Jennifer McClure, PhD, is the Vice President for Health Research at Kaiser Permanente Northwest (KPNW), Director of the KPNW Center for Health Research (CHR), and a Distinguished Investigator at CHR. Dr. McClure is a licensed clinical psychologist with specific expertise in behavioral medicine. As a scientist and research administrator, her work seeks to improve health and health care for all people.
Dr. McClure’s research is broadly focused on the development and evaluation of novel behavioral interventions to help people prevent or better manage chronic disease through modifying lifestyle risk factors, such treatment adherence, diet, dental care, and physical activity. Her collaborative work also includes a wide range of health services research, including studies to improve hypertension diagnosis, increase chlamydia screening, improve the design of patient-centered health reminder systems, and understand the impacts of shared decision aids on breast cancer chemoprevention uptake.
Dr. McClure is best known for her research creating novel interventions for nicotine dependence, particularly interventions targeted to people who are ambivalent about quitting smoking. These individuals want to quit smoking someday, but are not yet ready to give up tobacco. Most people who smoke fall into this category, but they aren’t typically offered supportive assistance with quitting tobacco, and few interventions have even been designed to meet the unique needs of this important group. Dr. McClure’s research has demonstrated the acceptability and effectiveness of using proactive phone counseling, online digital health interventions, and mobile health (mHealth) apps to motivate and support smoking cessation among people ambivalent about quitting smoking. In all of her work, Dr. McClure strives to create interventions that are convenient, engaging, efficacious, and cost-effective, all of which are necessary for future real-world adoption and dissemination.
Before joining CHR, Dr. McClure spent 26 years as a scientific investigator and administrative leader at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (KPWHRI, formerly Group Health Research Institute). She earned her Ph.D. In Clinical Psychology from Louisiana State University and completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Her independent research has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health for more than 25 years, and she has authored or coauthored 150 journal articles and book chapters.
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. She currently serves as the Treasurer of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. Her secondary appointments include Professor of Health Systems Science at the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine, Affiliate Investigator at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, Affiliate Professor at the University of Washington School of Public Health, and Affiliate Professor at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.
Selected Current Studies
- Evaluation of a Novel mHealth Intervention for People Who Are Ambivalent About Quitting Smoking: A Randomized Controlled Trial (NCI)
- Improving the Reach and Effectiveness of Smoking Cessation Services Targeted to Veterans Living with HIV (NCI)
Selected Publications
- Heffner JL, Serfozo E, Baker K, Gasser M, Watson N, Daughters SB, Becoňa E, McClure JB. Behavioral Activation mHealth Application for Smoking Cessation: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial. Nicotine Tob Res. 2024 Jun 7:ntae137. Online ahead of print. PMID: 38845464
- McClure JB, Heffner JL, Krakauer C, Mun S, Catz SL. A Novel mHealth App for Smokers Living With HIV Who Are Ambivalent About Quitting Smoking: Formative Research and Randomized Feasibility Study. JMIR Form Res. 2024 Jul 8;8:e58063. PMID: 38976321 PMCID: PMC11263889
- Rosenberg DE, Zhu W, Greenwood-Hickman MA, Cook AJ, Florez Acevedo S, McClure JB, Arterburn DE, Cooper J, Owen N, Dunstan D, Perry SR, Yarborough L, Mettert KD, Green BB. Sitting Time Reduction and Blood Pressure in Older Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2024 Mar 4;7(3):e243234. PMID: 38536177 PMCID: PMC10973891
