I am a lecturer on the Contemporary Drug & Alcohol Studies (CDAS) programme, and I teach and supervise postgraduate students. I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

My research focuses on reducing alcohol-related harm in different groups and I am particularly interested in how gender and identity influence alcohol use and related behaviours. I have methodological expertise in qualitative research and systematic, scoping and rapid reviews. Some of the recent projects I have led include a scoping review on men’s alcohol consumption in the context of becoming a father (funded by The Institute of Alcohol Studies) and a rapid review of the effectiveness of labelling on alcohol products (funded by Alcohol Focus Scotland). Other recent research includes exploring ways to improve alcohol services for LGBTQ+ people in Scotland (funded by SHAAP) and the impact of Minimum Unit Pricing among people experiencing homelessness (funded by the CSO). 

I am currently involved in a consultancy to develop a brief for tackling acceptability, availability and affordability of alcohol using a gender-responsive perspective (funded by WHO; lead Prof Carol Emslie) and a scoping review on alcohol marketing to LGBTQ+ communities (funded by The Institute of Alcohol Studies; lead Dr David Whiteley).

I am a Chartered member of the British Psychological Society (BPS) and a full member of the Division of Health Psychology.

I have a PhD in Health Psychology (Completed in 2019, funded by ESRC), an MSc in Health Psychology and a BA (Hons) in Psychology.

Twitter: @ElenaDDimova

Presentation at the Scottish Parliament, June 2022: ‘The Scottish LGBTQ+ community and alcohol services’, hosted by SHAAP and sponsored by Paul O’Kane (MSP). Information here

BBC Radio Scotland - interview on alcohol labelling, BBC Radio Scotland 30 June 2021 06:46:11

GCU Common Good Podcast – on alcohol labelling, Available on Spotify