About

Christopher W. Kahler, PhD, is a Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University. He serves as the Director of the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies at the Brown University School of Public Health. Dr. Kahler received his PhD in clinical psychology from Rutgers University. His research focuses on addressing unhealthy alcohol use within the context of HIV prevention and care, developing interventions for co-occurring unhealthy alcohol use and smoking, and implementing couples-focused alcohol counseling for sexual and gender minority couples. He is the Principal Investigator of Brown’s NIAAA-funded Alcohol Research Center on HIV (ARCH), where he leads a pragmatic Hybrid Type 1 effectiveness-implementation trial evaluating remote alcohol counseling via videoconferencing and text messaging for people with HIV. Additionally, he is co-Director of the Substance Use Research Core of the Providence/Boston Center for AIDS Research and is involved as multi-PI in clinical trials examining behavioral counseling and pharmacological interventions for HIV-positive populations. Dr. Kahler has authored over 340 peer-reviewed publications and is recognized as a fellow of the American Psychological Association and Vice President of the Research Society on Alcohol.

Research topics

• Social psychology
• Psychology
• Medicine
• Sociology
• Psychiatry
• Internal medicine
• Clinical psychology
• Environmental health
• Family medicine
• Immunology
• Developmental psychology
• Food science
• Biology
• Organic chemistry
• Chemistry
• Toxicology
• Demography

Selected publications

• Heterosexist discrimination and hazardous alcohol use among young sexual minority men: Examining the roles of internalized heterosexism and rejection sensitivity.

  Stigma and Health · 2026-03-16

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Four Decades at the Forefront of Addiction Research and Training.

  PubMed · 2026-04-01

  article1st authorCorresponding

  This article summarizes the accomplishments and 43-year history of the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies (CAAS) at the Brown University School of Public Health, with a particular focus on the Center's work on substance use and chronic disease since the school's accreditation in 2013. Select research is highlighted as examples of the Center's broad range of clinical translational research that have informed fundamental understanding of addiction and the interventions, practices, and policies that most effectively reduce harm and support recovery.

  Publisher

• A Web-Based Intervention for Reducing Sexually Transmitted Infections and Substance Use During Pregnancy: A Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

  2026-04-03

  articleOpen access

  <sec> <title>BACKGROUND</title> STIs are at a record high in the United States and are a significant health problem for childbearing women. Rates of substance use, particularly cannabis and opioid use, have increased in recent years and are linked to negative health consequences for pregnant women and their infants. Addressing these health concerns together during this vulnerable time is a priority. </sec> <sec> <title>OBJECTIVE</title> Objective: We tested whether an innovative, theory-driven, technology-delivered and fully automated brief intervention (single session plus two booster sessions), the Health Check-up for Expectant Moms (HCEM), reduced condomless sex/STI risk, alcohol, or drug use, compared to a control condition in pregnant women seeking prenatal care. </sec> <sec> <title>METHODS</title> Methods: We recruited a sample of 176 pregnant women (all were at risk for alcohol/drug use or STIs during pregnancy) from clinics and using social media campaigns (Facebook® and Instagram®) in the state of Michigan and randomized them to the Motivational Interviewing (MI)-consistent HCEM intervention or to an attention, time, and information-matched control condition delivered using the same technology platform. We followed these women at 2- and 6- months after the initial intervention visit. Primary outcomes included self-report assessment of alcohol, drug/cannabis use, and unprotected sexual occasions during pregnancy. </sec> <sec> <title>RESULTS</title> Results: A total of 88 women were randomized to the intervention, and 88 to the control condition. Cannabis use was the most prevalent substance reported during pregnancy; a total of 35.2% reported recent use (within the last ninety days) at baseline, with 10.2% reporting use in the month prior to baseline. There were significant reductions in alcohol and cannabis use over time during pregnancy (at 2- and 6-months compared to baseline) in both HCEM and control groups; however, these reductions were not significantly different between conditions (time-by-arm interaction), and most were sustained from spontaneous reductions reported in the month before study enrollment. Moreover, there were no statistically significant differences in the change pattern of condomless sex across the groups at either follow-up. </sec> <sec> <title>CONCLUSIONS</title> Conclusion: There are many potential benefits of a technology-delivered approach to support the behavioral health of pregnant women in a private and convenient way. Our sample was largely low-risk and as such, an intervention effect may have been impossible to observe given substantial self-change. Future trials are needed to examine efficacy in other samples of pregnant women with higher risk of current substance use. </sec> <sec> <title>CLINICALTRIAL</title> NCT03826342 </sec> <sec> <title>INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT</title> RR2-DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2019.105827 </sec>

