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 works closely with King’s Health Partners and South East London ICB, and is also collaborating with the NIHR Policy Research Unit in Addictions to lead 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).

Debbie joined the IoPPN in 2002, having previously worked as a community mental health nurse. Her early research and teaching focused on evaluating medication management interventions and improving the physical health and wellbeing of people with psychosis. She completed her MSc and PhD in Health Service and Population Research at King’s, with her PhD thesis examining the development and evaluation of a smoking cessation intervention for people with schizophrenia.

Research Interests

• Smoking cessation and tobacco harm reduction for people with mental health conditions and/or use substances. 
• Education and training about tobacco harm reduction for staff working in mental health, substance use settings and in the homeless sector
• Implementation and evaluation of smoke-free polices and tobacco dependence treatment in hospital settings 
• Use of e-cigarettes among people with mental health conditions and/or use substances

Teaching

Debbie teaches on the MSc in Addictions and is Chair of the sub exam boards for the MSc in International Addiction Studies and MSc in Addictions. She has also developed and delivers smoking cessation training to undergraduate mental health nursing students. 

Expertise and Public Engagement

Debbie is a Trustee of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and a member of Smoking and Mental Health Partnership.