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Professor Hayden McRobbie

Hayden

Professor of Population Health

Email: h.mcrobbie@qmul.ac.uk
Telephone: 07470833676

Profile

Hayden McRobbie is Professor of Population Health at Queen Mary University of London and an Honorary Public Health Doctor at Barts NHS Health Trust. He is a recognised leader in healthcare and academia, with extensive experience as a public health physician, researcher, and senior civil servant. His work focuses on risk factors for non-communicable diseases and reducing health inequities.

His research, grounded in frontline public health practice, addresses tobacco control, obesity, and health equity. Professor McRobbie is committed to translating research into policy and practice, with a track record of influencing health systems at national and international levels.

Research

Research Interests:

  • Tobacco control
  • Smoking Cessation
  • Obesity
  • Health Service Delivery

Publications

Published in the past five years. A full list can be accessed here.

  1. Gardner LA, Newton NC, Rowe AL, O'Dean S, Teesson M, Hides L, McBride N, Sunderland M, Freeman B, Egan L, Hawkins A, Ellem R, Catakovic A, Caradmone E, Alcorn C, Blackburn K, East J, Thornton L, Stapinski L, Birrell L, Lee YY, Mihalopoulos C, Leung J, McRobbie H, Lee N, Allsop S, Champion KE, Stockings E. The OurFutures Vaping eHealth intervention to prevent e-cigarette use among adolescent students in Australia: a cluster randomised controlled trial. Lancet Public Health. 2025 Aug;10(8):e682-e692. doi: 10.1016/S2468-2667(25)00145-8. PMID: 40738553.
  2. Courtney RJ, Howard BC, Barker D, Petrie D, Borland R, Shakeshaft A, Gartner C, Mendelsohn C, Boland VC, Henderson A, Richmond RL, Tutka P, Naughton F, Hall W, Zwar N, Farrell M, Mattick RP, McRobbie H. Vaporized Nicotine Products for Smoking Cessation Among People Experiencing Social Disadvantage : A Randomized Clinical Trial. Ann Intern Med. 2025 Jul 15. doi: 10.7326/ANNALS-24-03531.
  3. Lindson N, Butler AR, McRobbie H, Bullen C, Hajek P, Wu AD, Begh R, Theodoulou A, Notley C, Rigotti NA, Turner T, Livingstone-Banks J, Morris T, Hartmann-Boyce J. Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2025 Jan 29;1(1):CD010216.
  4. Dobson R, Whittaker R, Abroms LC, Bramley D, Free C, McRobbie H, Stowell M, Rodgers A. Don't Forget the Humble Text Message: 25 Years of Text Messaging in Health. J Med Internet Res. 2024 Dec 17;26:e59888.
  5. Talukder S, Lappin J, Clare Boland V, Weaver N, McRobbie H, James Courtney R. Mental health related adverse events of cytisine and varenicline in smokers with and without mental health disorders: Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial. Addict Behav. 2024 Dec;159:108148. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2024.108148. Epub 2024 Aug 29.
  6. Howard BC, Donnelly S, McRobbie H, Barker D, Petrie D, Stockings E, Brown J, Naughton F, Whittaker R, Shakeshaft A, Patel K, Anderson J, Thomas D, West R, Courtney RJ. Tailored text-messaging versus standard Quitline telephone counselling for smoking cessation among people who smoke from a low-socio-economic status background in Australia: A study protocol for a non-inferiority randomized controlled trial (The Quit By Phone Study). Addiction. 2024 Sep 16.
  7. Talukder S, Lappin JM, Boland VC, Weaver N, McRobbie H, Courtney RJ. Receipt of the 5As intervention for smoking cessation among people with and without mental health disorders. J Psychiatr Res. 2024 Aug 15;179:1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.08.023. Epub ahead of print.
