Research interests are in stratified medicine and he has published on the molecular basis for tobacco dependence and on the damaging effects of of pollution on respiratory function in children. He is Chief Investigator on an NIHR programme developing a complex intervention to strengthen NHS smoking cessation services in community pharmacies and a trial of ecigarettes to help pregnant women to stop smoking. Robert supervises NIHR academic trainees working on digital interventions for health behaviour change. He sits on NICE Technology Appraisal and Indicator Advisory Committees.
Robert Walton qualified in medicine from St Georges University of London in 1983 following an intercalated degree in pharmacology and biochemistry. He became a member of the Royal College of Physicians in 1986 and General Practitioners in 1987.Robert has worked as a general practitioner in Oxford since 1988.
Robert's doctoral thesis in information technology was on applying artificial intelligence techniques to improve the quality of general practice prescribing and he was Clinical Senior Lecturer in the Department of Clinical Pharmacology in Oxford from 2002 to 2009. After four years working at the MRC Laboratories in The Gambia he returned to a chair in primary care at Queen Mary University of London and joined Warwick as a professor of primary care in 2017. He became an NIHR Senior Investigator in 2016.
- Madurasinghe, V. W., Sohanpal, Ratna, James, Wai, Steed, Liz, Eldridge, Sandra, Taylor, SJC, Griffiths, C., Walton, Robert, 2017. Smoking treatment optimisation in pharmacies (STOP) : a cluster randomised pilot trial of a training intervention. Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 3 (1)
- Grigg, Jonathan, Whitehouse, Abigail, Pandya, Hitesh, Turner, Stephen, Griffiths, Christopher J., Vulliamy, Tom, Walton, Robert, Price, David B., Sanak, Marek, Holloway, John W., Noimark, Lee, Lesosky, Maia, Brugha, Rossa, Koh, Lee, Nwokoro, Chinedu, 2017. Urinary prostanoids in preschool wheeze. European Respiratory Journal, 49 (2)
- Jolliffe, David A., James, Wai Yee, Hooper, Richard L., Barnes, Neil C., Greiller, Claire L., Islam, Kamrul, Bhowmik, Angshu, Timms, Peter M., Rajakulasingam, Raj K., Choudhury, Aklak B., Simcock, David E., Hyppönen, Elina, Walton, Robert, Corrigan, Christopher J., Griffiths, Christopher J., Martineau, Adrian R., 2017. Prevalence, determinants and clinical correlates of vitamin D deficiency in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in London, UK. The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- Hui, Chi Yan, Walton, Robert, McKinstry, Brian, Jackson, Tracy, Parker, Richard, Pinnock, Hilary, 2017. The use of mobile applications to support self-management for people with asthma : a systematic review of controlled studies to identify features associated with clinical effectiveness and adherence. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 24 (3)
- Steed, Liz, Sohanpal, Ratna, James, Wai-Yee, Rivas, Carol, Jumbe, Sandra, Chater, Angel, Todd, Adam, Edwards, Elizabeth, Macneil, Virginia, Macfarlane, Fraser, Greenhalgh, Trisha, Griffiths, Chris, Eldridge, Sandra, Taylor, Stephanie, Walton, Robert, 2017. Equipping community pharmacy workers as agents for health behaviour change : developing and testing a theory-based smoking cessation intervention. BMJ Open, 7 (8)
- O'Hara, Geraldine A., McNaughton, Anna L., Maponga, Tongai, Jooste, Pieter, Ocama, Ponsiano, Chilengi, Roma, Mokaya, Jolynne, Liyayi, Mitchell I., Wachira, Tabitha, Gikungi, David M., Burbridge, Lela, O'Donnell, Denise, Akiror, Connie S., Sloan, Derek, Torimiro, Judith, Yindom, Louis Marie, Walton, Robert, Andersson, Monique, Marsh, Kevin, Newton, Robert et al (Select to open full list), 2017. Hepatitis B virus infection as a neglected tropical disease. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 11 (10)
