Sheffield expert to lead new research into alcohol policy

A team of national and international experts, led by an academic at the University of Sheffield, has been awarded funding from the Medical Research Council (MRC) to look at new methods of researching addiction. The team will develop new approaches to effectively researching UK alcohol policy, with the aim of delivering new knowledge to reduce the health and social harm caused by alcohol. Dr Petra Meier, from the University´s School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), will lead the research cluster which will bring together alcohol researchers from across the UK, the USA, Australia and Canada and seek to closely engage with the Government and other policy stakeholders. The research will form part of a wider initiative, led by the MRC and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), to increase the capacity of addiction research in the UK by utilising the expertise of academics from a range of disciplines. Alongside alcohol addiction, the initiative will look at addictions to drugs, gambling and tobacco, with the aim of improving research into these areas so that the major biological, social and medical problems in this field can be addressed. The team has recently gathered in Sheffield to initiate the project and is now working on developing their programme of work. Dr Meier said: "By developing our capacity to evaluate what works in alcohol policy, we are taking the first steps towards implementing real change to public health strategies.