  8. Pesola F, Smith KM, Phillips-Waller A, Przulj D, Griffiths C, Walton R, McRobbie H, Coleman T, Lewis S, Whitemore R, Clark M, Ussher M, Sinclair L, Seager E, Cooper S, Bauld L, Naughton F, Sasieni P, Manyonda I, Hajek P. Safety of e-cigarettes and nicotine patches as stop-smoking aids in pregnancy: Secondary analysis of the Pregnancy Trial of E-cigarettes and Patches (PREP) randomized controlled trial. Addiction. 2024 May;119(5):875-884.
  9. Pesola F, Smith KM, Phillips-Waller A, Przulj D, Walton R, McRobbie H, Coleman T, Lewis S, Clark M, Ussher M, Naughton F, Hajek P. Pregnant smokers can be encouraged to switch to vaping. Addiction. 2024 Apr 23.
  10. Lindson N, Butler AR, McRobbie H, Bullen C, Hajek P, Begh R, Theodoulou A, Notley C, Rigotti NA, Turner T, Livingstone-Banks J, Morris T, Hartmann-Boyce J. Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2024 Jan 8;1(1):CD010216.
  11. Kimber C, Sideropoulos V, Cox S, Frings D, Naughton F, Brown J, McRobbie H, Dawkins L. E-cigarette support for smoking cessation: Identifying the effectiveness of intervention components in an on-line randomized optimization experiment. Addiction. 2023 Nov;118(11):2105-2117.
  12. Talukder SR, Lappin JM, Boland V, McRobbie H, Courtney RJ. Inequity in smoking cessation clinical trials testing pharmacotherapies: exclusion of smokers with mental health disorders. Tob Control. 2023 Jul;32(4):489-496. doi: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2021-056843. Epub 2021
  13. Gardner LA, Rowe AL, Stockings E, Champion KE, Hides L, McBride N, Allsop S, O'Dean S, Sunderland M, Lee YY, Mihalopoulos C, Freeman B, Leung J, McRobbie H, Stapinski L, Lee N, Thornton L, Debenham J, Teesson M, Newton NC. Study protocol of the Our Futures Vaping Trial: a cluster randomised controlled trial of a school-based eHealth intervention to prevent e-cigarette use among adolescents. BMC Public Health. 2023 Apr 12;23(1):683.
  14. Talukder SR, Lappin JM, Boland V, McRobbie H, Courtney RJ. Inequity in smoking cessation clinical trials testing pharmacotherapies: exclusion of smokers with mental health disorders. Tob Control. 2023 Jul:32(4):489-496.
  15. Dobson R, Uri A, Whittaker R, Evison K, Umali E, McRobbie H. Is opt-out enrolment acceptable for low-risk digital health services? J Prim Health Care. 2022 Dec;14(4):368-371.
  16. Saxby K, Ireland A, Ghijben P, Sweeney R, Sia KL, Chen E, Farrell M, McRobbie H, Courtney R, Petrie D. Household Composition and Smoking Behavior in a Prospective Longitudinal Australian Cohort. Nicotine Tob Res. 2023 Apr 6;25(5):859-866.
  17. Hartmann-Boyce J, Lindson N, Butler AR, McRobbie H, Bullen C, Begh R, Theodoulou A, Notley C, Rigotti NA, Turner T, Fanshawe TR, Hajek P. Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022 Nov 17;11(11):CD010216.
  18. Howard BC, McRobbie H, Petrie D, Barker D, Mendelsohn C, Anderson J, Borland R, Naughton F, Tutka P, Zwar N, Boland VC, Aiken A, Shakeshaft A, Gartner C, Richmond RL, Hall W, Mattick RP, Farrell M, Courtney RJ. Effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness of vaporized nicotine products versus nicotine replacement therapy for tobacco smoking cessation in a low-socioeconomic status Australian population: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2022 Sep 14;23(1):777.
