Dr Debbie Robson RMN, PhD

Reader in Tobacco Harm Reduction

Nicotine Research Group, King’s College London

Biography

Debbie is Theme Lead for Public Health and Multimorbidity in the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) South London, where she leads a programme of research evaluating tobacco dependence treatment pathways in local acute and mental health services. She is also collaborating with the NIHR Policy Research Unit in Addictions and leading a national evaluation of the additional £70 million investment in English stop smoking services.

Her research focuses on groups often excluded from mainstream tobacco control, with a particular interest in the role of vaping in supporting quitting among high-prevalence smoking populations and in assessing its potential harms compared with smoking.

Debbie has co-developed and evaluated tobacco dependence treatment pathways, staff training programmes, and smokefree and e-cigarette policies across acute, mental health, substance use and homeless services. She was a co-author of the Public Health England/Office of Health Improvement and Disparities e-cigarette evidence reviews (2018–2022). She also works with the National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training to develop practitioner resources and serves as a Trustee for Action on Smoking and Health (England).