A University of the West of Scotland (UWS) graduate and Co-Director of Tobacco Control Research Group at University of Bath has been recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) for his decade of work to combat the tobacco epidemic.
Dr Allen Gallagher, Co-Director of and research fellow within the Tobacco Control Research Group (TCRG) at University of Bath, has been named as a recipient of the 2026 World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) Award. This award honours individuals who have demonstrated outstanding effort and leadership in combating the tobacco epidemic.
Allen began his academic journey at UWS graduating with a BA (Hons) in social sciences in 2014 followed by a MSc in drug and alcohol studies in 2015, before becoming an associate lecturer.
In 2016 he joined the TCRG, part of the University of Bath’s Centre for 21st Century Public Health, to undertake a PhD exploring problems and practices in the illicit tobacco trade. Allen has since built a reputation as an expert on the illicit tobacco trade and the relationship that major transnational tobacco companies have with it. His work has involved exploring the strategies and tactics that tobacco companies use to try to influence policy to address the illicit tobacco trade and the role that tobacco company business practices have played in facilitating the illicit tobacco trade.
Upon completing his PhD in 2019, Allen took up a research associate post with the TCRG, becoming a research fellow in 2022, helping to co-ordinate research work across the team. In July 2025, he was announced as Co-Director of the group. Since its inception, the group’s work has had a measurable global impact, shaping tobacco control policy and advancing public health from the local to global level.
“I am honoured to be named a recipient of the 2026 World No Tobacco Day Award by WHO, and I’d like to congratulate the other recipients of this year’s award for their important work,” commented Allen. “So many people are negatively impacted by the global tobacco epidemic, and so the work undertaken to protect lives against its harms is crucial. The work of the TCRG pinpoints the role that tobacco companies play in perpetuating these harms and builds capacity to monitor tobacco industry activity globally.
“Thank you to WHO for recognising my work with this award, to those who supported my nomination, and to the many wonderful colleagues in the TCRG over the now 10 years that I have been a part of the team for their guidance and support.”
Allen’s nomination for the award was supported by his peers within the tobacco control community. Leslie Rae Ferat, Executive Director of the Global Alliance for Tobacco Control (GATC), commented: “Congratulations to Dr Gallagher on receiving this well-deserved award. Allen’s work to shine a light on the illicit tobacco trade and his leadership in tobacco control are so important. Tackling the global tobacco epidemic requires the commitment of many dedicated individuals, and I am pleased to see Allen’s efforts recognised here.”
Allen’s award is part of the 2026 WHO WNTD event. Since 1987, 31 May has been designated as World No Tobacco Day. This yearly celebration aims to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and the preventable death and disease it causes. It is also to inform the public on the dangers of using tobacco, the business practices of tobacco companies, and what the public can do to claim their right to healthy living and to protect future generations. The theme of this year’s WNTD is ‘Unmasking the appeal – countering nicotine and tobacco addiction’.
Allen received his award from WHO in a ceremony on Friday, 29 May in Madrid, Spain. During the ceremony, he delivered a presentation on tobacco industry interference in tobacco control in Europe.
Dr Rob Branston, also Co-Director of TCRG, added: “On behalf of the Tobacco Control Research Group, we send our congratulations to Dr. Gallagher for receiving this prestigious accolade from the WHO. The award not only acknowledges the impactful and important research that Allen has worked on, but also his dedication to his colleagues and the wider tobacco control community. At a time of both progress and challenge in tobacco control, it is important to reflect on our achievements and the contributions of our colleagues.”