montgomery Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS (2006 - 2007)
Clinical/Research Interests:
- Tobacco cessation interventions for socioeconomically disadvantaged and vulnerable populations
- Tobacco-related health disparities
- Financial incentives for behavior change
- Smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment/intervention
- Cancer prevention
Funding:
Current Funding *Indicates trainee investigator
Kendzor DE (PI), Ahluwalia J (Co-PI), Businelle MS (Co-Investigator), Frank-Pearce SG (Co-Investigator), Baranskaya IV (Co-Investigator), Sifat M (Co-Investigator)*, Hébert ET (Co-Investigator)
Randomized Factorial Trial of Varenicline with Nicotine Lozenges and a Smartphone Medication Adherence Intervention to Promote Smoking Cessation
Sponsored by National Cancer Institute, Federal
Grant/Contract Number: R01CA298165
Total Direct Costs: $2,229,393
2025 – 2029
Kendzor DE (PI), Cohn AM (Co-PI), Doescher MP (Co-PI), McQuoid JM (Co-PI), Neil JM (Co-PI)
Oklahoma Cancer Health Equity Research Center (CHERC)
Sponsored by American Cancer Society, Non-Profit
Grant/Contract Number: CHERC-24-1160021-01-CHERC
Total Direct Costs: $3,999,646
2025 – 2028
Kendzor DE (PI) 30% Effort, Businelle MS (Co-Investigator), Vidrine DJ (Co-Investigator), Pearce-Frank S (Co-Investigator), Alexander AC (Co-Investigator)*, Dallery J (Co-Investigator), Shih Y-C (Co-Investigator)
Automated Mobile Contingency Management for Smoking Cessation among Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Adults
Sponsored by National Cancer Institute, Federal
Grant/Contract Number: R01CA251451
Total Direct Costs: $2,240,653
2021 – 2026
Kendzor DE (PI), Businelle MS (Co-PI)
TSET Health Promotion Research Center
Sponsored by Oklahoma TSET, State
Grant/Contract Number: R23-02
Current Funding (Total Cost per Year): $15,100,000
2023 – 2026
Ogunsanya M (PI)*, Kendzor DE (Co-Investigator)
Development and Preliminary Evaluation of a Tailored mHealth App Designed to Improve Quality of-Life Outcomes in Prostate Cancer Survivors
Sponsored by Department of Defense, Federal
Grant/Contract Number: PC230551/13963800
Total Direct Costs: $898,842
2024 – 2027
Froehlich-Grobe K (PI), Kendzor DE (Co-Investigator)
Addressing Tobacco Cessation among Smokers with Spinal Cord Injury and their Healthcare Providers
Sponsored by Craig H. Neilson Foundation, Private
Grant/Contract Number: 1149537
Total Direct Costs: $550,000
2024 – 2027
Mannel RS (PI), Kendzor DE (Co-Leader, Cancer Prevention and Control Program) 5% Effort
Stephenson Cancer Center – Cancer Center Support Grant
Sponsored by National Cancer Institute, Federal
Grant/Contract Number: P30CA225520
2019 – 2028
Mentored Grants
Alexander AC (PI)*, Kendzor DE (Primary Mentor), Businelle MS (Mentor), Cheney M (Mentor), McNeill LH (Mentor), Cohn AM (Mentor)
HealthyCells: A Culturally-Tailored Smoking Cessation Smartphone Intervention for African Americans with Adjunctive Treatment for Sedentary Behavior
Sponsored by National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, Federal
Grant/Contract Number: K01MD015295
Total Direct Costs: $621,735
2021 – 2026
Pope Z* (Co-PI), Klinedinst T* (Co-PI), Robertson MC* (Co-PI), Kendzor DE (Mentor)
A Digitally Mediated Occupational Therapy Program to Increase Physical Activity in Urban and Rural Breast Cancer Survivors Who Have Undergone Breast-conserving Surgery or Mastectomy
Sponsored by ACS/OUHSC, The University of Oklahoma (Institutional)
Grant/Contract Number: ACS IRG
Total Direct Costs: $60,000
2024 – 2025
Cruvinel E (PI)*, Kendzor DE (Mentor), Richter K (Primary Mentor), Scheuermann T (Mentor), Yi R (Mentor), Gajewski B (Mentor)
Using Contingency Management to Promote Adherence to Smoking Cessation Treatment Among Hospitalized Smokers
Sponsored by National Institute on Drug Abuse, Federal
Grant/Contract Number: K01DA055779
