About Us
Global Leader On Behavioural Science In Tobacco Harm Reduction And ENDS Regulation.
CSUR opened in 1994 linked initially to the University of Glasgow where its foundational director held the post of Professor of Substance Use Research. In 2011 CSUR became a wholly independent research centre focussing on a wider range of substance use issues and developing a large programme of behaviourally focussed regulatory science research assessing the contribution of ENDS in reducing tobacco related health harm. The team within CSUR comprises post-doctoral researchers in behavioural science, experts in marketing, cyber security, and media. The research team within CSUR have experience in working alongside regulatory authorities including FDA to ensure that the studies executed can meet the needs of regulatory and public health bodies. CSUR also has direct experience of working with some of the major global panel companies including IPSOS MORI Qualtrics to broaden the coverage of its studies. CSUR as an organization is focussed on furthering the goals of tobacco related harm reduction and assessing the public health impact of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems. The goal of CSUR’s staff is to ensure that those working within these industries have access to high quality behavioural research that can further their owns goals of reducing the harms associated with the use of combustible tobacco products.
Years Experience
Executive Team
Neil Mckeganey
B.A. Hons., M.Sc., Ph.D. FRSA
Neil, formerly Professor of Substance Use Research at the University of Glasgow, opened CSUR in 1997 specialising in behavioural research in the addictions. In 2011, along with Professor Marina Barnard, McKeganey led the development of CSUR as a wholly independent research company. McKeganey has advised the U.K. and Scottish government’s on aspects of drug policy and provision and has provided consultancy support to the World Health Organisation, the United Nations, and the U.S. Department of Justice. McKeganey has presented his research findings at a wide range of international meetings including being invited to the U.S. White House to summarise his work on substance use and young people. Since 2017, Neil McKeganey and Dr Christopher Russell have collaborated in developing CSUR extensive programme of regulatory science research focussing on tobacco harm reduction and electronic nicotine delivery system. In 2012 Neil McKeganey was awarded the Nils Bejerot prize for his contribution to international drug policy and practice. Neil McKeganey is the author of over 200 peer reviewed academic papers and has edited and authored six books. Neil McKeganey is ranked within the top 2% of academic researchers on the global Research Gate platform and ranked as “outstanding” on the Google Scholar H- index.
Neil Mckeganey
Co-Director
Farhana Haseen
M.Sc., MMedSc., Ph.D.
Farhana completed her PhD in Cancer and Nutritional Epidemiology at Queen’s University Belfast; she received her Masters of Medical Science in International Health at Uppsala University, Sweden, and Masters in Nutrition at the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Prior to joining the Centre, Farhana worked on a research project at the University of St Andrews in relation to Scottish tobacco legislation and smoking behaviour among young people in Scotland. Farhana joined CSUR in 2018 and was appointed to the role of Director of Research in 2020. Within CSUR Farnhana leads multiple cross-sectional and longitudinal research projects within the broad area of smoking harm reduction, focusing specifically on the role of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) in reducing smoking-related harm. Her research interest covers awareness and prevalence of tobacco use, perceptions of the risks and benefits of using ENDS, patterns of ENDS use that influence individuals’ behaviour of starting, quitting, or continuing to smoke combustible cigarettes and effective interventions to reduce harm from tobacco use. Farhana is interested in leading the research project exploring means of reducing smoking prevalence and smoking-related harm in developing countries.
Farhana Hasseen
Director of Research
Marina Barnard
B.A., Ph.D
Marina was formerly a Professorial Research fellow at the University of Glasgow, is Co-Director of CSUR. In 2011 Barnard oversaw the development of CSUR as a wholly independent research company. Barnard’s principle area of academic expertise is on the impact of substance use on the family where she has written widely, including the acclaimed research monograph ‘Drug Use and the Family’ (2007). Barnard has advised the U.K. and Scottish Governments’ on aspects of drugs policy and practice, particularly on the deleterious impact of drug misuse on children and families. Responsible for all matters relating to finance, staff welfare, and the day to day running of CSUR, Barnard is also overseeing the move of the research centre to new premises in April 2021.
Marina Barnard
Co-Director
Gabriel Barnard
B.A. Hons
Gabe joined CSUR in 2018. Winner of an internationally acclaimed “Clio” award” for his work on marketing and advertising Gabriel was initially responsible for exploring new ways of marketing and communicating CSUR research findings beyond the limited conventions of academic reporting. Over time Gabriel’s responsibilities have expanded to liaising with external funders in reporting the centre’s research programme and in developing new areas of the centres research programme. As Head of New Business Gabriel has been responsible for the CARE study assessing the relative impact of top selling ENDS products on adult smoker’s behaviour. Gabriel also has responsibility for developing a compendium of CSUR’s past research instruments/research questions to reduce the time taken to design, execute and report new studies.
Gabe Barnard
Head of Business Development
Christopher Russell
Ph.D.
Christopher Russell is a psychologist and Specialist Advisor for the Centre for Substance Use Research (CSUR), Glasgow, Scotland. Dr Russell leads the Centre’s perception and behavioural research programme assessing the impact of specific brands of non-combustible tobacco and nicotine products (NCTNPs), such as e-cigarette and heated tobacco products, on tobacco smoking and health in the United States and United Kingdom.
