Senior Clinical Researcher at Oxford Population Health and honorary member of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford, Dr Anya Topiwala, has been awarded the 2026 Impact Prize by the Society for the Study of Addiction (SSA).
The prize, announced on 12 May, recognises people and teams whose research in the field of addiction has had a significant real-world impact.
Dr Topiwala leads a team at the Big Data Institute that studies the impact of risk factors such as alcohol consumption on psychiatric health and cognitive disorders later in life. The group’s work, which combines brain imaging with clinical data and genetic analysis, has led to substantial advances in understanding about the relationship between alcohol and brain health.
The judging panel commended Dr Topiwala’s work with the brain charity Headway in translating research findings into practical, public-facing advice. The panel also acknowledged her commitment to mentoring and supervising students and early-career researchers, and to involving people with lived experience of addiction in her work.
Dr Topiwala said she was honoured to receive the prize. ‘What makes this recognition particularly meaningful is its focus on research impact beyond academic outputs, which has contributed to meaningful changes in addiction treatment, policy, and clinical practice.
‘This work has only been possible through collaborations with outstanding colleagues, and patients and participants involved in the research.’
Anya will present her work at the SSA Annual Conference in Newcastle upon Tyne in November, alongside Dr Emmert Roberts from King’s College London who won the SSA’s Fred Yates Prize for Early Career Researchers.