Total Direct Costs: $733,639.00
Additional Information: Dr. Cruvinel is appointed at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
2022 – 2027
Machado N (PI), Kendzor DE (Primary Mentor)*, Richter K (Mentor)
Transforming Quality Metrics to Improve Tobacco Treatment in Medicaid
Postdoctoral Fellowship Grant, Sponsored by American Cancer Society, Non-Profit
Grant/Contract Number: PF-24-1198256-01-HOPS
Total Direct Costs: $147,500
2025 – 2027
Completed Funding (Selected)
Kendzor DE (PI), Businelle MS (Co-Investigator), Wetter DW (Co-Investigator), Swartz M (Co-Investigator)
Small Financial Incentives to Promote Smoking Cessation in Safety Net Hospital Patients
Sponsored by National Cancer Institute, Federal
Grant/Contract Number: R01CA197314
Total Direct Costs: $1,092,514
2015 – 2022
Kendzor DE (PI)
Pathways Between Socioeconomic Status and Behavioral Cancer Risk Factors
Sponsored by American Cancer Society, Foundation
Grant/Contract Number: MRSGT-10-104-01-CPHPS
Total Direct Costs: $674,840
Additional Information: Mentored Research Scholar Grant
2010 – 2015
Select Publications:
*Indicates trainee author
Kendzor DE, Davie M*, Chen M, Hart J, Frank-Pearce SG, Doescher MP, Alexander AC*, Businelle MS, Ogunsanya M*, Sifat MS*, Boozary LK*. Incentivizing tobacco helpline engagement in persistent poverty counties: A randomized trial. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2025; 68 (2), 336-347. DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2024.10.014
Alexander AC*, Businelle MS, Cheney MK, Cohn AM, McNeil LH, Short KR, Frank-Pearce SG, Bradley D, Estrada K, Flores I, Fronheiser J, Kendzor DE. A mobile health intervention with financial incentives to promote smoking cessation and physical activity among Black adults: A feasibility randomized controlled trial protocol. JMIR Research Protocols, 2025; 14, e69771. DOI: 10.2196/69771
Kendzor DE, Businelle MS, Frank-Pearce SG, Waring JJC*, Chen S, Hébert ET*, Swartz MD, Alexander AC*, Sifat MS*, Boozary LK*, Wetter DW. Financial incentives for smoking cessation among socioeconomically disadvantaged adults: A randomized controlled trial. JAMA Network Open, 2024; 7(7), e2418821. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.18821
Sifat MS*, Alexander AC*, Businelle MS, Frank-Pearce SG, Boozary LK*, Wagener TL, Ahluwalia JS, Kendzor DE. E-Cigarette switching and financial incentives to promote combustible cigarette cessation among adults accessing shelter services: A pilot study. Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports, 2024; 13, 100295. DOI: 10.1016/j.dadr.2024.100295
Niznik T*, Boozary LK*, Chen M, Cohn AM, Ulahannan SV, Henson CE, Alexander AC*, Moore KN, Holman LL, Queimado L, Kendzor DE. Symptom trajectories over time by cannabis use status among patients undergoing cancer treatment. Scientific Reports, 2024; 14(1), 28319. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-78501-4
Businelle MS, Perski O, Hébert ET*, Kendzor DE. Mobile health interventions for substance use disorders. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 2024; 20(1), 49-76. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-080822-042337
Wang C, Chen TA, Britton M, Businelle MS, Kendzor DE, McNeil LH, et al. The indirect effect of smoking level in the association between urban stress and readiness to quit smoking among adults experiencing homelessness. Health Behavior Research, 2023; 6(1). DOI: 10.4148/2572-1836.1175
Klinedinst TC, Ciro CA, Kendzor DE. A pilot, randomized, feasibility study to improve health self-management behaviors in older adults with multiple chronic conditions and functional limitations: Protocol for the Behavioral Activation and Occupational Therapy Trial (BA+OT). Journal of Multimorbidity & Comorbidity, 2023; 13, 26335565231163037. DOI: 10.1177/26335565231163037