  PublisherDOI

• Pain Severity and Experiences with Pain Management Predict Alcohol Use Among Men Who Have Sex with Men Living with HIV

  AIDS and Behavior · 2025-02-10 · 2 citations

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• A qualitative examination of peer navigation for smoking cessation in people with HIV

  Tobacco Prevention & Cessation · 2025-12-16

  articleOpen access

  INTRODUCTION: People with HIV (PWH) are disproportionately affected by cigarette use, with a 40-60% prevalence rate. They achieve relatively low cessation rates following traditional interventions and often confront compounded challenges related to social factors. HIV care services have integrated Peer Navigators (PNs) into clinical care for many years, but not in the context of smoking cessation. The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of PWH on a novel smoking cessation intervention that integrated PNs as part of a pilot randomized controlled trial. METHODS: This qualitative examination was conducted among PWH who smoke cigarettes and who participated in a randomized controlled trial between June 2020 and 2021 in Providence, Rhode Island, USA. A PN, defined as a PWH who smoked daily and successfully quit, was trained to provide cessation resources, encourage readiness to quit, and provide social support for quitting. Participants were randomized to either PN or usual care. Twenty-three participants assigned to a PN completed a semi-structured, in-depth qualitative interview. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Analysis revealed that participants valued the interaction with the PN and described feeling increased social support for quitting. They expressed that the use of storytelling by the PN was linked to a sense of success, and that certain traits of the PN were perceived as salient. Interacting with a PN enforced a sense of accountability, and lead to feelings of enhanced self-efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: Integrating PNs to increase support for quitting seems to be highly acceptable among PWH who smoke. The findings underscore the significance of the lived experience of the peer navigator and the provision of social support.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Developing inclusive, antiracist approaches to public health research: Guidelines for action

  Journal of public health research · 2025-10-01

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  The pervasive influence of racism confers on all public health researchers-even those for whom health disparities research is not their focus-a social responsibility to conduct research that is antiracist (i.e. to adopt research approaches that actively oppose racism and promote equity). This manuscript reviews the relevant literature and provides guidance for conducting antiracist public health research specifically for researchers for whom health disparities research is not a focus of their work. Drawing on Critical Race Theory, we propose a preliminary framework for conducting antiracist research in the form of five overarching guidelines, which were developed in the United States based on the American experience, but can be tailored/adapted to country-specific/cultural contexts: I. Frame race as a social (not a biological) construct; II. Actively solicit input and participation from individuals who are racial and ethnic minorities; III. Choose terminology carefully and be mindful of its implications; IV. Incorporate measures of contextual factors that may influence health-related behaviors and outcomes; and V. Be intentional with choices of theoretical frameworks, study design, and analytic approaches. We summarize relevant literature and provide recommendations and key references for how to follow each guideline. We also discuss how research that does not attend to these guidelines unintentionally supports racist structures and provide examples of how each guideline applies to research on the 2019 Coronavirus pandemic. Following the guidelines in this manuscript, though not exhaustive, will allow researchers to contribute to an antiracist public health agenda in pursuit of health equity regardless of content focus.

  PublisherDOI

• Response to commentary by Akhter et al. titled, “Beyond biomarkers: Underexplored considerations in SREC trials for people with HIV who smoke”

  Preventive Medicine · 2025-07-24

  articleOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Preloading With Nicotine Replacement Therapy in People With HIV Who Smoke: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

