Health Behaviour Research Centre

UCL DEPARTMENT OF EPIDEMIOLOGY AND PUBLIC HEALTH
HEALTH BEHAVIOUR RESEARCH CENTRE

Dr Emma Beard
Research Associate

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Health Psychology
Addictive Behaviours
Mental Health
Harm Reduction

CURRENT RESEARCH
Emma is currently investigating smokers’ attempts at harm reduction, more specifically the use of Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) by smokers as means to cut down their cigarette consumption (i.e smoking reduction) and to tide them over when they are unable to smoke (i.e. temporary abstinence). This includes:

Examining the prevalence of NRT use for harm reduction purposes and associated socio-demographic and smoking characteristics.
Assessing the effectiveness of using NRT for harm reduction purposes by determining the association with i) cigarette consumption, ii) toxin intake (for example:- cotinine), iii) psychological health, and iv) attempts to quit smoking.
Determining the factors which influence the effectiveness of NRT use for smoking reduction and/or during periods of temporary abstinence (for example:- extent of NRT use, the behavioural methods smokers use, and smokers’ characteristics).
Development of interventions aimed at increasing smokers success at using NRT for smoking reduction (for example:- self-monitoring of cigarette consumption using Carbon Monoxide monitors).

PREVIOUS RESEARCH
Emma has previously been involved in research assessing individuals diagnosed with diabetes understanding of their clinical markers of disease risk (HbA1c) and whether this affects self-care behaviours and clinical outcomes. Emma has also collaborated on a study assessing the behaviour change techniques used in smoking cessation interventions and the association between these and reports of sustained smoking abstinence using meta-regression techniques.

TEACHING
Emma has been a tutor on the MSc in Health Psychology and Epidemiology Modules for 1st and 2nd year medical students. She has also taught on the Tobacco Control Modules run by the UKCTCs and the MSc in Cancer Studies at UCL and MSc in Preventive Cardiology at Imperial College London.

ADMINISTRATIVE AND REVIEWING ACTIVITY
2012-Present    Student Academic Representative, UCL Medical Statistics
2012-Present    Postdoctoral Research Representative on the BPS Research
                       Board
2011- Present   Chair of the Tobacco Research Group at University College
                       London
2011- Present   Joint Chair of the Tobacco and Health Psychology Research
                       Group at University College London
2008- Present   Refereeing for Addiction; PloS ONE; Annals of Behavioral
                       Medicine; International Journal of Diabetes Mellitus; Nicotine
                       and Tobacco Research; and reviewing of submissions to
                       international conferences (SNRT, WCTOH) and grant
                       applications (CRUK, MRC)

BIOGRAPHY
Appointments
2011 - Research Associate, UCL (Funded by the UKCTCs)

Qualifications
2011 - PhD, Health Psychology, UCL (Funded by the UKCTCs)
2008 – MSc (Distinction), Health Psychology, Kings College London
2007- BSc (Honours) Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol

Affiliations
Chartered Member of the British Psychological Society
Member of the British Psychological Society Division of Health Psychology
Member of the British Psychological Society Division of Neuropsychology
Member of the British Psychological Society Division of Clinical Psychology
Member of the European Health Psychology Society
Member of the Society for the Study of Addiction
Member of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco

Other
Qualified Smoking Cessation Counsellor

PRESENTATIONS
Beard, E., Clark, M., Hurel, S., & Cooke, D. (December, 2009). Do people with diabetes understand their clinical marker of long-term glycemic control (HbA1c levels) and does this predict self-care behaviours and HbA1c? UK Society for Behavioural Medicine, Southampton.

Beard, E. (April, 2009). Use of nicotine replacement therapy for smoking harm reduction and its association with smoking cessation. PhD Open Day, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, UCL, London.

Beard, E., & West R., (June, 2010). Is the use of NRT for cutting down and for periods of temporary abstinence associated with desire and intention to quit and self-efficacy? UK National Smoking Cessation Conference, Glasgow.

Beard, E., & West R., (June, 2010). Is the use of NRT for cutting down and for periods of temporary abstinence associated with desire and intention to quit and self-efficacy? Society for Research on Nicotine & Tobacco, Bath.

Beard, E., & West, R. (March, 2011). Associations between smokers' attempts at harm reduction and smoking cessation: A prospective study of English smokers. European Conference on Tobacco or Health, Amsterdam.