Ehlke SJ, Kendzor DE, Smith MA, Sifat MS, Boozary LK, Cohn AM. Single-use, co-use, and polysubstance use of alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis in sexual minority and heterosexual females. American Journal on Addictions, 2023; 32(1), 66-75. DOI: 10.1111/ajad.1334
Brewer K, Waring JJC, Noble B, Bradley D, Olurotimi O, Fronheiser J, Sifat MS, Ehlke SJ, Boozary LK, McQuoid J, Kendzor DE, Alexander AC. Pandemic-related stress may be associated with symptoms of poor mental health among African Americans. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 2022; 10(4), 2028-2038. DOI: 10.1007/s40615-022-01383-7
Rangu N, Frank-Pearce SG, Alexander AC, Hébert ET, Ra C, Kendzor DE, Businelle MS. Non-adherence to psychiatric medication in adults experiencing homelessness is associated with incurred concussions. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2022; 16, 958169. DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.958169
Ehlke SJ, Cohn AM, Boozary LK, Alexander AC, Waring JJC, Businelle MS, Kendzor DE. Discrimination, substance use, and mental health among sexual and gender minority adults accessing day shelter services. Substance Use & Misuse, 2022; 57(8), 1237-1247. DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2022.2076874
Alexander AC, Waring JJC, Noble B, Bradley D, Olurotimi O, Fronheiser J, Sifat M, Ehlke SJ, Boozary LK, McQuoid J, Kendzor DE. Perceptions of mental health and exploring the role of social activism among African Americans exposed to media coverage of police brutality and protests. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 2022; 10(3), 1403-1413. DOI: 10.1007/s40615-022-01326-2
Benson L, Ra CK, Hébert ET, Kendzor DE, Oliver JA, Frank-Pearce SG, Neil JM, Businelle MS. Quit stage and intervention type differences in the momentary within-person association between negative affect and smoking urges. Frontiers in Digital Health, 2022; 4, 864003. DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2022.864003
Boozary LK, Frank-Pearce SG, Alexander AC, Waring JJC, Ehlke SJ, Businelle MS, Cohn AM, Kendzor DE. Correlates of e-cigarette use among adults initiating smoking cessation treatment. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2021; 224, 108724. PMID: 33940324. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.108724
Kendzor DE, Businelle MS, Waring JJC*, Mathews AJ, Geller DW, Barton JM, Alexander AC*, Hébert ET*, Ra CK*, Vidrine DJ. Automated mobile delivery of financial incentives for smoking cessation among socioeconomically disadvantaged adults: A feasibility study. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 2020; 8(4). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/15960
Alexander AC*, Hébert ET*, Businelle MS, Kendzor DE. Greater perceived importance of earning abstinence-contingent incentives is associated with smoking cessation among socioeconomically disadvantaged adults. Addictive Behaviors, 2019; 95, 202-205. DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.04.001
Alexander AC*, Nollen NL, Ahluwalia JS, Hébert ET*, Businelle MS, Kendzor DE. Darker skin color is associated with a lower likelihood of smoking cessation among males but not females. Social Science & Medicine, 2019; 240, 112562. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112562
Kendzor DE, Businelle MS, Waters AF*, Frank SG, Hébert ET*. Financial strain indirectly influences smoking cessation through withdrawal symptom severity. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2018; 183, 55-61. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.10.027
Waters AF*, Businelle MS, Frank SG, Hébert ET*, Kendzor DE. Understanding the link between contingency management and smoking cessation: The roles of sex and self-efficacy. Addictive Behaviors, 2018; 84, 99-105. PMID: 29655134. DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.03.018.
