UCL Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group (UTARG) Work in Progress
Health Behaviour Research Centre
Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London WC1E 6BT
Updated 9th October 2015 by Robert West (robertwest100@gmail.com)
Overview
UTARG undertakes research aimed at a) encouraging and helping smokers to stop and b) helping
people who consume alcohol to limit their consumption to safe levels. A major emphasis is on
supporting people from more disadvantaged backgrounds. It currently receives funding from Cancer
Research UK, the National Institute for Health Research, the UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol
Studies, the Society for the Study of Addiction, J&J and Pfizer.
Major programmes of work are:
The Smoking Toolkit Study and Alcohol Toolkit Study: These involve monthly household surveys of
representative samples of the adult (16+) population in England to track key performance indicators
relating to smoking, smoking cessation, alcohol use, and attempts to control drinking.
Digital interventions: A range of mobile and internet-based interventions are being developed and
evaluated, both for general use and for specific populations such as Arabic speakers and pregnant
smokers.
Stop-smoking support: Data collected from stop-smoking services in several countries, together
with observational and experimental studies, are being used to establish and promote best practice
in smoking cessation support. In addition we conduct RCTs of pharmacological and behavioural
support programmes.
Behaviour change theory and practice: Data from a variety of sources are being used to develop,
evaluate and disseminate more advanced theories of behaviour change and their application to
smoking and alcohol use.
Members
Title
Prof
Prof
Prof
Prof
Prof
Prof
Dr
Dr
First name
Robert
Susan
Marc
Ann
Paul
Martin
Jamie
Daniel
Last name
West
Michie
Willemson
McNeill
Aveyard
Jarvis
Brown
Kotz
Dr
Dr
Dr
Dr
Emma
Leonie
Andy
Toby
Beard
Brose
McEwen
Raupach
UTARG work in progress
Position
UCL staff
UCL staff
U of Maastricht
Kings College London
U of Oxford
UCL staff
UCL staff
UCL/U of Maastricht/ U
of Dusseldorf.
UCL staff
Kings College London
UCL staff
UCL/U of Goettinghen
Funding
CRUK
CRUK/HFCE
Dutch Government
HFCE
HFCE
Emeritus
CRUK/SSA
CRUK/German
Government
NIHR SPHR/CRUK
CRUK
CRUK/NCSCT
German Government
Page 1
Dr
Bidyut
Sarkar
PHFI
Dr
Dr
Mr
Ms
Ms
Mr
Ms
Lion
Ildiko
Aziz
Aleksandra
Harveen
David
Claire
Shahab
Tombor
Alzahrane
Herbec
Ubhi
Crane
Garnett
UCL staff
UCL staff
PhD student
PhD student
PhD student
PhD student
PhD student
NCSCT/Indian
Government
HFCE
CRUK
Saudi government
BHF
Self-funded
NIHR
UKCTAS
BHF=British Heart Foundation, CAPHRI=Clinical and Applied Public Health Research Institute, CRUK=Cancer
Research UK, HFCE=Higher Education Funding Council, NCSCT=National Centre for Smoking Cessation and
Training, SSA=Society for the Study of Addiction, UCATS=UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, PHFI=Public
Health Foundation of India.
Affiliates
Title
Prof
Dr
Dr
Dr
Ms
First name
Michael
Stuart
Fabiana
Lei Hum
Emma
Last name
Ussher
Ferguson
Lorencatto
Wee
Croghan
Position
SGUL
University of Tasmania
City University
University of Malaya
North-51
SGUL=St George’s University of London
Major studies and programmes
Topic
Surveys
Smoking Toolkit Study (STS)
Alcohol Toolkit Study (ATS)
Toxin exposure in long-term NRT users
Digital interventions
SmokeFree Baby mobile app for
smoking cessation in pregnancy
SF28 mobile app for smoking cessation
Drink Less alcohol reduction app
Arabic smoking cessation app
BupaQuit smoking cessation app
NRT2Quit app to promote effective use
of nicotine replacement therapy
Stop-smoking support
RCT of brief advice for tobacco
cessation in Delhi
Pilot RCT of mindfulness intervention
vs. yogic breathing for reducing cravings
RCT of e-cigarette use in mental health
patients
RCT of varenicline, bupropion, nicotine
patch and placebo for smoking cessation
UTARG work in progress
UTARG members
Status
Brown J, West R, Beard E
Brown J, Michie S, West R,
Beard E
Shahab L, McNeill A, West R.
Ongoing
Ongoing
Tombor I, Brown J, Shahab L,
West R.
Ubhi H, Michie S, Kotz D,
West R West M.
Crane D, Garnett C, Michie S,
Brown J, Michie S.
Alzahrane A, Brown J, West R.
Herbec A, West R.
Other contributors: Shahab L,
Brown J, Ubhi H, Olga.
Herbec A, Brown J, West R,
Raupach T.
Ongoing
Sarkar B, Shahab L, West R.
Writing up
Shahab L, Herbec A
Ongoing
Shahab L, Sheals K
In preparation
R West
Writing up
Writing up
Ongoing
Ongoing
Ongoing
Ongoing
Ongoing
Page 2
Assessment of smoking cessation
support in practice
Evaluation of face-to-face stop-smoking
support
Association of nicotine metabolite ratio
with long-term outcomes of StopSmoking Services
Development of a measure of beliefs
about cancer
Lorencatto F, Gainforth H,
Michie S, West R
Gainforth H, Emma C, West R
Ongoing
Shahab L
In preparation
Shahab L
Ongoing
Ongoing
Grant applications
Topic
The feasibility, acceptability and potential effect of
using nicotine substitution to aid smoking cessation
in smokers not intending to stop smoking. Cancer
Research UK Tobacco Advisory Group project
award: £200,000.
The effectiveness of promotional campaigns
associated with revised UK drinking guidelines: A
prospective evaluation. National Institute for Health
Research: Public Health Research Programme:
£605,358.
Development of measure of exposure to EC use
Factorial RCT of EC use and internet-based support
to aid smoking cessation
TRG lead(s)
McNeill A, Brown J,
West R
Status
Revised and
resubmitted
Michie S, Brown J, Beard
E, West R (John Holmes
external lead)
Second revision and
resubmission
Shahab L
Shahab L
In preparation
In preparation
Lead organisation
Heinrich Heine University
NDARC, University of
NSW, Australia
University of Newcastle,
Australia
University of Barcelona
University of Stirling
Status
In preparation
Writing up
KCL
Brunel University
Ongoing
Ongoing
Funded external Projects
Topic
1. German Toolkit Study
2. RCT of financial counselling to promote
smoking cessation (FISCALS)
3. RCT of behavioural support for disadvantaged
smokers (Call it Quits)
4. ALICERAP – pan European study on addiction
5. ELONS Longitudinal study of smoking
cessation in the stop-smoking services
6. Secondary analysis of e-cigarette survey data
7. EQUIPT pan European study developing a
Return on Investment tool for tobacco control
interventions
UTARG work in progress
Writing up
Ongoing
Writing up
Page 3