Dr Catherine Kimber

I am a Senior Lecturer in Psychology and an early career researcher (ECR) in the College of Health and Life Science at London South Bank University. I hold several key leadership roles, including University ECR Ambassador, Lead of the Nicotine, Tobacco and Vaping Research Group, and Divisional Research Ethics Committee Lead. I also serve as a panel member of the College of Health and Life Sciences Research and Integrity Ethics Committee. As the elected Treasurer of Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco European Chapter (since September 2025), I sit on the Board and play a central role in shaping the strategic agenda of the society. This includes contributing to the organisation of international research conferences and helping to define future policy directions and vision for the society, a globally recognised and outward-facing organisation in tobacco and nicotine research. I am passionate about advancing Tobacco Harm Reduction research while fostering inclusive and internationally connected research cultures in the UK and beyond.

I completed my PhD in 2018 at University of East London. My doctoral research was among the first to explore the theory of nicotine titration and compensatory behaviours in vapers, contributing to a growing body of knowledge in this area. I have 13 years’ experience working with smokers and electronic cigarette users and have published extensively in tobacco control. My research spans remote randomised trials, experimental studies of puffing behaviours, nicotine delivery and absorption, nicotine reward, public health messaging on vaping, harm perceptions, and the social identity of vapers.

My work has a strong international and policy-facing impact. I have been invited as a guest speaker at international events, participated in expert roundtable discussions to inform government policy, and contributed to symposia within the field. I regularly respond to government and regulatory consultations, including those from trading standards, and my research has directly informed policy decisions regarding the regulation of nicotine vaping products. Through these activities, I contribute to shaping evidence-based policy and public health strategy at national and international levels.

I have secured funding as Principal Investigator from Cancer Research UK and have led and delivered multiple funded projects supported by the Medical Research Council and CRUK. These projects have focused on the pharmacokinetics of nicotine products, effective communication of public health messages regarding the relative risks of nicotine and e-cigarettes, and the development of intervention packages to support smoking cessation.

• Smoking and Nicotine use with a focus on e-cigarettes (vapes), pharmacokinetics of e-cigarettes, risk behaviours, public health communication vis-à-vis smoking and e-cigarettes.
• Developing and testing health interventions that promote smoking reduction and cessation.
• On-going and past collaborative projects include i) Measuring the psychological and pharmacological effects of nicotine concentrations in pod-based e-cigarettes on puffing patterns, smoking and subjective smoking-related symptoms, ii) Identifying effective intervention components in a randomised optimisation trial to support smokers to quit using an electronic cigarette, iii) The development of health text messages to support smokers to quit using e-cigarettes, iv) The reinforcement value of nicotine on non-drug related rewards. Previous work include: i) Developing and testing health warning labels to communicate the relative risks of e-cigarettes and nicotine compared to tobacco smoking ii) exploring puffing behaviours, iii) Smoking cessation with the aid of e-cigarettes, iv) E-cigarette device types’ preferences in smokers and smoking-related symptoms, v) The effects of varying nicotine levels on diurnal e-cigarette users’ puffing topography, and vi) the effects of nicotine on smokers’ cognitive functioning.

I am currently reviewing for the following journals:
 Addiction Journal
 Nicotine & Tobacco Research Oxford University Press
 Scientific Reports
 Psychopharmacology
 Society for the Research on Nicotine and Tobacco Research (SRNT) Annual meeting
 Inhalation Toxicology Journal
 Addictive Behaviors Journal
 Addictive Behaviors Reports Journal
 Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology journal
 Elsevier publisher
 The American Journal of Preventive Medicine (AJPM)