Knell G*, Gabriel KP, Businelle MS, Shuval K, Wetter DW, Kendzor DE. Ecological momentary assessment of physical activity: Validation study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 2017; 19(7), e253. DOI: 10.2196/jmir.7602
Peltier MR*, Lee J*, Ma P*, Businelle MS, Kendzor DE. The influence of sleep quality on smoking cessation in socioeconomically disadvantaged adults. Addictive Behaviors, 2017; 66, 7-12. PMID: 27855299. DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2016.11.004
Kendzor DE, Allicock M, Businelle MS, Sandon LF, Gabriel KP, Frank SG. Evaluation of a shelter-based diet and physical activity intervention for homeless adults. Journal of Physical Activity & Health, 2016; 14, 88-97. PMID: 27775471. DOI: 10.1123/jpah.2016-0343
Kendzor DE, Shuval K, Gabriel KP, Businelle MS, Ma P*, High RR, Cuate EL*, Poonawalla IB*, Rios DM*, Demark-Wahnefried W, Swartz MD, Wetter DW. Impact of a mobile phone intervention to reduce sedentary behavior in a community sample of adults: A quasi-experimental evaluation. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 2016; 18(1), e19. PMID: 26810027. DOI: 10.2196/jmir.5137
Ma P*, Businelle MS, Balis DS, Kendzor DE. The influence of perceived neighborhood disorder on smoking cessation among urban safety net hospital patients. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2015; 156, 157-161. PMID: 26386824. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.09.004
Kendzor DE, Businelle MS, Poonawalla IB*, Cuate EL*, Kesh A*, Rios DM*, Ma P*, Balis DS. Financial incentives for abstinence among socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals in smoking cessation treatment. American Journal of Public Health, 2015; 105(6), 1198-1205. PMID: 25393172. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.302102
Kendzor DE, Businelle MS, Reitzel LR, Rios DM*, Scheuermann TS, Pulvers K, Ahluwalia JS. Everyday discrimination is associated with nicotine dependence among African American, Latino, and White smokers. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2014; 16(6), 633-640. PMID: 24302634. DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntt198
Kendzor DE, Businelle MS, Reitzel LR, Castro Y, Vidrine JI, Mazas CA, Cinciripini PM, Lam CY, Adams CE, Correa-Fernández V, Cano MÁ, Wetter DW. The influence of discrimination on smoking cessation among Latinos. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2014; 136, 143-148. PMID: 24485880. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.01.003
Kendzor DE, Chen M, Reininger BM, Businelle MS, Stewart D, Fisher-Hoch SP, Rentfro AR, Wetter DW, McCormick JB. The association of depression and anxiety with glycemic control among Mexican Americans with diabetes living near the U.S.-Mexico border. BMC Public Health, 2014; 14, 176. PMID: 24548487. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-14-176
Kendzor DE, Caughy MO, Owen MT. Family income trajectory during childhood is associated with adiposity in adolescence: a latent class growth analysis. BMC Public Health, 2012; 12, 611. PMID: 22863369. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-12-611
Kendzor DE, Reitzel LR, Mazas CA, Cofta-Woerpel LM, Cao Y, Ji L, Costello TJ, Vidrine JI, Businelle MS, Li Y, Castro Y, Ahluwalia JS, Cinciripini PM, Wetter DW. Individual- and area-level unemployment influence smoking cessation among African Americans participating in a randomized clinical trial. Social Science & Medicine, 2012; 74(9), 1394-1401. PMID: 22405506. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.01.013
Kendzor DE, Businelle MS, Costello TJ, Castro Y, Reitzel LR, Cofta-Woerpel LM, Li Y, Mazas CA, Vidrine JI, Cinciripini PM, Greisinger AJ, Wetter DW. Financial strain and smoking cessation among racially/ethnically diverse smokers. American Journal of Public Health, 2010; 100(4), 702-706. PMID: 20167886. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2009.172676