Winner of the 2024 Impact Prize from the Society of the Study of Addiction

BR-UK’s Deputy Director, Dr Sharon Cox, has been announced as the winner of the Society for the Study of Addiction’s 2024 Impact Prize.  The Impact Prize is awarded to those whose research has impacted treatment, policy, practice related to, or communities affected by, addiction. Sharon is a Principal Research Fellow at UCL and psychologist with nearly 20 years' academic and clinical experience studying substance addictions and harm reduction.

Reacting to the announcement, Sharon said: I am nothing short of overwhelmed and proud to receive this award. For many years, myself and my colleagues have been trying to raise awareness of how smoking impacts people who experience multiple and severe disadvantages, and slowly we are getting there. I am lucky to work with inspiring and hard-working colleagues that always give me ideas air time, without them, this work would not be where it is. It's really testament that science doesn't progress without the support of others.

Smoking cessation policies often fail to consider and address the evidence that there are members of society who are more at risk from smoking related harms than others and that do not have the same routine access to information and treatment to reduce those harms.   Sharon’s broad portfolio of research on smoking and its subsequent findings have facilitated her ability to directly influence policy and secure investment in smoking cessation interventions for people experiencing homelessness.

Professor Linda Bauld, BR-UK Principal Investigator and Co-Director:

On behalf of BR-UK, I send warm congratulations to Sharon for this well-deserved acknowledgement of her hard work and passion for research and her continuing commitment to challenge – and address - health inequalities within underserved communities.