The SSA is pleased to announce that Belinda Fox has joined the first cohort of PhD students and fellows funded through the Addiction Healthcare Goals flagship research leadership programme.
In September 2025, the UK Government announced that the SSA had been selected to deliver the Addiction Healthcare Goals flagship research leadership programme, providing funding for academic and career development programmes tailored to the specific demands of the addiction research field.
Following a competitive application process, the SSA announced the programme’s first six PhD students and fellows in June 2026. We are now pleased to confirm that Belinda Fox will join the cohort as a PhD student.
Belinda has an undergraduate degree in communications and public relations. She also has a master’s degree in addiction, for which she conducted a study evaluating the potential public health impact of no- and low-alcohol drinks.
Her PhD will explore whether a digital platform could provide support for women leaving residential rehabilitation treatment for problem drinking. The platform will monitor how participants are doing, use artificial intelligence (AI) to identify possible signs of increased relapse risk, connect with care providers, and tailor support to individual needs.
The SSA supports careers in addiction research through funding bursaries for postgraduate study and professional development, pre-doctoral support for the development of PhD applications, PhD studentships, post-doctoral support for the development of fellowship applications, and fellowships.
