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Professor Richard Edwards image 2020

MB BChir, MRCP, FCPHM(NZ), MPH, MDCo-Director ASPIRE 2025 Research Centre; Co-Director Whakahā o te Pā Harakeke Research Programme;

Teaches PUBH732 Prevention and Control of Disease in Populations

Contact details

Tel +64 4 918 5089
Email richard.edwards@otago.ac.nz
Twitter @ProfEdwardsNZ
Skype pr.edwards.nz

Research interests and activities

Richard trained as a public health physician in the UK, and came to Wellington in November 2005. He has over 20 years experience in tobacco control practice and research in the UK and New Zealand. Richard is co-director of ASPIRE 2025 Research Centre and co-director of the Whakahā o te Pā Harakeke research programme.

His main research interests are in tobacco use epidemiology and tobacco control (see ASPIRE2025). He has also carried out research in a variety of other areas, notably environmental epidemiology and non-communicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa. He is a member of the leadership group of the Otago Global Health Institute (OGHI).

His current research focus is on smokefree policy research, particularly in relation to achieving the Smokefree Aotearoa goal of ending significant tobacco use in Aotearoa/New Zealand for all peoples by 2025.

He is co-principal investigator of the Evidence for Achieving Smokefree Aotearoa Equitably (EASE) study (New Zealand arm of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Evaluation project).

Examples of recently completed research projects include:

  • An evaluation of the effectiveness of the removal of point-of-sale displays in New Zealand and internationally
  • An investigation of the feasibility of endgame solutions to tobacco control in New Zealand
  • An exploration of whether young adults make a truly informed choice when they start smoking
  • An investigation of the reasons for the recent decline in smoking among New Zealand adolescents
  • Developing an action plan for the achievement of the Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 goal

Richard is a Deputy Editor of the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research and serves on various expert advisory committees including for Hāpai Te Hauora the national tobacco control advocacy service and the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation.

Publications

Hoek, J., Waa, A., Ball, J., Edwards, R., & Graham-DeMello, A. (2024). Government struggling with evidence: HTPs, addiction levels, and Smokefree 2025. The Briefing, (10 October). Retrieved from https://www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/government-struggling-evidence-htps-addiction-levels-and-smokefree-2025 Journal - Research Other

Brandariz, J. R., Rumgay, H., Ayo-Yusuf, O., Edwards, R., Islami, F., Liu, S., … Soerjomataram, I. (2024). Estimated impact of a tobacco-elimination strategy on lung-cancer mortality in 185 countries: A population-based birth-cohort simulation study. Lancet Public Health, 9, e745-e754. doi: 10.1016/S2468-2667(24)00185-3 Journal - Research Article

Edwards, R., Hoek, J., Waa, A., & Wilson, N. (2024). Risk proportionate regulation of nicotine and tobacco products: More rhetoric than reality\n. The Briefing, (2 October). Retrieved from https://www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/risk-proportionate-regulation-nicotine-and-tobacco-products-more-rhetoric-reality Journal - Research Other

Hoek, J., Ball, J., & Edwards, R. (2024). New vaping bill: Some important progress but critical gaps remain. The Briefing, (20 September). Retrieved from https://www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/new-vaping-bill-some-important-progress-critical-gaps-remain Journal - Research Other

Nip, J., Ball, J., Hoek, J., Edwards, R., Pettie, M., & Gregan, M.-J. (2024). Can oral tobacco and nicotine products help people to stop smoking? The Briefing, (13 August). Retrieved from https://www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/can-oral-tobacco-and-nicotine-products-help-people-stop-smoking Journal - Research Other

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