Jennifer McClure, PhD

McClure_Jennifer_B_205x293.jpg

“We create programs and tools to empower people and help them lead healthier lives. By doing so, we can reduce the need for health care and the growing burden of health care costs for all.”

Jennifer McClure, PhD

Director, Investigative Science; Senior Investigator, Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute
Professor, Department of Health Systems Science, Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine

Biography

Jennifer McClure, PhD, is director of Investigative Science at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (KPWHRI). She is also a senior investigator and clinical psychologist whose research focuses on developing new interventions to reduce people’s risk of chronic disease and cancer or help them better manage existing chronic disease through:

  • Smoking cessation
  • Dietary improvement
  • Increased physical activity
  • Treatment adherence
  • Stress management
  • Better oral health
  • Informed decision-making

Much of Dr. McClure’s research emphasizes creating highly individualized behavioral treatments that can be disseminated on a population level, through health care systems and tobacco quitlines or directly to individuals via digital health tools, such as mobile health (mHealth) apps. Her goal is to design programs that are effective, convenient, engaging, and cost-effective, understanding that to make the leap from research to real world, interventions should meet these criteria.

Dr. McClure is best known for her research creating novel treatments for nicotine dependence, particularly interventions targeted to smokers who are ambivalent about quitting. These individuals may want to quit smoking some day, but are not yet ready to give up tobacco. Most smokers fall into this category, but few interventions are targeted to this important group. Her research has demonstrated the effectiveness of using proactive counseling and online interventions to motivate and support smoking cessation among ambivalent smokers. Her work has also shed light on the potential risks and benefits of using biological indicators of disease or disease risk to motivate quitting. Now she is developing two new mHealth apps to help ambivalent smokers kick the habit: one designed for anyone who smokes and one designed specifically for smokers living with HIV.

Dr. McClure’s collaborative research covers a range of topics from reducing sedentary behavior to comparing the effectiveness of various strategies for assessing and diagnosing high blood pressure.

In recognition of her scientific contributions, Dr. McClure was named a fellow in the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) in 2013 and a fellow in the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco in 2018. In 2019 she joined the faculty of the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J Tyson School of Medicine as a professor in Health Systems Science. Dr. McClure is also an affiliate professor of health services at the University of Washington School of Public Health and an affiliate investigator in the Division of Public Health Sciences at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. She currently serves as the Secretary and Treasurer of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco.

RESEARCH INTERESTS AND EXPERIENCE

  • Behavior Change & Behavioral Medicine

    Tobacco cessation; pharmocogenomics of nicotine addiction; treatment adherence; population-based behavior interventions; health risk communications; oral health promotion; dietary change; physical activity promotion; informed decision-making; psychoneuroimmunology; HIV

  • Health Informatics & Digital Health

    Development of eHealth and mHealth intervention tools

  • Mental Health

    Depression treatment and development of behavior change interventions for people with serious mental illness

  • Cancer

    Prevention

  • Chronic Illness Management

    HIV

  • Addictions

    Prevention and treatment

Recent publications

Cassidy-Bushrow A, Alexander G, Lawrence F, McClure J, Ritzwoller D, Rolnick S, Tolsma D, Johnson C. Ca1-02: Women's perception of cardiovascular disease risk varies by hypercholesterolemia history: making effective nutritional choices. Clin Med Res. 2012;10(3):153. PubMed

Swan GE, Javitz HS, Jack LM, Wessel J, Michel M, Hinds DA, Stokowksi RP, McClure JB, Catz SL, Richards J, Zbikowski SM, Deprey M, McAfee T, Conti DV, Bergen AW. Varenicline for smoking cessation: nausea severity and variation in nicotinic receptor genes.  Pharmacogenomics J. 2012 Aug;12(4):349-58. doi: 10.1038/tpj.2011.19. Epub 2011 May 24. PubMed

McClure JB, Riggs KR, St John J, Cerutti B, Zbikowski S. Understanding oral health promotion needs and opportunities of tobacco quitline callers.  Public Health Rep. 2012;127(4):401-6. PubMed

Green BB, Anderson ML, Cook AJ, Catz S, Fishman P, McClure JB, Reid R. Using body mass index data in the electronic health record to calculate cardiovascular risk. Am J Prev Med. 2012;42:342-7. PubMed

Green B, Anderson M, Fishman P, Reid R, Catz S, McClure J, Cook A. Electronic health record-based cardiovascular risk assessment and the use of BMI when laboratory data is not available. Clin Med Res. 2011;9(3-4):151-152. PubMed

Cofta-Woerpel L, McClure JB, Li Y, Urbauer D, Cinciripini PM, Wetter DW. Early cessation success or failure among women attempting to quit smoking: trajectories and volatility of urge and negative mood during the first postcessation week. J Abnorm Psychol. 2011 Aug;120(3):596-606. PubMed

Dillard AJ, Ubel PA, Smith DM, Zikmund-Fisher BJ, Nair V, Derry HA, Zhang A, Pitsch RK, Alford SH, McClure JB, Fagerlin A. The distinct role of comparative risk perceptions in a breast cancer prevention program. Ann Behav Med. 2011 Oct;42(2):262-8. PubMed

Reitzel LR, McClure JB, Cofta-Woerpel L, Mazas CA, Cao Y, Cinciripini PM, Vidrine JI, Li Y, Wetter DW. The efficacy of computer-delivered treatment for smoking cessation.  Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2011 Jul;20(7):1555-7. Epub 2011 May 25. PubMed

Wetter DW, McClure JB, Cofta-Woerpel L, Costello TJ, Reitzel LR, Businelle MS, Cinciripini PM. A randomized clinical trial of a palmtop computer-delivered treatment for smoking relapse prevention among women.  Psychol Addict Behav. 2011 Jun;25(2):365-71. PubMed

Fagerlin A, Dillard AJ, Smith DM, Zikmund-Fisher BJ, Pitsch R, McClure JB, Greene S, Alford SH, Nair V, Hayes DF, Wiese C, Ubel PA. Women's interest in taking tamoxifen and raloxifene for breast cancer prevention: response to a tailored decision aid.  Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2011 Jun;127(3):681-8. Epub 2011 Mar 26. PubMed

 

Research

App-screenshot_quit-smoking-app_1col.jpg

Digital tool could help people change smoking habits

A mobile application designed to engage smokers who are ambivalent about quitting shows promising results.

Healthy findings blog

Celebrating-Women-Who-Tell-Our-Stories_300x170_1col.gif

For Women's History Month: Q&A with scientific leaders

KPWHRI’s executive director and scientific division leaders share their career paths, advice.

New findings

Senior adult male sitting at table taking blood pressure with a blood pressure machine

There’s no place like home … to track blood pressure

Research led by KPWHRI’s Beverly Green, MD, MPH, finds that patients prefer at-home monitoring of blood pressure. 

Behavioral Health

Blog-McClure_self-care_covid-19_pandemic_1_column.jpg

Surviving an FFP: COVID-19

Dr. Jennifer McClure shares advice and resources for staying physically and emotionally well during the COVID-19 crisis, and beyond.

research

McClure-blog_1col.jpg

Oral Health 4 Life: 10 years of research to improve smokers’ health and dental care

As Dr. Jennifer McClure completes the last of three innovative studies, she reflects on how the work began, the difference it may make, and what happens next.

healthy findings blog

Woman looks out window reflectively

Can being accepting and mindful help you stop smoking?

Tobacco remains a public health priority. Jennifer McClure, PhD, discusses her findings comparing ’acceptance and commitment therapy’ to standard care.