Staff: Dr. Hayden McRobbie (deputy director), Megan Cowles, Dani Cornwall, Dr. Al-Rehan Dhanji, Dr. Maciej Goniewicz, Maddy McMahon, Katie Myers, Daniella Nash, Barnie Proctor, Sarah Snuggs, Melanie de Weymarn.
PhD students: Dunja Przul, Oliver West.
TDRU is a part of the Centre for Tobacco Control Studies, Public Health Centre of Excellence; a NICE Collaborating Centre; and one of the founders of the European Centre of Excellence in Clinical Tobacco Research. The Unit was involved in the first published trials of a number of treatments now used globally, and was instrumental in developing Withdrawal Oriented Treatment (WOT). WOT is now the main approach used by the UK Specialist Stop-Smoking Service, which treats over 600,000 smokers each year. The Unit provides input in NICE and NHS guidance on stop-smoking treatments, contributes to national training of stop-smoking advisors, and consults with national health services in China, Japan, New Zealand, and other countries.
The Unit is based at the Royal London Hospital, providing clinical expertise in smoking cessation to the East London Smoking Cessation Service, and conducting research in tobacco dependence and its treatment.
Recently the Unit has initiated an additional programme of research in obesity, exploring ways of translating the learning from behaviour change in smoking cessation into the area of behaviour change in weight management.
Over the past five years, the Unit has attracted grants of some £4,000,000 from research councils, DoH, NHS, other government bodies, and pharmaceutical companies.
Research in tobacco dependence
Current research projects include:
- Trial of de-nicotinised cigarettes
- Studies of electronic cigarettes
- Pilot study of relapse prevention
- Studies of individual differences in tobacco dependence
- Studies of genetic determinants of tobacco dependence and response to treatment
- Studies of sensory-motor aspects of smoking
- Trial of combination of nicotine replacement and varenicline
- Trial of individualising varenicline dosing
Smokers’ Clinic
The specialist stop-smoking service is open to members of the community as well as staff of QM and RLH. It is funded by TH PCT and C&H PCT and runs satellite clinics across the boroughs of City & Hackney and Tower Hamlets. To join the free stop-smoking clinic or to take part in one of the on-going trials, call the Clinic free-phone line 0800 169 1943.
Research in weight management
Current research projects include:
- Effects of skipping meals and daytime fasting on body weight
- Protein pre-loading
- Supplementing advice in primary care with specialist weight management clinics
Weight Clinic
The specialist weight management service is open to members of the community as well as staff of QM and RLH. To join the free weight management clinic or to take part in one of the ongoing studies, call 020 7882 8230.