Personal profile
Research interests
I am a Senior Research Fellow in the School of Psychological Science on a prestigious 5-year Fellowship from the National Institute for Health and Care Research. My research focuses on alcohol harm reduction and the use of digital interventions, and is underpinned by behavioural science and theory.
A major focus of my research is on digital interventions to reduce hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption. As part of my research, I led the development and evaluation of a theory- and evidence-based smartphone application – Drink Less – to reduce alcohol consumption. The Drink Less app is one of the leading alcohol reduction apps in the UK with over 90,000 unique users and an average 4.6 star rating in the App Store. I was awarded the Fred Yates Prize for Researcher of the Year by the Society for the Study of Addiction in 2022 in recognition of this significant contribution and clear dedication to the field of addiction research.
I have had sustained success in securing competitive funding across eight research awards (over £6 million), with five of these as PI or co-PI and have a strong publication record with over 71 peer-reviewed papers.
My strong national and growing international profile is evidenced by regular invitations to speak and well-established international research collaborations. I make sustained expert contributions to the media, disseminating my research to the public. I am an Associate Editor at the journal Addiction, and regularly participate in peer-review for journals, conferences and grants (e.g., European Research Council).
Throughout my research, I follow the principles of Open Science, such as sharing anonymised datasets, relevant materials, source code, data and results through online repositories.
External positions
Honorary Senior Research Fellow, University College London
1 Sept 2023 → …
Research Groups and Themes
- TARG
- Health and Wellbeing (Psychological Science)
- TARG-alcohol
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Are there differences in gradual versus abrupt smoking cessation quit attempts and success by social grade? A population study in England
Cox, S., Shahab, L., Garnett, C., Lindson, N. & Jackson, S. E., 1 Feb 2026, In: Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 279, 6 p., 113017.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review
Open Access -
Exploring Motives for Reducing Alcohol Consumption Among Users of an Alcohol Reduction App: Content Analysis
Seppi, L. P., Maynard, O. M., Kale, D., Cunningham, J. A. & Garnett, C., 29 Apr 2026, In: JMIR Public Health and Surveillance. 12, p. e88992 12 p., e88992.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review
Open Access -
Feelings of Guilt and Remorse After Alcohol Consumption Among People Who Drink at Increasing and Higher-Risk Levels: A Population Study in England
Cox, S., Oldham, M., Tattan-Birch, H., Marlow, S., Robson, D., Garnett, C. & Jackson, S. E., 1 Jan 2026, In: Drug and Alcohol Review. 45, 1, 9 p., e70076.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review
Open Access1 Citation (Scopus)
Prizes
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NIHR Advanced Fellowship (£1.3 million)
Garnett, C. (Recipient), 2023
Prize: Prizes, Medals, Awards and Grants
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NIHR Public Health Research award (£1,002,755.94)
Garnett, C. (Recipient), 2019
Prize: Prizes, Medals, Awards and Grants
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NIHR School for Public Health Research project award (£98,999.79)
Garnett, C. (Recipient), 2018
Prize: Prizes, Medals, Awards and Grants