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Are mindful people better at regulating their emotions?

Emotions such as fear, sadness, anger, and so on often need to be "regulated" for us to behave in healthy, adaptive ways. How can people better regulate their emotions when stressed? read more...

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Can we help children with ADHD succeed in school?

Adolescents with ADHD often experience significant problems in school, such as failing grades and low achievement test scores. Can we predict these problems before they occur? read more...

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Why do African American youth trade cigarettes for cigars?

Many youth perceive cigars to pose fewer health risks than cigarettes. But, is this true? read more...

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Are cultural issues important in rehabilitation medicine?

Many health problems and disabilities disproportionately affect ethnic minority communities. But what can rehabilitation specialists do to change that? read more...

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Is religious counseling effective?

Many religious people say they want religious counseling. But is it effective? And, if it is not available, is secular counseling less effective for religious people than religious counseling? read more...

nasim

Dr. Aashir Nasim

Associate Professor of Psychology and African American Studies

Developmental Psychology

 

PhD (2001), Howard University

Contact Information

Phone: 804-828-4904

Office: 1000 W Franklin St, rm 103

E-mail: anasim@vcu.edu

Research Interests

My research focuses on understanding the link between smoking and the social and cultural experiences of African Americans. Although there are many known risks for smoking, my research has identified several cultural and religious / spiritual factors that protect against risks for smoking. Promotive and protective factors identified in my research include a strong ethnic identity, family cohesion and interdependency, and endorsement of religious coping strategies. Perhaps more importantly, my research on protective factors for smoking has led to the development of theoretical frameworks and models of praxis for broader efforts in substance use prevention. More recently, my research has centered on the physical and psychological health effects of tobacco smoking. I am part of a larger research team in the Clinical Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory that is investigating the subjective, cardiovascular, and physiological effects of tobacco smoking (e.g., hookah and little cigars). I am currently funded by several federal and state agencies including the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth (VFHY).

Selected Publications

Nasim, A., Blank, M. D., Berry, B. M., & Eissenberg, T. (in press). Cigar use misreporting among youth in Virginia: Data from the 2009 Youth Tobacco Survey. Preventing Chronic Disease: Public Health Research, Practice, and Policy.

Nasim, A., Fernander, A., Townsend, T. G., Corona, R. A., & Belgrave, F. Z. (in press). Cultural protective factors for community risks and substance use among rural adolescents. Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, 10.

Blank, M. D., Nasim, A., Hart, A. J., & Eissenberg, T. (2011). Acute effects of cigarillo smoking. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 13, 874-879.

Nasim, A., Berry, B. M., Belgrave, F. Z., Corona, R. A., & Turf, E. A. (2011). Ethnic considerations in risk exposure and cigarette use vulnerability among eighth grade students in Virginia. International Quarterly of Community Health Education, 31, 229-244.

Belgrave, F. Z., Johnson, J., Nguyen, A., Hood, K., Tademy, R., Clark, T., & Nasim, A. (2010). Stress and tobacco use among African American adolescents: The buffering effect of cultural factors.  Journal of Drug Education, 40, 171-186.

Recent Courses Taught at VCU
Recent Grants

Waterpipe tobacco smoke: toxicant exposure and effects. Co-Investigator (Principal Investigator, Eissenberg). February 2008-January 2013. National Cancer Institute (NCI). 1R01CA120142-01A2, $2,307,038.

Variants in nicotine receptors and pharmacogenetics. Co-Investigator (Principal Investigator, Chen). October 2009-September 2012. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). 5R03DA027619, $150,000.

Cigarillos, Youth, and YouTube®: A content analysis of smoking videographies. Principal Investigator. February 2010-June 2012. Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth; Virginia Youth Tobacco Project. $40,000.

Promoting social, emotional, and behavioral competence in adolescents with disabilities: A school-wide inclusive violence prevention model. Co-Investigator (Principal Investigator, Sullivan). April 2010-March 2013. Department of Education; Institute for Education Sciences (IES). R324A100160. $1,500,000.

Secondary data analysis of youth tobacco data. Co-Principal Investigator (Principal Investigator, Elizabeth Turf). 2007 - 2008. Virginia Youth Tobacco Project. $40,000.

Pathways to smoking among African American adolescents. Co-Principal Investigator (Principal Investigator, Faye Z. Belgrave). 2006 - 2009. Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation Research Grant. $728,929.

National Center on Minority Health & Health Disparities (NCMHD). National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Program. Two-Year Renewal Issued, September 2007.

Recent Award