Benjamin Andrew Toll

Benjamin Andrew Toll is a Professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences and Psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) College of Medicine. He serves as Associate Director of Education and Training for the Hollings Cancer Center, Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Public Health Sciences, Co-Director of the Lung Cancer Screening Program, and Director of the Tobacco Treatment Program at MUSC.

Dr. Toll received his BA from Cornell University (1996), MS and PhD from Nova Southeastern University (1999, 2002), and completed his Postdoctoral Fellowship and Internship at Yale University.

Dr. Toll is a leading researcher in tobacco cessation, with over 20 years of experience conducting clinical trials focused on developing novel therapeutics for tobacco and nicotine use. His work primarily centers on preventing cancer through tobacco treatment interventions, with particular emphasis on lung cancer screening patients and cancer surgery patients. He has expertise in nicotine replacement therapy, contingency management approaches, gain-framed messaging, and digital health interventions for smoking cessation across diverse populations including older adults and young adults.

His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on implementation science for tobacco treatment programs across various healthcare settings including hospitals, oncology clinics, and primary care. His research examines barriers to treatment, optimal delivery methods (including telehealth and EHR-integrated tools), and effectiveness of various pharmacological and behavioral interventions for smoking cessation.

• National Cancer Institute funding (R01CA235697, R01CA207229, P50CA196530)
• National Institute on Drug Abuse funding (P50DA036151, K12DA000167)
• Continuous funding for over 15 years for tobacco cessation research

As a mentor and leader, Dr. Toll oversees the Education and Training program at the Hollings Cancer Center, guiding the development of future cancer researchers. His Tobacco Treatment Program serves as a model for integrating tobacco cessation into comprehensive cancer care, and he has successfully implemented 'opt-out' tobacco treatment programs across multiple hospital systems in South Carolina.

Dr. Toll leads a multidisciplinary research team focused on tobacco treatment, including psychologists, pharmacists, physicians, and implementation scientists working together to develop and test innovative approaches to smoking cessation for high-risk populations.