  19. Butler AR, Lindson N, Fanshawe TR, Theodoulou A, Begh R, Hajek P, McRobbie H, Bullen C, Notley C, Rigotti NA, Hartmann-Boyce J. Longer-term use of electronic cigarettes when provided as a stop smoking aid: Systematic review with meta-analyses. Prev Med. 2022 Dec;165(Pt B):107182.
  20. McCormack J, Walker N, McRobbie H, Wright K, Nosa V, Fernandes B, Bullen C. Revised Guidelines for smoking cessation in New Zealand, 2021. N Z Med J. 2022 Jul 15;135(1558):54-64.
  21. Hajek P, Przulj D, Pesola F, Griffiths C, Walton R, McRobbie H, Coleman T, Lewis S, Whitemore R, Clark M, Ussher M, Sinclair L, Seager E, Cooper S, Bauld L, Naughton F, Sasieni P, Manyonda I, Myers Smith K. Electronic cigarettes versus nicotine patches for smoking cessation in pregnancy: a randomized controlled trial. Nat Med. 2022 May;28(5):958-964.
  22. Myers Smith K, Phillips-Waller A, Pesola F, McRobbie H, Przulj D, Orzol M, Hajek P. E-cigarettes versus nicotine replacement treatment as harm reduction interventions for smokers who find quitting difficult: randomized controlled trial. Addiction. 2022 Jan;117(1):224-233. doi: 10.1111/add.15628.
  23. Hajek P, Przulj D, Pesola F, McRobbie H, Peerbux S, Phillips-Waller A, Bisal N, Myers Smith K. A randomised controlled trial of the 5:2 diet. PLoS One. 2021 Nov 17;16(11):e0258853. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258853
  24. Hartmann-Boyce J, McRobbie H, Butler AR, Lindson N, Bullen C, Begh R, Theodoulou A, Notley C, Rigotti NA, Turner T, Fanshawe TR, Hajek P. Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021 Sep 14;9(9):CD010216. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD010216
  25. Glover M, Kira A, McRobbie H, Kruger R, Funaki-Tahifote M, Stephen J, Breier BH, Kira G. Outcomes of a culturally informed weight-loss competition for New Zealand Indigenous and Pacific peoples: a quasi-experimental trial. BMC Nutr. 2021 Sep 10;7(1):52.
  26. Notley C, Butler AR, Lindson N, Bullen C, Theodoulou A, Begh R, McRobbie H, Hajek P, Rigotti N, Hartman-Boyce J. The Cochrane review of electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation: remaining focused on the evidence. Eur Respir J. 2021 Oct 7;58(4):2102117.
  27. Bowker K, Lewis S, Ussher M, Naughton F, Phillips L, Coleman T, Orton S, McRobbie H, Bauld L, Cooper S. Smoking and vaping patterns during pregnancy and the postpartum: A longitudinal UK cohort survey. Addict Behav. 2021 Dec;123:107050.
  28. Kastaun S, Leve V, Hildebrandt J, Funke C, Klosterhalfen S, Lubisch D, Reddemann O, McRobbie H, Raupach T, West R, Wilm S, Viechtbauer W, Kotz D. Training general practitioners in the ABC versus5As method of delivering stop-smoking advice: a pragmatic, two-arm cluster randomised controlled trial. ERJ Open Res. 2021 Jul 26;7(3):00621-2020.
  29. Courtney RJ, McRobbie H, Tutka P, Weaver NA, Petrie D, Mendelsohn CP, Shakeshaft A, Talukder S, Macdonald C, Thomas D, Kwan BCH, Walker N, Gartner C, Mattick RP, Paul C, Ferguson SG, Zwar NA, Richmond RL, Doran CM, Boland VC, Hall W, West R, Farrell M. Effect of Cytisine vs Varenicline on Smoking Cessation: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2021 Jul 6;326(1):56-64.
  30. Hartmann-Boyce J, McRobbie H, Lindson N, Bullen C, Begh R, Theodoulou A, Notley C, Rigotti NA, Turner T, Butler AR, Fanshawe TR, Hajek P. Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021 Apr 29;4(4):CD010216. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD010216.pub5.
