Dr Kirstie Soar

I am a senior researcher with twenty-five years' experience in HE and academic research. I'm a Chartered Psychologist and Fellow of the HEA. I have been researching on drugs and addictive behaviours for over 20 years and have published widely in both national and international journals.

I joined LSBU in September 2021 as a Trial Manager for the NIHR funded project - SCeTCH and worked as a research fellow until February 2025, as part of the Nicotine, Tobacco and Vaping (NTV) Research Group.  Since then I have an honoary research fellow status with LSBU and the NTV group, collaborating on a number of research projects.

Current research interests include the nicotine and tobacco harm reduction, smoking cessation and vaping (both nicotine and cannabis).  

My work is widely published and highly cited; I have contributed evidence to the Drugs Policy Inquiry (2019), Health and Social Care Committee, I've fed into the National Centre for Smoking Cessation Training (NCSCT), Public Health England training guidelines and numerous Government consultations.  I am an academic consultant on Tobacco Harm Reduction for the NCSCT and have also consulted for PharmaStrat (a healthcare consulting company specialising in smoking cessation support), several local authorities and stop smoking services, the Royal Soceity of Medicine, and what were known as Thurrock and Essex Drug Action Teams. I have previously received funding for a networking event for Peer Support Services for Drug and Alcohol Use by AlcoholChangeUK and Sir Richard Stapleys Educational Trust.

Hourly Paid Lecturer

Psychology of Addictive Behaviours