  Nicotine & Tobacco Research · 2025-06-03

  articleSenior author

  INTRODUCTION: Smoking cessation rates in people with HIV (PWH) are lower than in the general population, even when evidence-based treatments are used. This 16-week study examined the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of preloading with nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) in PWH to improve cessation outcomes. METHODS: Forty-nine participants were randomized to nicotine patch preloading (NRT-P) for 3 weeks prior to the target quit date (TQD) or standard treatment with no preloading (ST). All participants received combination NRT for 8 weeks at TQD, with five sessions of behavioral counseling. At week 16, biochemically verified 7-day point-prevalence abstinence was assessed. RESULTS: Mean preloading patch days was 19.7 (out of 21 days; SD 2.7), indicating excellent acceptability. Mean patch days post-TQD (out of 56 days) was 47.4 (SD = 13.2) in NRT-P and 32.7 (SD = 21.8) in ST (t = -2.48, p = .01). At week 16 there was no group difference in week 16 point-prevalence abstinence, but NRT-P participants smoked significantly fewer cigarettes per week (10.1 [SD 14.7] vs. 47.2 [SD 67.6]) and had lower carbon monoxide levels (5.22 [SD 3.6] vs. 10.89 [SD 11.3], p = .04) compared to ST participants. Cessation self-efficacy increased significantly over time in the NRT-P condition only. CONCLUSIONS: NRT preloading is feasible and acceptable among PWH, with excellent adherence to preloading, and benefits observed relative to ST following TQD in patch adherence, self-efficacy, cigarettes smoked per day, and carbon monoxide levels. The lack of effect of preloading on smoking abstinence suggests further study is needed. IMPLICATIONS: Preloading with nicotine patch among PWH who smoke prior to the TQD may be an effective means of improving adherence to smoking cessation medications both pre- and post-quit. By increasing self-efficacy for quitting and lowering cigarette dependence, preloading may improve cessation rates and help reduce the burden of tobacco-related disease among PWH. Further research is needed.

  PublisherDOI

• The Association of Positive Intersectionality Latent Classes with Psychosocial Factors and PrEP Outcomes in Black Men Who Have Sex with Men (HPTN 073)

  Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities · 2025-04-21 · 3 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Reprint of: The effects of switching to the standardized research electronic cigarette in people with HIV who smoke in the United States

  Preventive Medicine · 2025-08-27 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  OBJECTIVE: People with HIV (PWH) who smoke and report ambivalence about quitting may benefit from switching to non-combusted nicotine products. This pilot study examined the effects of providing the NIDA standardized research electronic cigarette (SREC) on smoking behaviors and inflammatory biomarkers in PWH. METHODS: Thirty-five participants in the United States were enrolled from April 2022 to January 2024 (Mean age 54.4 [13.2] years, 30.1 % female, 62.9 % White) and randomized to SREC provision (n = 17) or usual brand control (n = 18). SREC participants were asked to substitute tobacco-flavor pod-type SRECs for their combustible cigarettes. SREC use and cigarette use were assessed weekly for 6 weeks. Serum inflammatory biomarkers were measured at baseline and week 6. RESULTS: The effect of condition on cigarettes per day (CPD) during the 6-week period was significant, B = -5.68, 95 % CI = -10.25, -1.11: CPD were reduced by 42.7 % in the SREC condition versus 17.3 % in the control condition. Participants in the SREC condition reported significantly lower urge to smoke at week 6 compared to those in control, (B = -17.05, 95 % CI = -27.15, -6.95). One (5.9 %) participant reported that they transitioned completely from CCs to SREC at week 6. Significant decreases in inflammatory biomarkers were not observed. CONCLUSIONS: Participants who were provided the SREC, compared to those in the control condition, smoked fewer CPD and had reduced urge to smoke. However, dual use was the most common outcome, indicating that additional support may be needed to improve the likelihood of complete transition from CCs to noncombustible products.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• Core L - Clinical & Behavioral Sciences Core

  NIH · $21.7M · 1998–2028

• NIH Grant R21DA019628

  NIH · $431k · 2009

• Addressing alcohol misuse in HIV prevention and care: The Brown University Alcohol Research Center on HIV (ARCH)

  NIH · $39.3M · 2010–2026

• NIH Grant R01CA201262

  NIH · $2.6M · 2022

• NIH Grant R01CA156241

  NIH · $648k · 2014

Frequent coauthors

• Peter M. Monti

  214 shared

• Richard A. Brown

  The University of Texas at Austin

  192 shared

• David R. Strong

  University of California, San Diego

  133 shared

• Susan E. Ramsey

  Providence College

  122 shared

• Ana M. Abrantes

  93 shared

• Jane Metrik

  Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

  91 shared

• Patricia A. Cioe

  89 shared

• Kenneth H. Mayer

  Fenway Health

  88 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Clinical Psychology

  Rutgers University

Awards & honors

• Fellow of the American Psychological Association