No images? Click here
INTREPID Lab Newsletter Volume 6
Welcome to the 2026 INTREPID Lab Newsletter—a new year filled with possibility, purpose, and momentum. At INTREPID Lab, we continue to push beyond boundaries, transforming bold ideas into real‑world impact through research, compassion, and relentless innovation. This year, we deepen our commitment to creating learning health systems that evolve with the people we serve- both people who use nicotine/tobacco and their providers. We will do this by harnessing the latest technology to amplify human connection and empower meaningful change in care. As some of you know, we have expanded our lessons learned from tobacco cessation to a variety of health conditions caused or made worse by smoking. Thank you for journeying with us as we imagine—and build—a future where care is smarter, more responsive, and profoundly human. We can't do this without all the amazing staff working at INTREPID Lab and all our partners in Ontario and beyond.
Signed,
Dr. Peter Selby
PI- Intrepid Lab
STOP and STOP on the Net: Online Smoking Cessation Program
With continued support from the Ontario Ministry of Health, the INTREPID Lab offers STOP on the Net, our online smoking cessation program for people 18+ in Ontario. Once enrolled, eligible participants will receive a free 6-week supply of Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) that will be conveniently mailed directly to their home (either: patches only, gum/lozenges only, or a combination of both). Additionally, participants may also complete a brief patient decision aid survey and receive a personalized letter with recommendations for prescription medications such as varenicline and bupropion for their healthcare provider.
All eligible participants will have access to a STOP on the Net Patient Dashboard on the My STOP Portal website that features various resources to support their smoking cessation journey. This includes videos on how to use NRT, information on other programs, and a list of resources. They can also view our self-help resources on the INTREPID Lab website here.
We encourage you to refer your patients who are ready to quit smoking!
TEACH Project
Upcoming Accredited Trainings
Tobacco Interventions for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis PopulationsCourse
This 13.5-hour online course is designed for the learner to develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities to provide a holistic, patient-centered, biopsychosocial approach to screen, engage, and treat commercial tobacco use among First Nations, Inuit, and Métis populations. The learner will be able to apply these skills and refer as necessary.
Dates: Feb 11 – Mar 18, 2026
Cost: $525 CAD
E-Cigarettes and Vaping: Approaches to Address Use with Adults and Youth Course
This 13.5-hour online faculty-led course is designed to provide learners with the opportunity to increase their knowledge about e-cigarette use to help guide clinical decision-making. Learners will be able to screen & assess for e-cigarette use and use disorder, and design treatment plans using a client-centered, biopsychosocial approach.
Dates: Feb 18 – Mar 25, 2026
Cost: $525 CAD
TEACH Educational Rounds
TEACH Educational Rounds is a free monthly, accredited webinar series for healthcare providers across all disciplines to enhance knowledge and skills in offering tobacco and nicotine cessation interventions.
Jan 14, 2026 (12-1 PM EST): Helping Women with Diabetes Quit Smoking
Presenter: Dr. Osnat Melamed MD, MSc, MCFP and Alexandra Giordano MSW RSW
SAVE THE DATE for Upcoming TEACH Educational Rounds Webinars
Jan 21, 2026 (12-1 PM EST): GLP-1 Receptor Agonist for Smoking Cessation
Feb 18, 2026 (12-1 PM EST): Cessation in Black Communities Panel
Questions? Contact teach@camh.ca
Youth-VAST
The Youth-VAST Program (Vaping, Alcohol, Substance Use, and Technology Dependence) supports youth aged 12 to 21 across Ontario in building healthy coping strategies and accessing specialized professional care. Services are available virtually across Ontario or in-person at CAMH’s Toronto location, and includes individual/group treatment offerings based on youth needs.
Alongside the excellent clinical and therapeutic care, Youth-VAST also offers wellness reinforcements by supporting young people through their recovery journey with Youth-VAST care kits. Co-designed by youth and based on evidence-based principles for coping and relapse prevention, these kits provide comfort and grounding options wherever and whenever a youth needs it. More than 50 youth each month receive a Youth-VAST Care Kit. These kits are just one way we remind young people that they’re supported, seen, and not alone on their journey.
To learn more about how we can support you, or a youth close to you, visit youthvast.ca or send us an email at youth.vast@camh.ca
Together, we can protect our youth and help give them the healthy future they deserve.
Research
Research was presented in the 2025 North American Research Group (NAPCRG) conference in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Tobacco Cessation for Women With Diabetes
This work promotes a gender-informed approach to tobacco cessation. Women with diabetes mellitus (DM) who smoke face increased risks of stroke and acute coronary events. However, few cessation programs are specifically tailored to the needs of women with DM. The study aimed to synthesize evidence on interventions that address sex and gender influences on smoking in women, and co-develop tailored knowledge mobilization tools for women with DM. The project involved three phases: a systematic review of women-focused programs, consultation workshops with patients, clinicians, and researchers, and co-design of knowledge mobilization products like animation videos and written materials. The systematic review identified evidence on how to support women in quitting smoking, highlighting three main barriers for women's quitting success: lack of social support, post-cessation weight gain, and psychological distress. These insights were included in patient-facing knowledge products tailored for women with DM.