- McClure JB, Heffner JL, Krakauer C, Mun S, Klasnja P, Catz SL. Feasibility, Acceptability, and Potential Impact of a Novel mHealth App for Smokers Ambivalent About Quitting: Randomized Pilot Study. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2023 Jun 28;11:e46155. PMID: 37379059 PMCID: PMC10365568
- Green BB, Anderson ML, Cook AJ, Ehrlich K, Hall YN, Hsu C, Joseph D, Klasnja P, Margolis KL, McClure JB, Munson SA, Thompson MJ. Clinic, Home, and Kiosk Blood Pressure Measurements for Diagnosing Hypertension: a Randomized Diagnostic Study. J Gen Intern Med. 2022 Sep;37(12):2948-2956. Epub 2022 Mar 3. PMID: 35239109 PMCID: PMC9485334
- McClure JB, Catz SL, Chalal C, Ciuffetelli R, Coggeshall S, DeFaccio RJ, Fleehart S, Heffner JL, Thompson E, Williams EC, Crothers K. Design and methods of a randomized trial testing the novel Wellness Intervention for Smokers Living with HIV (WISH). Contemp Clin Trials. 2021 Nov;110:106486. Epub 2021 Oct 27. PMID: 34776121 PMCID: PMC8597894
- Heffner JL, Watson NL, Dahne J, Croghan I, Kelly MM, McClure JB, Bars M, Thrul J, Meier E. Recognizing and Preventing Participant Deception in Online Nicotine and Tobacco Research Studies: Suggested Tactics and a Call to Action. Nicotine Tob Res. 2021 Aug 29;23(10):1810-1812. PMID: 33876244 PMCID: PMC8562415
- Schnoll R, Bernstein SL, Kaufman A, Gross R, Catz SL, Cioe PA, Hitsman B, Marhefka SL, Pacek LR, Vidrine DJ, Vilardaga R, Edelman EJ, McClure JB, Ashare R, Lockhart E, Crothers K. COVID-19 Challenges Confronted by Smoking Cessation Clinical Trials for People Living With HIV: The Experience of Grantees of the US National Cancer Institute. Nicotine Tob Res. 2021 Aug 18;23(9):1629-1632. PMID: 33657227 PMCID: PMC7989188
- McClure JB, Bush T, Anderson ML, Blasi P, Thompson E, Nelson J, Catz SL. Oral Health Promotion and Smoking Cessation Program Delivered via Tobacco Quitlines: The Oral Health 4 Life Trial. Am J Public Health. 2018 May;108(5):689-695. Epub 2018 Mar 22. PMID: 29565660 PMCID: PMC5888045
- McClure JB, Anderson ML, Bradley K, An LC, Catz SL. Evaluating an Adaptive and Interactive mHealth Smoking Cessation and Medication Adherence Program: A Randomized Pilot Feasibility Study. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2016 Aug 3;4(3):e94. PMID: 27489247 PMCID: PMC4989120
- McClure JB, Derry H, Riggs KR, Westbrook EW, St John J, Shortreed SM, Bogart A, An LC. Questions about quitting (Q2): design and methods of a Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST) randomized screening experiment for an online, motivational smoking cessation intervention. Contemp Clin Trials. 2012 Sep;33(5):1094-102. Epub 2012 Jul 4. PMID: 22771577 PMCID: PMC3408878
- 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. PMID: 21442198 PMCID: PMC3742062
- Swan GE, McClure JB, Jack LM, Zbikowski SM, Javitz HS, Catz SL, Deprey M, Richards J, McAfee TA. Behavioral counseling and varenicline treatment for smoking cessation. Am J Prev Med. 2010 May;38(5):482-90. PMID: 20409497 PMCID: PMC2879135
- Alexander GL, McClure JB, Calvi JH, Divine GW, Stopponi MA, Rolnick SJ, Heimendinger J, Tolsma DD, Resnicow K, Campbell MK, Strecher VJ, Johnson CC; MENU Choices Team. A randomized clinical trial evaluating online interventions to improve fruit and vegetable consumption. Am J Public Health. 2010 Feb;100(2):319-26. Epub 2009 Dec 17. PMID: 20019315 PMCID: PMC2804654
- McClure JB, Swan GE, Jack L, Catz SL, Zbikowski SM, McAfee TA, Deprey M, Richards J, Javitz H. Mood, side-effects and smoking outcomes among persons with and without probable lifetime depression taking varenicline. J Gen Intern Med. 2009 May;24(5):563-9. Epub 2009 Feb 24. PMID: 19238488 PMCID: PMC2669860
- McClure JB, Ludman E, Grothaus L, Pabiniak C, Richards J, Mohelnitzky A. Immediate and short-term impact of a brief motivational smoking intervention using a biomedical risk assessment: the Get PHIT trial. Nicotine Tob Res. 2009 Apr;11(4):394-403. Epub 2009 Mar 18. PMID: 19299409 PMCID: PMC2670368
- Strecher VJ, McClure JB, Alexander GL, Chakraborty B, Nair VN, Konkel JM, Greene SM, Collins LM, Carlier CC, Wiese CJ, Little RJ, Pomerleau CS, Pomerleau OF. Web-based smoking-cessation programs: results of a randomized trial. Am J Prev Med. 2008 May;34(5):373-81. PMID: 18407003 PMCID: PMC2697448