Dr Katherine East PhD
Senior Lecturer in Public Health, Brighton and Sussex Medical School (UK).
Visiting Research Fellow, King's College London (UK).
Researcher of nicotine and tobacco product use, perceptions, and policies.
I am a Senior Lecturer in Public Health within the Department of Primary Care and Public Health at Brighton and Sussex Medical School and have a visiting appointment at King's College London (KCL). I have recently completed a Society for the Study of Addiction (SSA) Griffith Edwards Academic Fellowship in KCL's Nicotine Research Group (NRG), where I worked on projects relating to nicotine and tobacco product perceptions and use, with a focus on youth and young adults. In 2024 I was awarded the SSA's Fred Yates Prize for significant contributions to work in the field of addiction.
I lead the England arm of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Policy Evaluation Project and Co-Chair the international Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) Policy Research Network. I have contributed to reports assessing the health effects and perceptions of vaping for the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) and the Royal College of Physicians (here). I have also worked with Evidence to Impact and local authorities across the UK on youth smoking and vaping prevention initiatives, been on the steering committee for Cancer Research UK's E-Cigarette Research Forum, and advised the Canadian Cancer Society on youth smoking and vaping prevention.
I hold a PhD in Addiction Sciences from King's College London, an MSc in Mental Health Studies from University College London, and a BSc from the University of Bristol.
Research interests:
Nicotine and tobacco product perceptions and use
Evaluating the impact of tobacco and nicotine policies (e.g., health warning labels, age of sale)
Youth smoking and vaping prevention
Population research and survey methodology
Open science and improving scientific practice
I also have an interest in research culture and have consulted UKRI on research culture initiatives in the UK (report here).
I am currently seeking PhD students who are interested in working on projects related to tobacco and nicotine.