Find further informational materials by scanning below:
New Research Publications
Chandran A, Veldhuizen S, Mehra K, Rodak T, Vagharfard D, Pham M, Zawertailo L, Rehm J, Hendershot CS, Selby P, Minian N. Behaviour change techniques reported in intervention studies of alcohol and tobacco use: a rapid review. Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine. 2025;13(1):2554182. Link to full article
DeVuono IR, Posa S, Lafond NMC, Woodley BD, Coroiu A, Chaiton MO, Evans WK, Veldhuizen S, Zawertailo LA, Melamed OC, Eng L, George MM, Halligan MH, Silverman CB, Stewart A, Krames L, Bradley M, Hussain S, Selby P, Minian N. Exploring practices for implementing smoking cessation in oncology settings: a rapid systematic review update. Cancer Control. 2025;32:10732748251359835. Link to full article
Iturralde K, Karunarathne S, Selby P, Zawertailo L. A review of the environmental impacts of post-consumer electronic cigarette waste and disposal. Nicotine and Tobacco Research. 2025:ntaf202. Link to full article
Melamed OC, Mehra K, Gayapersad A, Panda R, Minian N, Zawertailo L, Buckley L, Maslej M, Greaves L, Brabete AC, Rose J, Ratto M, Selby P. Testing the acceptability and feasibility of a gender-informed smoking cessation mHealth app for women: mixed methods approach. JMIR Human Factors. 2025;12:e71683. Link to full article
Minian N, Mehra K, Rose J, Veldhuizen S, Zawertailo L, Ratto M, Ting-A-Kee R, Melamed O, Tang V, Selby P. Using the behaviour change wheel framework to develop a rule-based chatbot to support varenicline adherence for smoking cessation. Digital Health. 2025;11. Link to full article
Voci S, Veldhuizen S, Ivanova A, Smith A, Selby P, Zawertailo L. The role of chronic pain in smoking cessation: results from a large smoking cessation program in primary care. Nicotine & Tobacco Research. 2025;27(12):2312-2321. Link to full article
News & Announcements
Eunice Chen, PhD Candidate from Dr. Laurie Zawertailo’s lab, presenting her research on transcranial direct current stimulation for vaping reduction to the INTREPID Lab community at the Lab’s annual Academic Fair held at CAMH’s Arrell Auditorium, September 2025.
It's a fall-a-FAIR: INTREPID Lab's Annual Academic Fair is Equity in Action
On September 19, 2025, INTREPID Lab hosted its second annual Academic Fair. The fair marks the unofficial launch to the new school year and invites students and Lab members of all levels to learn about INTREPID Lab’s learning health system and to celebrate the depth and diversity of research happening across the Lab’s community. This community includes 11 scientists from different teams across CAMH and partners such as the University of Toronto and McMaster University. These partners bring expertise in addiction medicine, engineering, pharmacology, psychiatry, and public health with the shared goal of improving health outcomes through innovation and partnership.
This year’s theme, Equity, Diversity, Inclusivity, Indigeneity, and Accessibility (EDIIA), was the focus of each presentation, and reminded attendees that great research isn’t just about what is studied, but it should focus on how research is done and who the research impacts. This year 11 students presented their research and shared how principles of EDIIA were included in their work. They also spoke about gaps that existed in their research projects and explored ways to include what they have learned into future work.
A highlight of this year’s fair was the keynote presentation from Dr. Ambreen Sayani, Scientist at Women’s College Hospital and Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health. Her presentation on equity and belonging in science offered practical insights into how and why EDIIA should shape research environments. She emphasized patient-focused research and stressed the importance of engaging communities directly—meeting them, within their communities, and listening to their needs to break down barriers to participation in research.
Dr. Peter Selby, Principal Investigator of INTREPID Lab giving concluding remarks and thanking keynote speaker, Dr. Ambreen Sayani, for her talk on equity and belonging in science at INTREPID Lab’s annual Academic Fair, September 2025.
INTREPID Lab’s Academic Fair sets the tone for learning in the year ahead. It is a reflection of CAMH as a teaching hospital, where mentorship and innovation collide, and where trainees step forward as the next generation of health-care leaders.
Thank you to INTREPID Lab’s community of scientists, trainees, and collaborators: CAMH’s Addictions Division and the Institute for Mental Health Policy Research (IMHPR); the University of Toronto’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Department of Family and Community Medicine (DFCM), Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Department of Psychiatry, as well as the Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH), and the Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS); and McMaster University’s School of Nursing.
Together, we're advancing research, treatment and hope for a healthier future. Thank you for being part of the INTREPID Lab community and for your continued support of our shared mission. Your compassion and expertise make a difference every day.
With gratitude,
Dr. Selby & the INTREPID Lab Team