Beard, E., & West, R. (June, 2011). Associations between smokers' attempts at harm reduction and smoking cessation: A prospective study of English smokers. UK National Smoking Cessation Conference, London.

Beard, E. (February, 2012). Use of NRT for smoking reduction and temporary abstinence in England. Presentation to the NICE Tobacco Harm Reduction Programme Development Group.

Beard, E. (April, 2012). Harm reduction. Health Behaviour Research Centre Conference, UCL, London.

Beard, E., Michie, S., & West, R. (June, 2012). Use of Nicotine Replacement Therapy in Situations Involving Temporary Abstinence From Smoking: A National Survey of English Smokers. UK National Smoking Cessation Conference, Birmingham.

Beard, E., Brown, J., & West, R. (August 2012). Did expanding the licence for NRT in England to permit use for smoking reduction affect its use for this purpose, attempts to stop smoking and motivation to stop? Society for Research on Nicotine & Tobacco - Europe, Helkinsi.

West, R., & Beard, E. (October, 2012). E-cigarettes - the evidence on who's using them and what for. NICE Tobacco Harm Reduction Guidance Consultation Information meetings for Parliamentarians and Public Health Community, London.

West, R., & Beard, E. (October, 2012). Tobacco harm reduction - population level evidence about smoker behavior and e-cigarettes. NICE Tobacco Harm Reduction Guidance Consultation Information meetings for Parliamentarians and Public Health Community, London.

Beard, E. (November, 2012). Latest evidence on the use of NRT for harm reduction. Tackling Smoking in 21st Century Britain UKCTCs Conference, York.

Beard, E., Brown, J., & West, R. (December, 2012). Use of electronic cigarettes for harm reduction: A National survey of English Smokers. UK Society for Behavioural Medicine Conference, York.

POSTERS
Beard, E., & West R., (September, 2009). Is the use of NRT for cutting down and for periods of temporary abstinence associated with quit attempts and motivation to quit? Division of Health Psychology Annual Conference, Birmingham.

Stavri, Z., Beard, E., Whittington, C., West, R., & Michie, S. (September, 2010). What can RCTs of behavioural support packages tell us about which behaviour change techniques are effective in helping smokers quit? European Health Psychology Conference, Pisa.

Stavri, Z., Beard, E., Whittington, C., West, R., & Michie, S. (September, 2010). What can RCTs of behavioural support packages tell us about which behaviour change techniques are effective in helping smokers quit? Division of Health Psychology Annual Conference, Belfast.

Herbec, A., Brown, J., Beard, E., & West, R. (September, 2012). Effectiveness and usability of internet smoking cessation intervention for pregnant smokers: A mixed-methods study. Division of Health Psychology Annual Conference, Liverpool.

Shahab, L., Beard, E., Brown, J., West, R. (August, 2012). Prevalence of long-term NRT use among ex-smokers and associated exposure to nicotine. Society for Research on Nicotine & Tobacco - Europe, Helkinsi.

Ussher, M., Beard, E., Abikoye, G., Hajek, P., & West, R. (August, 2012). Cigarette cravings over 52 weeks of abstinence. Society for Research on Nicotine & Tobacco - Europe, Helkinsi.

Beard, E., Brown, J., & West, R. (November, 2012). Use of Nicotine Replacement Therapy in Situations involving temporary abstinence from smoking: A national survey of English Smokers. Tackling Smoking in 21st Century Britain UKCTCs Conference, York.

Silla, K., Beard, E., & Shahab, L. (November, 2012). Developing a typology of long-term NRT users: a mixed-methods analysis. UK Society for Behavioural Medicine Conference, York.

PUBLICATIONS
Beard, E., Clark, M., Hurel, S., & Cooke, D. (2010). Do people with diabetes understand their clinical marker of long-term glycemic control (HbA1c levels) and does this predict self-care behaviours and HbA1c? Patient Education & Counselling, 80(2), 227-232.

Beard, E., McNeill, A., Aveyard, P., Fidler, J., Michie, S., & West, R. (2011). Use of nicotine replacement therapy for smoking reduction and during enforced temporary abstinence: A national survey of English smokers. Addiction, 106, 197-204.

