Melissa Oldham
@melissaoldham.bsky.social
Principal Research Fellow and Griffith Edwards academic fellow in the UCL Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group. Interested in behavioural science, alcohol harm reduction and digital interventions
Reposted by Melissa Oldham
Today is our annual PhD Symposium – a welcoming space for early career researchers to share work. Thanks to organisers @melissaoldham.bsky.social, @sophieorton.bsky.social, Tsen Vei Lim, and Elle Wadsworth. Read more about the Early Career Research Network: www.addiction-ssa.org/early-career...
November 5, 2025 at 9:28 AM
Today is our annual PhD Symposium – a welcoming space for early career researchers to share work. Thanks to organisers @melissaoldham.bsky.social, @sophieorton.bsky.social, Tsen Vei Lim, and Elle Wadsworth. Read more about the Early Career Research Network: www.addiction-ssa.org/early-career...
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...
www.addiction-ssa.org/news/webinar...
October 20, 2025 at 11:22 AM
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...
www.addiction-ssa.org/news/webinar...
Reposted by Melissa Oldham
The UK Government has announced £10 million in funding to support the next generation of leaders in addiction research. Find out more about the Addiction Healthcare Goals Research Leadership Programme: tinyurl.com/2sveeum8
September 12, 2025 at 10:55 AM
The UK Government has announced £10 million in funding to support the next generation of leaders in addiction research. Find out more about the Addiction Healthcare Goals Research Leadership Programme: tinyurl.com/2sveeum8
Reposted by Melissa Oldham
We want the media and politicians to recognise that there is a large number of women who are supportive of the trans+ community 🏳️⚧️
We call on them to report truthfully about the sources of violence against women and to address the systems that perpetuate harm.
notinourname.org.uk/petition/not...
We call on them to report truthfully about the sources of violence against women and to address the systems that perpetuate harm.
notinourname.org.uk/petition/not...
Not In Our Name: Women in support of the trans+ community - Not in our name
notinourname.org.uk
September 19, 2025 at 12:06 PM
We want the media and politicians to recognise that there is a large number of women who are supportive of the trans+ community 🏳️⚧️
We call on them to report truthfully about the sources of violence against women and to address the systems that perpetuate harm.
notinourname.org.uk/petition/not...
We call on them to report truthfully about the sources of violence against women and to address the systems that perpetuate harm.
notinourname.org.uk/petition/not...
Reposted by Melissa Oldham
If you are a current #PhD student or have recently submitted your thesis, apply to attend the SSA's annual PhD Symposium in Newcastle upon Tyne on Wednesday 5 November tinyurl.com/355ersv2
September 9, 2025 at 2:33 PM
If you are a current #PhD student or have recently submitted your thesis, apply to attend the SSA's annual PhD Symposium in Newcastle upon Tyne on Wednesday 5 November tinyurl.com/355ersv2
Reposted by Melissa Oldham
Nice to have this out in popNAD. It summarises key ideas around declines in youth drinking that we explore in our book. Worth a read for overview of this body of work!
@amypennay.bsky.social @soc-researcher.bsky.social @jholmessheff.bsky.social @capraustralia.bsky.social
tinyurl.com/bdzajx8c
@amypennay.bsky.social @soc-researcher.bsky.social @jholmessheff.bsky.social @capraustralia.bsky.social
tinyurl.com/bdzajx8c
Young people, alcohol and risk: A Culture of Caution
A recent book by an international team of authors theorises the social, cultural and economic shifts accompanying the decline in youth alcohol consumption observed in many high-income countries since ...
nordicwelfare.org
August 28, 2025 at 9:41 AM
Nice to have this out in popNAD. It summarises key ideas around declines in youth drinking that we explore in our book. Worth a read for overview of this body of work!
@amypennay.bsky.social @soc-researcher.bsky.social @jholmessheff.bsky.social @capraustralia.bsky.social
tinyurl.com/bdzajx8c
@amypennay.bsky.social @soc-researcher.bsky.social @jholmessheff.bsky.social @capraustralia.bsky.social
tinyurl.com/bdzajx8c
Reposted by Melissa Oldham
In this article UCL IEHC expert Dr Melissa Oldham, who tracks drinking trends in the UK, talks about why younger generations are avoiding alcohol consumption 🍺 🍷 www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic...
