Dr Maynard is a psychologist with interests in drug use and harm reduction. Specifically, she is interested in how individuals balance risk perceptions with intentions to use drugs (including nicotine, alcohol and other prohibited drugs). She examines how risk perceptions and drug use behaviours can be changed through individual- and population-level interventions. Other research examines the impact of misinformation on attitudes and behaviours related to drug use, the role of stigma on attitudes towards drug policies and drug treatment, and the role of drugs policies on behaviour. 

She uses both qualitative methods (interviews, focus groups) and quantitative methods (survey research, randomised experiments) in both laboratory and real-world settings.