Dr Natalie Walker

Research | Current

I am particularly interested in identifying affordable, practical and scalable interventions (appropriate to local conditions and populations) to address the leading non-communicable diseases in New Zealand, namely heart disease, respiratory disease, and cancer. I have built up a sustained, systematic and comprehensive programme of multidisciplinary addiction research, particularly focusing on two leading risk factors for non-communicable diseases - alcohol and tobacco. The research has spanned from preclinical research through to policy. I have published in the fields of tobacco control and smoking cessation (e-cigarettes, cytisine, nicotine reduction, increasing uptake of existing cessation medications, exercise for smoking cessation, hypnotherapy, incentives, smokefree programme evaluations, and smokefree environments) alcohol (mhealth alcohol interventions), other drugs (cannabis, ibogaine) and other addictions (sugar).

Teaching | Current

Course Director: POPLHLTH 712: “Clinical Trial Design, Analysis and Management”, University of Auckland. (Course run every two years).

Guest lecturer: POPLHLTH 304: “Epidemiology Methods”, University of Auckland.

Guest lecturer: POPLHLTH 216: “Essential Epidemiology”, University of Auckland

Guest lecturer: CHEM 392: "Issues in Drug Design and Development", University of Auckland

Distinctions/Honours

Responsibilities

Areas of expertise

Expertise in the following study designs:  Pragmatic Community-based Trials , Case-control studies, Systematic reviews, and cross-sectional studies.

Research interests: Disease prevention/public health: in the field of smoking cessation, alcohol, harm reduction, cannabis and heart health

Recent papers (2020-2021):

• Walker, N., Smith, B., Barnes, J., Verbiest, M., Parag, V., Pokhrel, S., Wharakura, M.‐K., Lees, T., Cubillos Gutierrez, H., Jones, B., and Bullen, C. Cytisine versus varenicline for smoking cessation in New Zealand indigenous Māori: A randomized controlled trial. Addiction, 2021; https://doi.org/10.1111/add.15489.
• Walker N, Parag V, Verbiest M, Laking G, Laugesen M, Bullen C. Nicotine patches used in combination with e-cigarettes (with and without nicotine) for smoking cessation: a pragmatic randomised trial. Lancet Respiratory Medicine, 2020: 8 (1): 54-64. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2213-2600(19)30269-3.
• Walker N, Parag V, Wong S, Youdan B, Broughton B, Bullen C, Beaglehole R. Daily use of e-cigarettes and smoked tobacco in youth aged 14-15 years in New Zealand: findings from repeated cross-sectional studies (2014-2019). Lancet Public Health 2020; doi: 10.1016/S2468-2667(19)30241-5.
• Joo YJ, Newcombe D, Nosa V, Walker N, Bullen C.  Betel Nut Use in Vanuatu: Investigating Opportunities to Reduce Harms to Health. Substance Use & Misuse, 2020; 55:9, 1457-1464, doi: 10.1080/10826084.2020.1716803
• Galea-Singer S, Newcombe D, Farnsworth-Grodd V, Sheridan J, Adams P, Walker N. Challenges of virtual talking therapies for substance misuse in New Zealand during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Opinion Piece. New Zealand Medical Journal 2020; 22 May; 133 (1515).

Committees/Professional groups/Services