How we fell out of love with alcohol - and it's NOT just down to Gen Z
Alcohol consumption in Britain has plunged 10 per cent since the millennium, with figures showing rates have dipped among all age groups.
www.dailymail.co.uk
August 8, 2025 at 9:01 AM
In this article UCL IEHC expert Dr Melissa Oldham, who tracks drinking trends in the UK, talks about why younger generations are avoiding alcohol consumption 🍺 🍷 www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic...
Nice coverage of @ucl-targ.bsky.social's Alcohol Toolkit Study in this article.. www.alcoholinengland.info/graphs/month...
I would (and did!) say though that any population declines we are seeing are being driven by declining consumption among younger people..
www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic...
I would (and did!) say though that any population declines we are seeing are being driven by declining consumption among younger people..
www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic...
How we fell out of love with alcohol - and it's NOT just down to Gen Z
Alcohol consumption in Britain has plunged 10 per cent since the millennium, with figures showing rates have dipped among all age groups.
www.dailymail.co.uk
July 28, 2025 at 10:28 AM
Nice coverage of @ucl-targ.bsky.social's Alcohol Toolkit Study in this article.. www.alcoholinengland.info/graphs/month...
I would (and did!) say though that any population declines we are seeing are being driven by declining consumption among younger people..
www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic...
I would (and did!) say though that any population declines we are seeing are being driven by declining consumption among younger people..
www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic...
Reposted by Melissa Oldham
Gen Z seem to be drinking less alcohol than older generations.
Why is this—and could it be a public health opportunity?
@emahase.bsky.social reports
www.bmj.com/content/390/...
Why is this—and could it be a public health opportunity?
@emahase.bsky.social reports
www.bmj.com/content/390/...
July 22, 2025 at 8:44 AM
Gen Z seem to be drinking less alcohol than older generations.
Why is this—and could it be a public health opportunity?
@emahase.bsky.social reports
www.bmj.com/content/390/...
Why is this—and could it be a public health opportunity?
@emahase.bsky.social reports
www.bmj.com/content/390/...
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/...
<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.....
bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
July 25, 2025 at 1:24 PM
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/...
Pleased to be featured in this interesting article by @emahase.bsky.social looking at declines in alcohol consumption among young people, discussing some of the work led by @jholmessheff.bsky.social and @sarg-scharr.bsky.social
www.bmj.com/content/390/...
www.bmj.com/content/390/...
Why are Gen Z drinking less alcohol than older generations?
Those born between the mid-to-late 1990s and early 2010s seem to be drinking less alcohol than older generations. Why is this—and could it be a public health opportunity? Elisabeth Mahase reports
The...
www.bmj.com
July 22, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Pleased to be featured in this interesting article by @emahase.bsky.social looking at declines in alcohol consumption among young people, discussing some of the work led by @jholmessheff.bsky.social and @sarg-scharr.bsky.social
www.bmj.com/content/390/...
www.bmj.com/content/390/...
Reposted by Melissa Oldham
Do we know if the decline in youth drinking follows through into people's 20s?
Learn all you need to know about the decline in youth drinking in our latest podcast with Prof @jholmessheff.bsky.social and Dr @amypennay.bsky.social
Listen here: www.ias.org.uk/podcast/why-...
Learn all you need to know about the decline in youth drinking in our latest podcast with Prof @jholmessheff.bsky.social and Dr @amypennay.bsky.social
Listen here: www.ias.org.uk/podcast/why-...
July 17, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Do we know if the decline in youth drinking follows through into people's 20s?
Learn all you need to know about the decline in youth drinking in our latest podcast with Prof @jholmessheff.bsky.social and Dr @amypennay.bsky.social
Listen here: www.ias.org.uk/podcast/why-...
Learn all you need to know about the decline in youth drinking in our latest podcast with Prof @jholmessheff.bsky.social and Dr @amypennay.bsky.social
Listen here: www.ias.org.uk/podcast/why-...
Reposted by Melissa Oldham
New inflation figures yesterday and I haven't posted this graph for a while, so here we go - average changes in price of food and drink categories since Jan 2021 relative to overall inflation.
Wine, spirits and beer have all risen below inflation and less than most other food and drink.
Wine, spirits and beer have all risen below inflation and less than most other food and drink.