Beard, E., Fidler, J., & West, R. (2011). Is use of nicotine replacement therapy while continuing to smoke associated with increased nicotine intake? Evidence from a population sample. Psychopharmacology, 218, 609-610.

Beard, E., McNeill, A., Aveyard, P., Fidler, J., Michie, S., & West, R. (Online first publication, 2011). Association between use of nicotine replacement therapy for harm reduction and smoking cessation: a prospective study of English smokers. Tobacco Control, doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2011-050007.

Beard, E., Vangeli, E., Michie, S., & West, R. (Online first publication, 2011). The use of Nicotine Replacement Therapy for smoking reduction and temporary abstinence: An interview study. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 14(7), 849-856.

Beard, E., McDermott, M., McEwen, A., & West, R. (Online first publication, 2011). Beliefs of stop smoking practitioners in England on the use of Nicotine Replacement Therapy for smoking reduction. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 14(6), 639-647.

Beard, E. (2012). E-letter: Misreporting of results: Correction of Alpert et al 2012. Tobacco Control.

Beard, E., Aveyard, P., McNeill, A., Michie, S., Fidler, J., Brown, J., & West, R. (Online first publication, 2012). Mediation analysis of the association between use of NRT for smoking reduction and attempts to stop smoking. Psychology & Health, 27(9), 1118-1133.

Beard, E., & West, R. (2012). Use of Nicotine Replacement Therapy for Smoking Reduction and Temporary Abstinence: An update of Beard et al (2011). Addiction, 107(6), 1186-1187.

Black, A., Beard, E., & West, R. (Online first publication, 2012). Beliefs about the harms of long-term use of nicotine replacement therapy: perceptions of smokers in England. Addiction, doi: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2012.03955.

Beard, E., Aveyard, P., Brown, J., & West, R. (Online first publication, 2012). Assessing the association between the use of NRT for smoking reduction and attempts to quit smoking using propensity score matching. Journal of Drug & Alcohol Dependence, 126(3), 354-361.

Beard, E., & West, R. (2012). Pilot study of the use of personal carbon monoxide monitoring to achieve radical smoking reduction. Journal of Smoking Cessation, 7(01), 1-6.

Beard, E., Michie, S., Fidler, J., & West, R. (in press). Use of Nicotine Replacement Therapy in Situations Involving Temporary Abstinence From Smoking: A National Survey of English Smokers. Addictive Behaviors.

Ussher, M., Beard, E., Abikoye, G., Hajek, P., & West, R. (2012). Cigarette cravings over 52 weeks of abstinence. Psychopharmacology. doi:10.1007/s00213-012-2886-7

Beard, E., Aveyard, P., Michie, S., McNeill, A., & West, R. (in press). Does use of nicotine replacement therapy while continuing to smoke undermine cessation?: A systematic review. Journal of Smoking Cessation.

McDermott, M. S., Beard, E., Brose. L. S., West, R., & McEwen, A. (in press). Understanding why specialist stop smoking practitioners may achieve higher success rates than part-time 'community' practitioners. Nicotine & Tobacco Research.

REPORTS
Shahab, L., Beard, E., & Lorencatto, F. (January, 2013). Behaviour Change Update: Stage 3. A report for NICE.

Shahab, L., Beard, E., & Benjamin, G. (October, 2012). Behaviour Change Update: Stage 1. BCT analysis of existing, cost-effective interventions. A report for NICE.

Beard, E., & West, R. (April, 2012). The use of Nicotine Replacement Therapy for Smoking Reduction and/or Temporary Abstinence in England: A report for the NICE Tobacco Harm Reduction Committee.

Beard, E., & West, R. (March, 2012). Recent trends in smoking, smoking cessation activities and use of nicotine replacement products for harm reduction: A report for the MHRA.

Bruguera, C., Beard, E., Brown, J., & West, R. (May, 2012). Brief report on the combined use of NRT: A report for Johnson and Johnson.

This page last modified 5 Dec, 2012 by Mark Livermore

CONTACT DETAILS
Telephone:
+44(0)020 3108 3070
Internal: x53070
Fax:
+44 (0)20 7679 8354
Email: e.beard:@ucl.ac.uk

Postal address:
Health Behaviour Research Centre, Department of Epidemiology & Public Health,
UCL, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK

Office: Room 215,
1-19 Torrington Place,
WC1E 7HB

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