  31. Hsueh KC, Tang PL, McRobbie H. Effectiveness of Varenicline Versus Combination Nicotine Replacement Therapy for Smoking Cessation: One-Year Outcomes in a Smoking Cessation Clinic in Taiwan. Nicotine Tob Res. 2021 Jun 8;23(7):1094-1102.
  32. McRobbie H, Boland VC, Courtney RJ. Assessing cannabis and tobacco co-use: the pros and cons of additional data collection. Addiction. 2021 Jul;116(7):1631-1633.
  33. McRobbie HJ, Phillips-Waller A, El Zerbi C, McNeill A, Hajek P, Pesola F, Balmford J, Ferguson SG, Li L, Lewis S, Courtney RJ, Gartner C, Bauld L, Borland R. Nicotine replacement treatment, e-cigarettes and an online behavioural intervention to reduce relapse in recent ex-smokers: a multinational four-arm RCT. Health Technol Assess. 2020 Dec;24(68):1-82. doi: 10.3310/hta24680. PMID: 33270009; PMCID: PMC7750867.
  34. Hsueh KC, Tang PL, McRobbie H. Effectiveness of Varenicline versus Combination Nicotine Replacement Therapy for Smoking Cessation: One Year Outcomes in a Smoking Cessation Clinic in Taiwan. Nicotine Tob Res. 2021 June 8;23(7): 1094-1102. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntab018.
  35. Cox S, Goniewicz ML, Kosmider L, McRobbie H, Kimber C, Dawkins L. The time course of compensatory puffing with an electronic cigarette: Secondary analysis of real-world puffing data with high and low nicotine concentration under fixed and adjustable power settings. Nicotine Tob Res. 2021 June 8;23(7): 1153-1159. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntab013.
  36. McRobbie H, Kwan B. Tobacco use disorder and the lungs. Addiction. 2021 Sep;116(9):2559-2571. doi: 10.1111/add.15309.
  37. Hartmann-Boyce J, McRobbie H, Lindson N, Bullen C, Begh R, Theodoulou A, Notley C, Rigotti NA, Turner T, Butler AR, Hajek P. Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020 Oct 14;10:CD010216. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD010216.pub4.
  38. Bowker K, Lewis S, Phillips L, Orton S, Ussher M, Naughton F, Bauld L, Coleman T, Sinclair L, McRobbie H, Khan A, Cooper S. Pregnant women's use of e-cigarettes in the UK: a cross-sectional survey. BJOG. 2020 Oct 4. doi: 10.1111/1471-0528.16553. Epub ahead of print.
  39. Lemay F, Baker P, McRobbie H. Electronic cigarettes: A narrative review of the implications for the pediatric anesthesiologist. Paediatr Anaesth. 2020 Apr 18. doi: 10.1111/pan.13885. Epub ahead of print.
  40. Kosmider L, Cox S, Zaciera M, Kurek J, Goniewicz ML, McRobbie H, Kimber C, Dawkins L. Daily exposure to formaldehyde and acetaldehyde and potential health risk associated with use of high and low nicotine e-liquid concentrations. Sci Rep. 2020 Apr 16;10(1):6546. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-63292-1.
  41. Courtney RJ, Boland VC, McRobbie H. Inequalities in cessation and critique of possible contributing factors: taking stock of a perseveration with current treatment approaches, uptake of promising treatments and limited upscaling of interventions with positive equity impact. Addiction. 2020 Sep;115(9):1788-1790. doi: 10.1111/add.15073.
  42. Li J, Hajek P, Pesola F, Wu Q, Phillips-Waller A, Przulj D, Myers Smith K, Bisal N, Sasieni P, Dawkins L, Ross L, Goniewicz ML, McRobbie H, Parrott S. Cost-effectiveness of e-cigarettes compared with nicotine replacement therapy in stop smoking services in England (TEC study): a randomized controlled trial. Addiction. 2020 Mar;115(3):507-517. doi: 10.1111/add.14829.

Supervision

Professor McRobbie is open taking on new PhD students.

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