We’re delighted to announce that Josie Dunn and Ethan Knight have been awarded SSA PhD studentships, and will commence their studies later this year.
The SSA has been funding PhDs in addiction science since 2010 on topics including alcohol and mental health, cannabis, domestic abuse, neuropsychological development, and relapse.
The purpose of the PhD studentship scheme is to support careers in addiction research and further the scientific understanding of addiction. It is a competitive funding scheme, and an award of a PhD studentship represents a high level of confidence that the student will successfully complete their PhD and go on to become a leader in the field of addiction.
The two latest additions to the cohort of SSA PhD students are Josie Dunn and Ethan Knight. Find out more about them below:
Meet Josie Dunn
Biography
Josie Dunn holds a first-class honours degree in Medical Pharmacology and a Master’s by Research in Substance Misuse. Her academic journey reflects a strong commitment to advancing the field of addiction science, particularly through interdisciplinary and evidence-based approaches. With a passion for understanding and addressing the complexities of substance use, she aims to contribute meaningful research that supports harm reduction, public health, and policy development. Her experience spans both scientific and social dimensions of drug use, and she is dedicated to producing work that has a real-world impact. She is excited to be part of the SSA community and looks forward to collaborating with experts in the field, learning from peers, and contributing to the ongoing development of effective responses to addiction and emerging drug trends.
Summary of PhD project
“I’m researching how to detect new and dangerous synthetic drugs before they become widely used or cause serious harm. By combining online monitoring, lab testing, and public health strategies, my project aims to support earlier warnings and improve responses to emerging drug threats.”
Meet Ethan Knight
Biography
Ethan Knight is a researcher within the Oxford Tobacco Addiction Group at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, where he helps develop interventions to support smoking reduction among individuals with severe mental illness. He leads on patient and public involvement (PPI) and related engagement activities, as well as evidence synthesis on the project.
In addition to his work on tobacco addiction, Ethan has previously contributed to population-level strategies to reduce alcohol consumption as part of the Health Behaviours team in the same department. He holds a BSc in Psychology and an MRes in Neuroscience from Newcastle University, where his research focused on the neurobiology of addiction, particularly the effects of alcohol on brain activity and risk-taking. During his studies, he also worked as a research assistant on projects investigating social influences on alcohol consumption.
Ethan’s research sits at the intersection of addiction and mental health, with a focus on patient-centred, compassion-focused approaches to cessation, rehabilitation, and harm reduction. He is particularly interested in tailoring interventions for underserved and marginalised groups, and in embedding lived experience throughout the research process. In addition to intervention development, he has contributed to several evidence-synthesis projects, including reviews on the effectiveness of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation and the factors influencing their use across different populations.
Summary of PhD project
“My DPhil in Primary Health Care Sciences at the University of Oxford will explore the role of mood in predicting relapse during smoking and vaping quit attempts, with a particular focus on individuals with a history of mood disorders. The project will comprise a systematic review of post-quit mood and relapse, extensive engagement with people with lived experience and clinical stakeholders, and a prospective pilot study examining mood trajectories across nicotine products and psychiatric history. The aim is to better understand mood-related relapse, identify contributing factors, and lay the groundwork for future mood-focused interventions to improve early cessation outcomes.”