Through cross-sectional and longitudinal study designs, Dr Russell’s team conducts pre-market assessments and post-market surveillance of tobacco users and non-users’ perceptions of the appeal, risks and benefits of using e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, and patterns of use of NCTNPs that increase individuals’ likelihood of starting, stopping or continuing to smoke conventional cigarettes. The results of this work are used to identify nicotine regulatory policies that may increase the safety, accessibility, affordability, appeal and effectiveness of NCTNPs as a method of quitting smoking.
Christopher Russel
Specialist Advisor
Thematic Leads
Evangelos Katsampouris
PhD in Health Psychology
Evangelos is expert in mixed methods and experimental design Evangelos is a Senior Research Fellow in CSUR where he is responsible for leading international behavioural studies assessing the public health impact of e-cigarette use in the U.S. U.K. Canada, Germany, and South Korea.
Vangelis Katsampouris
Thematic Lead: Global Panel Studies
Alex Satchwell
B.A. Hons., M.Res.
Alex joined CSUR as a Research Assistant in June 2018 before being promoted to Research Fellow in 2019. His work focuses on national and international longitudinal studies that assess change in smoking behaviours. Alex has previously led two randomised controlled trials that sought to determine the efficacy of e-cigarettes in reducing cigarette consumption. He recently completed a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Research (MRes) from the University of Glasgow where he was awarded a distinction.
Andrea Patton
Thematic Lead: Prevalence
Venus Marza
Ph.D. Senior Research Fellow
Venus Marza is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Substance Use Research with over ten years of experience in data analysis. She earned her PhD in Computer Science with the topic of complex networks in 2015. In particular, she focused on topics like data analysis and data mining in various large-scale networks such as health-care data. More than her role as a data analyst, she was also effective as a lecturer for more than 11 years in West Tehran branch of Azad University in Computer Science department.
Venus spent ten years working as senior researcher and developer at Behpardaz Jahan Company. For her recent three years, she was data analyst of EHR and pharmacies’ data. She has also designed a data model for e-prescription and medicine supply chain in FDO (Food and Drug Organization). She has published several papers in journals and conferences and has authored a book and a chapter book in her research scope.
At the Centre for Substance Use Research, Venus is involved in several research projects such as Prevalence study and assessing the prevalence of use and intentions to use conventional cigarettes and e-cigarettes in U.S adolescents and adults and Recognition study and assessing verbal and visual recognition of e-cigarette products among adolescents and adults in the United States. Venus is currently leading the research project of Longitudinal Study to assess the rates at which cohorts of adults and adolescents in the United States initiate and cease use of a range of tobacco products over a 12-month period.
Venus Marza
Thematic Lead: Longitudinal Studies
Alex Satchwell
B.A. Hons., M.Res.
Alex joined CSUR as a Research Assistant in June 2018 before being promoted to Research Fellow in 2019. His work focuses on national and international longitudinal studies that assess change in smoking behaviours. Alex has previously led two randomised controlled trials that sought to determine the efficacy of e-cigarettes in reducing cigarette consumption. He recently completed a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Research (MRes) from the University of Glasgow where he was awarded a distinction.
Alex Satchwell
Thematic Lead: Research Ethics and Study Development
Tiffany Hamilton
B.A., M.Sc., Ph.D.
Tiffany completed her Ph.D. at the University of Strathclyde focusing on models of disability in chronic musculoskeletal disease. In 2014 she joined CSUR working on a number of studies including research on adult smokers perceptions of e-cigarettes and the barriers to their use where smokers choose not to use these devices. Tiffany is currently working on a longitudinal study of tobacco and marijuana use amongst youth and adults in the United States.
Tiffany Hamilton
Research Lead: Longitudinal Studies
Sophie Notley
B.A. Hons
Sophie joined the Centre in 2018 and has played a key role in the development and execution of multiple intervention-based studies carried out in London involving the structured assessment of the impact of providing adult smokers with an ENDS device for varying lengths of time. Sophie is currently leading on the development of CSUR “Question Bank” drawing together all of CSUR previous research instruments and associated statistical analytic tools to identify a common set of questions and associated analyses that will allow future CSUR studies to be undertaken with minimal delay.
Sophie Notley
Thematic Lead: Question Bank
Sazzadur Rahman
Ph.D.
Sazzadur completed his Ph.D. at the University of Ulster, focusing on multi-criteria decision making. He has extensive experience in developing database applications and software testing. He completed a Masters in Big Data Technologies at Glasgow Caledonian University, focusing on machine learning and data analytics in various big data platforms. He has developed a fully functioning prototype, a web-based interactive dashboard, to improve data visualizations. He achieved several professional certifications from Oracle, International Software Testing Qualification Board, and SAS. Sazzadur joined CSUR in 2020 and is currently analysing data from longitudinal studies assessing the use of tobacco based products including e-cigarettes amongst youth and adults in the United States. His interest lies in big data analytics, machine learning, data visualizations, geo mapping, and dashboard.
Sazzadur Rahman
Thematic Lead: Data Representation
David Hou
Visiting scholar: Risk Assessment Specialist
Cyber Security
Helen Duncan
Mike Robinson:
Support Staff
Suman Joshni
Helen Taggart
Maureen Debbage
Legal Representation
Within Scotland CSURES legal representation is provided by Bodies LLP
Within the U.S. CSURES legal representation is provided by Sheppard Mullin Richter and Hampton