Allen is a Research Fellow within, and a co-director of, the Tobacco Control Research Group (TCRG). His research has primarily focused on investigating the illicit tobacco trade and the relationship that major transnational tobacco companies have with it. This involves exploring the strategies and tactics that tobacco companies use to try and influence policy to address the illicit tobacco trade and the role that tobacco company business practices play in facilitating the illicit tobacco trade. In addition to these broader aims, his research also involves estimating the scale and nature of illicit tobacco trade in various countries (eg. in Malaysia and Ghana). More recently, he has begun to broaden his research focus to explore tobacco industry influence over broader tobacco control policy. Geographically his work focuses largely on the UK, the European Union, as well as Africa, and the Middle East.

Experience

  • 2022–present
    Postdoctoral research fellow, University of Bath
  • 2020–present
    Postdoctoral research associate, University of Bath

Education

  • 2020 
    University of Bath, PhD
  • 2015 
    University of the West of Scotland, MSc. (with distinction) - Drug and alcohol studies
  • 2014 
    University of the West of Scotland, BA (1st class Honours) - Politics and sociology

Publications

  • 2019
    Tracking and tracing the tobacco industry: potential tobacco industry influence over the EU’s system for tobacco traceability and security features , BMJ Tobacco Control
  • 2018
    Tobacco industry’s elaborate attempts to control a global track and trace system and fundamentally undermine the Illicit Trade Protocol, BMJ Tobacco Control
  • 2018
    Tobacco industry data on illicit tobacco trade: a systematic review of existing assessments , BMJ Tobacco Control

Contact Allen for

  • General
  • Media request
  • Speaking request
  • Consulting / Advising
  • Research collaboration
  • Research supervision