TARG Bristol

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Join our Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) contact list and have your voice heard. We will contact you when opportunities arise and your time would be reimbursed.

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Smartwatches are changing health research ⌚📊.
Our new blog explores how wearable technology can detect behaviour in real time and deliver just-in-time support. Out today: targ.blogs.bristol.ac.uk
@c-stone.bsky.social

Are there differences in gradual versus abrupt smoking cessation quit attempts and success by social grade? A population study in England Smoking rates remain higher among individuals from less advantaged social grades, who tend to be less successful when they try to quit. Abrupt quittin…

Check out a new publication that TARG member @clairevgarnett.bsky.social contributed to, led by @sharoncox.bsky.social on exploring differences in gradual versus abrupt smoking cessation quit attempts and success by social grade: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

With Angela Attwood, @oliviamaynard.bsky.social, Ian Penton-Voak, Helen Bould, @clairevgarnett.bsky.social, @zoereed.bsky.social, @laura-ann-chapman.bsky.social, Katie De-loyde, @c-stone.bsky.social, Olly Bastiani, @holla-adam.bsky.social, Murray Birnie, Myah Swart and Jono De Oliveira

TARG has been at Cumberland Lodge for the last 3 days for our annual academic retreat. It's been a great few days discussing future plans and new grant ideas, as well as some competitive quizzing (thanks to Angela Attwood!) and games.

As ever, a fantastic conference and a huge thanks to everyone involved in organising it 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Claire Garnett stood next to her poster on understanding the motives, strategies and goals of alcohol reduction attempts among people who drink at risky levels in the UK

💬 Claire Garnett presented on the motives, strategies and goals of alcohol reduction attempts among people drinking at risky levels.

Angela Attwood stood in front of her poster on optimising smoking cessation in lung cancer screening: a qualitative study to map readiness to quit

💬 Angela Attwood presented on the readiness to quit of smokers attending the lung health checks.

Olivia Maynard stood at a podium on stage presenting slides on 'Supporting swap to stop'

📊 Olivia Maynard presented on their 'Swap to Stop' pilot investigation of vaping information provision for people attending lung health checks.

Five researchers from TARG stood in a line smiling.

TARG researchers @oliviamaynard.bsky.social, Angela Attwood, @c-stone.bsky.social, Oliver Bastiani and @clairevgarnett.bsky.social were in Newcastle last week for the Society for the Study of Addiction annual conference.

Advance your career with a PhD studentship or fellowship The SSA is offering fully-funded PhD studentships and fellowships through [...]

Great news that the Society for the Study of Addiction @addiction-ssa.org are offering fully-funded PhD studentships and fellowships. Get in contact if you're interested in applying and working with us in TARG:
www.addiction-ssa.org/news/advance...

Our work explores the psychological and biological factors that drive health-related behaviours, with a particular focus on nicotine and tobacco use, alcohol, other drugs, mental health, and neurodiversity.

We now have a new logo and new group name! We're still TARG, but this now stands for the Translational and Applied Research Group. This is to reflect the broader scope of our group since TARG was established in 2007.

The @addiction-ssa.org will soon begin advertising new PhD and Fellowship opportunities. The SSA’s Early Career Research Network has organised two webinars to support and provide tips for potential applicants...
www.addiction-ssa.org/news/webinar...

(quotes are indicative of conversations with the venues)

🔊Did you read our latest blog yet? It’s about what happened after one of our field trials introducing a draught non-alcoholic beer in venues around the Bristol area. See quotes from venues and read the blog here: bit.ly/4mzFi7C

Starts at 2:36:34 into the programme!

Vic Minett - 30/09/2025 - BBC Sounds Vic has great stories, great guests and The Rewind.