July 17, 2025 at 10:29 AM
New inflation figures yesterday and I haven't posted this graph for a while, so here we go - average changes in price of food and drink categories since Jan 2021 relative to overall inflation.
Wine, spirits and beer have all risen below inflation and less than most other food and drink.
Wine, spirits and beer have all risen below inflation and less than most other food and drink.
Reposted by Melissa Oldham
Book your place at a free science communication webinar, featuring talks on writing press releases, preparing for televised news interviews, and capitalising on the influence of blogs and podcasts tinyurl.com/3bcw8juu | @tattanbirch.bsky.social @melissaoldham.bsky.social
July 11, 2025 at 8:37 AM
Book your place at a free science communication webinar, featuring talks on writing press releases, preparing for televised news interviews, and capitalising on the influence of blogs and podcasts tinyurl.com/3bcw8juu | @tattanbirch.bsky.social @melissaoldham.bsky.social
Reposted by Melissa Oldham
Big news. @leverhulme.ac.uk are investing £100m in blue skies research and doctoral scholarships, as set out here in @timeshighered.bsky.social
www.timeshighereducation.com/news/ps100-m...
www.timeshighereducation.com/news/ps100-m...
£100 million investment ‘shows confidence’ in blue-sky research
Leverhulme Trust puts more money into UK sector ‘under strain’ to mark centenary year
www.timeshighereducation.com
July 7, 2025 at 6:43 AM
Big news. @leverhulme.ac.uk are investing £100m in blue skies research and doctoral scholarships, as set out here in @timeshighered.bsky.social
www.timeshighereducation.com/news/ps100-m...
www.timeshighereducation.com/news/ps100-m...
Reposted by Melissa Oldham
The UK alcohol industry says it's “part of the solution” - but a new report says otherwise.
In our latest blog, Emma Thompson explores findings from 'Spin the Bottle', revealing how industry groups mislead on health, the environment, and the economy.
www.ias.org.uk/2025/07/07/b...
In our latest blog, Emma Thompson explores findings from 'Spin the Bottle', revealing how industry groups mislead on health, the environment, and the economy.
www.ias.org.uk/2025/07/07/b...
Behaving irresponsibly: separating UK alcohol industry claims from reality - Institute of Alcohol Studies
In our latest blog, Emma Thompson explains the findings of her IAS/SHAAP-funded study that looked at alcohol industry misinformation from 2024.
www.ias.org.uk
July 7, 2025 at 8:17 AM
The UK alcohol industry says it's “part of the solution” - but a new report says otherwise.
In our latest blog, Emma Thompson explores findings from 'Spin the Bottle', revealing how industry groups mislead on health, the environment, and the economy.
www.ias.org.uk/2025/07/07/b...
In our latest blog, Emma Thompson explores findings from 'Spin the Bottle', revealing how industry groups mislead on health, the environment, and the economy.
www.ias.org.uk/2025/07/07/b...
Reposted by Melissa Oldham
Discover how to share your #research across traditional and contemporary media platforms with our free lunchtime webinar tinyurl.com/3bcw8juu | Featuring @melissaoldham.bsky.social, Mark Greaves, @tattanbirch.bsky.social, and Suzi Gage
July 2, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Discover how to share your #research across traditional and contemporary media platforms with our free lunchtime webinar tinyurl.com/3bcw8juu | Featuring @melissaoldham.bsky.social, Mark Greaves, @tattanbirch.bsky.social, and Suzi Gage
Join us 15 July, 12–1pm for a free webinar. Whether you're curious about starting a podcast, pitching your work to journalists, or responding when they come to you.. this event will offer practical insight on sharing your research with integrity, impact, and confidence.
Sign up: tinyurl.com/3bcw8juu
Sign up: tinyurl.com/3bcw8juu
Beyond the journal: Sharing addiction science through the media
Discover how to share your research with integrity, impact, and confidence across traditional news outlets and contemporary media platforms.
tinyurl.com
July 2, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Join us 15 July, 12–1pm for a free webinar. Whether you're curious about starting a podcast, pitching your work to journalists, or responding when they come to you.. this event will offer practical insight on sharing your research with integrity, impact, and confidence.
Sign up: tinyurl.com/3bcw8juu
Sign up: tinyurl.com/3bcw8juu
Ever so pleased and surprised to have been promoted to Principal Research Fellow at UCL.
