Dr Natalie Walker

PhD (Medicine), DPH, MSc, BSc (Hons)

Associate Professor

In: Pacific Health » Population Health » Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences

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

2018 - now	Fellow of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT).
2012 - 2016	Heart Foundation Douglas Senior Fellowship in Heart Health (Prevention)
2001 - 2003	Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship, National Heart Foundation of NZ
1997 - 2000	Public Health Research Training Fellowship (Career Development Award), Health Research Council of NZ

Responsibilities

2019 - now	Director of the Board of Research, School of Population Health (member since 2015, Deputy Director in 2018)
2018 - now	Associate Professor in Population Health (Honorary Associate Professor in Population Health 2015-2018)
2018 - now	Director, Centre for Addiction Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (Associate Director 2012-2018)
2008 - now	Programme Leader-Addictions, National Institute for Health Innovation, School of Population Health

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

Committees/Professional groups/Services

2018 - now	Inaugural Dean of the international SRNT University (an online educational platform)
2018 - now	Board member, SRNT Oceania chapter
2018 - now	Member of the Health Coalition Aotearoa: Smokefree Advisory Group
2018 - now	Associate Editor, Nicotine & Tobacco Research (Journal)
2018 - now	Member of an HRC Grants Review Committee
2017 - now	Member of the Heart Foundation Scientific Board
2015 - now	Associate Editor, Addiction (Journal)
2014 - now	Associate Editor, Tobacco Regulatory Science (Journal)
2009 - now	Member of SRNT

Selected publications and creative works (Research Outputs)

O'Brien B, Knight-West, O., Walker, N., Parag, V., & Bullen, C. (2015). E-cigarettes versus NRT for smoking reduction or cessation in people with mental illness: Secondary analysis of data from the ASCEND trial. Tobacco Induced Diseases, 1310.1186/s12971-015-0030-2
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Chris Bullen, Varsha Parag
Walker, N., Fraser, T., Howe, C., Laugesen, M., Truman, P., Parag, V., ... Bullen, C. (2015). Abrupt nicotine reduction as an endgame policy: A randomised trial. Tobacco Control, Online first.10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2014-051801
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Chris Bullen, Varsha Parag
Walker, N., Johnston, V., Glover, M., Bullen, C., Trenholme, A., Chang, A., ... Fenton, D. (2015). Effect of a family-centered, secondhand smoke intervention to reduce respiratory illness in indigenous infants in Australia and New Zealand: A randomized controlled trial. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 17 (1), 48-57. 10.1093/ntr/ntu128
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Chris Bullen, Varsha Parag
Walker, N., Howe, C., Glover, M., McRobbie, H., Barnes, J., Nosa, V., ... Bullen, C. (2014). Cytisine versus nicotine for smoking cessation. The New England Journal of Medicine, 371 (25), 2353-2362. 10.1056/NEJMoa1407764
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Vili Nosa, Jo Barnes, Chris Bullen, Varsha Parag
Bullen, C., Howe, C., Laugesen, M., McRobbie, H., Parag, V., Williman, J., & Walker, N. (2013). Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation: A randomised controlled trial. Lancet, 382 (9905), 1629-1637. 10.1016/s0140-6736(13)61842-5
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/2292/24267
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Varsha Parag, Chris Bullen
Jull, A. B., Walker, N., & Deshpande, S. (2013). Honey as a topical treatment for wounds. Cochrane database of systematic reviews (Online), 210.1002/14651858.CD005083.pub3
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/2292/22803
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Andrew Jull
Walker, N., Howe, C., Bullen, C., Grigg, M., Glover, M., McRobbie, H., ... Whittaker, R. (2012). The combined effect of very low nicotine content cigarettes, used as an adjunct to usual Quitline care (nicotine replacement therapy and behavioural support), on smoking cessation: A randomized controlled trial. Addiction, 107 (10), 1857-1867. 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2012.03906.x
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Chris Bullen, Varsha Parag
Walker, N., Howe, C., Bullen, C., Grigg, M., Glover, M., McRobbie, H., ... Whittaker, R. (2011). Does improved access and greater choice of nicotine replacement therapy affect smoking cessation success? Findings from a randomised controlled trial. Addiction, 106 (6), 1176-1185. 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2011.03419.x
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/2292/18931