TARG researcher @c-stone.bsky.social interviewed by BBC Radio Coventry and Warwickshire for an item about alcohol units.
Listen here: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

@oliviamaynard.bsky.social @gjhollands.bsky.social @clairevgarnett.bsky.social

@kdeloyde.bsky.social‬ @ClaireVGarnett @JennFerrar @Clarke_NC1 @MarkAPilling @joe__matthews @OliviaMaynard17 @GJHollands @MarcusMunafo @AngelaAttwood

🔊Blog out today: How a simple swap led to lasting changes in pub and bars across South West England - What happened after the alcohol-free draught beer introduction study?
bit.ly/4mzFi7C

Project #4: Optimising uptake and personalisation of digital health interventions for under-served groups: a case study with the Drink Less app

With lead supervisor @clairevgarnett.bsky.social

gw4biomed.ac.uk/optimising-u...

Project #3: “Nudging” alcohol consumption: Developing interventions to encourage drinkers to reduce alcohol consumption by switching to no/low alcohol alternatives

With lead supervisor Prof Angela Attwood

gw4biomed.ac.uk/nudging-alco...

Project #2: Can experiences in Virtual Reality change body perception and satisfaction, in people with and without eating disorders?

With lead supervisor Dr Helen Bould

gw4biomed.ac.uk/can-experien...

Project #1: Breaking the Habit: Designing and Evaluating Behavioural Interventions to Reduce Vaping Dependence and Support Cessation

With lead supervisor @oliviamaynard.bsky.social

gw4biomed.ac.uk/breaking-the...

GW4 BioMed MRC DTP - GW4 BioMed MRC DTP The GW4 BioMed MRC Doctoral Training Partnership is a collaboration between Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter Universities.

Looking for a MRC-funded PhD opportunity with TARG? We have four projects being advertised with @gw4biomeddtp.bsky.social (who have up to 17 4-year PhD studentships available for home & international students).
Applications close on 20 Oct 2025 at 5pm: gw4biomed.ac.uk

<em>British Journal of Health Psychology</em> | Wiley Online Library Objectives To explore whether people ‘other’ when making judgements about ‘harmful’ drinking and the drinking contexts (e.g., pub with friends) and features of drinking contexts (e.g., location, com.....

New paper! We used focus groups and arts-based methods to explore whether people ‘other’ when making judgements about harmful drinking and the drinking contexts and features of drinking contexts perceived as being indicative of harmful drinking. bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Read the full research paper by Alice Porter, Elin Cawley,
@laura-ann-chapman.bsky.social, Charlotte Crisp, Ruth Wadman, Sally Barber, Ian Penton-Voak, Angela Attwood, Russ Jago and Helen Bould in @bmj.com Open:
bit.ly/4nUUuhd

University experts team up with Team GB hockey Olympian to make school PE kits fitter for purpose and put ball in pupils’ court - Bristol Biomedical Research Centre Top researchers have united with Team GB hockey player and sports inclusivity trailblazer Tess Howard MBE on a mission to help teenage girls feel more comfortable in their school PE uniforms – and own...

🏆Top researchers have joined @teamgbofficial.bsky.social hockey player and #SportsInclusivity trailblazer Tess Howard to help teenage girls feel more comfortable in their school PE uniforms – and own bodies
bristolbrc.nihr.ac.uk/university-e...

#PhysicalActivity #PEkit #InclusiveSportswear

<em>Journal of Sleep Research</em> | ESRS Journal | Wiley Online Library Higher consumption of caffeinated beverages is associated with disturbed sleep patterns. Using genetic variants as proxies for caffeine consumption, caffeine metabolism, and sleep traits, we investig...

Check out a new publication by TARG members @jasminekhouja.bsky.social and Benji Woolf that came out yesterday, exploring the impact of caffeine on sleep using Mendelian randomisation: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Taking care in stigma reduction: Guest Blog by Adam Holland and Lucille Seppi — Anti-Stigma Network Stigma can affect anyone who uses alcohol or other drugs, negatively impacting their health and wellbeing, and increasing the likelihood they experience drug-related harm. Fear of judgement or unkind ...

New blog post by @holla-adam.bsky.social and Lucille Seppi on taking care in stigma reduction...
www.antistigmanetwork.org.uk/blog/taking-...

Their findings showed:
1️⃣ Risk perception shifts with recent events but shows stable hazard links over time
2️⃣ Wildfires, droughts and floods form a persistent perception network
3️⃣ Network analysis reveals patterns in how the public links perception of multiple risks