Feeling very grateful for my incredibly supportive mentors and colleagues @ucl-targ.bsky.social and the referees who generously gave up their time to review my application.
Feeling very grateful for my incredibly supportive mentors and colleagues @ucl-targ.bsky.social and the referees who generously gave up their time to review my application.
July 1, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Ever so pleased and surprised to have been promoted to Principal Research Fellow at UCL.
Feeling very grateful for my incredibly supportive mentors and colleagues @ucl-targ.bsky.social and the referees who generously gave up their time to review my application.
Feeling very grateful for my incredibly supportive mentors and colleagues @ucl-targ.bsky.social and the referees who generously gave up their time to review my application.
Reposted by Melissa Oldham
Great story here in @nature.com from @helenpearson.bsky.social on the state of health in the US and what happens when RFK's Make America Healthy Again rhetoric meets the evidence on what actually needs to change.
Ft. this shocking graph on US health exceptionalism:
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Ft. this shocking graph on US health exceptionalism:
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
June 24, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Great story here in @nature.com from @helenpearson.bsky.social on the state of health in the US and what happens when RFK's Make America Healthy Again rhetoric meets the evidence on what actually needs to change.
Ft. this shocking graph on US health exceptionalism:
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Ft. this shocking graph on US health exceptionalism:
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Melissa Oldham
🚨📄 The final synopsis from our evaluation of the effectiveness of the Drink Less app has now been published on the NIHR Journals Library website, available here: www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/phr/LNNB8060 - this draws together all seven of the published scientific papers relating to the award...
June 19, 2025 at 10:09 AM
🚨📄 The final synopsis from our evaluation of the effectiveness of the Drink Less app has now been published on the NIHR Journals Library website, available here: www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/phr/LNNB8060 - this draws together all seven of the published scientific papers relating to the award...
Reposted by Melissa Oldham
DHSC have released the latest health trends in England including life expectancy, smoking rates and alcohol harms.
Alarmingly, deaths from alcoholic liver disease for people aged<75 jumped from 7.5 per 100,000 in 2001 to 12.0 per 100,000 in 2023.
fingertips.phe.org.uk/static-repor...
Alarmingly, deaths from alcoholic liver disease for people aged<75 jumped from 7.5 per 100,000 in 2001 to 12.0 per 100,000 in 2023.
fingertips.phe.org.uk/static-repor...
June 3, 2025 at 4:36 PM
DHSC have released the latest health trends in England including life expectancy, smoking rates and alcohol harms.
Alarmingly, deaths from alcoholic liver disease for people aged<75 jumped from 7.5 per 100,000 in 2001 to 12.0 per 100,000 in 2023.
fingertips.phe.org.uk/static-repor...
Alarmingly, deaths from alcoholic liver disease for people aged<75 jumped from 7.5 per 100,000 in 2001 to 12.0 per 100,000 in 2023.
fingertips.phe.org.uk/static-repor...
Converting a protocol into a manuscript quickly for a conference deadline and thought it would be worth seeing if AI could check for and correct any instances of not updating the tense to past, but apparently forgot to tell it to stop acting as Cletus.
June 3, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Converting a protocol into a manuscript quickly for a conference deadline and thought it would be worth seeing if AI could check for and correct any instances of not updating the tense to past, but apparently forgot to tell it to stop acting as Cletus.
Great piece on the importance of narratives about alcohol not being determined by industry. 🤞 we might see a comprehensive plan for alcohol harm reduction in July, particularly in the context of record numbers of alcohol deaths. www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The Guardian view on alcohol and public health: the drinks industry must not control the narrative | Editorial
Editorial: Politicians who are serious about public health can’t ignore the rising toll of illness and death linked to drinking
www.theguardian.com
June 2, 2025 at 10:19 AM
Great piece on the importance of narratives about alcohol not being determined by industry. 🤞 we might see a comprehensive plan for alcohol harm reduction in July, particularly in the context of record numbers of alcohol deaths. www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Abstract submission for the SSA PhD symposium closes on 28th May, so only one week left to get your submissions in. You can do so here... www.addiction-ssa.org/events/phd-s...
Apply to present at the 2025 PhD Symposium
www.addiction-ssa.org
May 21, 2025 at 10:55 AM
Abstract submission for the SSA PhD symposium closes on 28th May, so only one week left to get your submissions in. You can do so here... www.addiction-ssa.org/events/phd-s...