Full curriculum vitae: Simon Chapman

Profile in Australasian Science (Dec 2011).

Profile in The Guardian (Jan 2012) -- see reply from pro-smoking artist David Hockney & my reply 

Profile in Sydney Morning Herald & Age's Good Weekend 10 March 2012

A collection of thoughtful comments from my critics

In December 2012, I featured on the cover of the Sydney Morning Herald's Sydney Magazine's list of 100 influential Sydney people.

Current Research (2012)

2012-2014 NHMRC Project Grant: Characteristics of intervention research that progresses to "real world" implementation

Synopsis      Intervention research is funded in the hope that its findings will later influence health care or preventive practice in individuals, clinicians and institutions.  Previous research shows that few interventions are subsequently implemented, but little is understood about the characteristics of interventions demonstrated in research to be effective which then become implemented in “real world” settings. Equally, little is understood about the characteristics of demonstrably successful interventions which fail to ever be implemented  beyond their initial demonstration research phase. This project will examine all 107 NHMRC intervention research project grants funded between 2000-2007 to develop a pioneering understanding of the characteristics of Australian intervention research which produced potentially practice-changing results; the characteristics of their researchers and their relationships with policy makers and practice gatekeepers. We will use an on-line questionnaire with researchers; documentary evidence regarding outcomes; interviews with researchers and  policy makers/practice gatekeepers; and up to 10 detailed case studies of successful interventions which were and were not later  implemented in “real world” settings.  Our findings should be of great interest to intervention researchers, policy makers and funding agencies.

2012-2014 NHMRC Project Grant:The Natural History of Unassited Smoking Cessation

Tobacco control experts suggest that, in order to reach government targets of 10% smoking prevalence by 2020, paradigm shifts in policy and campaigning should be considered . One area that holds important potential is in exploring successful unassisted cessation (without pharmacotherapy or formal cessation programs) – the approach most smokers use to finally stop smoking. Given that public and professional discourse on cessation is heavily dominated by assisted methods, this project has two aims: (1) to develop a new model of the ‘natural history’ of unassisted smoking cessation; and (2) to translate this model for and with tobacco control practitioners.

Phase 1: Develop an empirically-based model of the process of unassisted smoking cessation, including ways in which this process varies. We will interview people with a wide variety of smoking cessation experiences, oversampling those who quit without assistance in order to uncover the contents of the ‘quitting toolboxes’ used by successful unassisted quitters. Our empirical data collection and analysis will be guided by grounded theory.

Phase 2: Refine and disseminate the model, and conduct translation research. We will work with a range of tobacco control professionals to both engage these people with our findings and to research their reactions to it and its usefulness to smoking cessation practice and promotion. CIA, B & D are well networked in Australian tobacco control and will ensure that the most strategically situated people are involved in this phase.

This study will produce pioneering insights into a significant public health phenomenon: how and why so many smokers successfully quit unassisted. It will provide information useful to policymakers and campaign developers in fomenting favourable social climates for self-change and in constructing empowering messages for smoking cessation via self-change strategies. Phase 2 of the research will ensure this research reaches a wide and relevant audience.