- Jolliffe, David A., Hanifa, Yasmeen, Witt, Karolina D., Venton, Timothy R., Rowe, Marion, Timms, Peter M., Hyppönen, Elina, Walton, Robert, Griffiths, Christopher J., Martineau, Adrian R., 2016. Environmental and genetic determinants of vitamin D status among older adults in London, UK. The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 164, pp. 30-35
- Sohanpal, Ratna, Rivas, Carol, Steed, Liz, MacNeill, Virginia, Kuan, Valerie, Edwards, Elizabeth, Griffiths, Chris, Eldridge, Sandra, Taylor, Stephanie, Walton, Robert, 2016. Understanding recruitment and retention in the NHS community pharmacy stop smoking service : perceptions of smoking cessation advisers. BMJ Open, 6 (7)
- Jolliffe, David A., Walton, Robert, Griffiths, Christopher J., Martineau, Adrian R., 2016. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the vitamin D pathway associating with circulating concentrations of vitamin D metabolites and non-skeletal health outcomes : review of genetic association studies. The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 164, pp. 18-29
- Lindsey, Laura, Husband, Andy, Steed, Liz, Walton, Robert, Todd, Adam, 2016. Helpful advice and hidden expertize : pharmacy users' experiences of community pharmacy accessibility. Journal of Public Health, 39 (3), pp. 609-615
- Polanska, Kinga, Krol, Anna, Kaluzny, Pawel, Ligocka, Danuta, Mikolajewska, Karolina, Shaheen, Seif, Walton, Robert, Hanke, Wojciech, 2016. Estimation of saliva cotinine cut-off points for active and passive smoking during pregnancy?polish mother and child cohort (REPRO_PL). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 13 (12)
- Edwards, E. A., Lumsden, J., Rivas, C., Steed, L., Edwards, L. A., Thiyagarajan, A., Sohanpal, R., Caton, H., Griffiths, C. J., Munafò, M. R., Taylor, S., Walton, Robert, 2016. Gamification for health promotion : systematic review of behaviour change techniques in smartphone apps. BMJ Open, 6 (10)
- Greenhalgh, Trisha, Macfarlane, Fraser, Steed, Liz, Walton, Robert, 2016. What works for whom in pharmacist-led smoking cessation support : realist review. BMC Medicine, 14 (1)
- Walton, Robert, Mudway, Ian S., Dundas, Isobel, Marlin, Nadine, Koh, Lee C., Aitlhadj, Layla, Vulliamy, Tom, Jamaludin, Jeenath B., Wood, Helen E., Barratt, Ben M., Beevers, Sean, Dajnak, David, Sheikh, Aziz, Kelly, Frank J., Griffiths, Chris J., Grigg, Jonathan, 2016. Air pollution, ethnicity and telomere length in east London schoolchildren : an observational study. Environment International, 96, pp. 41-47
- Martineau, Adrian R, MacLaughlin, Beverley D, Hooper, Richard L, Barnes, Neil C, Jolliffe, David A, Greiller, Claire L, Kilpin, Kate, McLaughlin, David, Fletcher, Gareth, Mein, Charles A, Hoti, Mimoza, Walton, Robert, Grigg, Jonathan, Timms, Peter M, Rajakulasingam, Raj K, Bhowmik, Angshu, Rowe, Marion, Venton, Timothy R, Choudhury, Aklak B, Simcock, David E et al (Select to open full list), 2015. Double-blind randomised placebo-controlled trial of bolus-dose vitamin D3supplementation in adults with asthma (ViDiAs). Thorax, 70 (5), pp. 451-457
- Wood, Helen E., Marlin, Nadine, Mudway, Ian S., Bremner, Stephen A., Cross, Louise, Dundas, Isobel, Grieve, Andrew, Grigg, Jonathan, Jamaludin, Jeenath B., Kelly, Frank J., Lee, Tak, Sheikh, Aziz, Walton, Robert, Griffiths, Christopher J., 2015. Effects of air pollution and the introduction of the London low emission zone on the prevalence of respiratory and allergic symptoms in schoolchildren in East London : a sequential cross-sectional study. PLoS One, 10 (8)
- Janha, Ramatoulie E, Worwui, Archibald, Linton, Kenneth J, Shaheen, Seif O, Sisay-Joof, Fatoumatta, Walton, Robert, 2014. Inactive alleles of cytochrome P450 2C19 may be positively selected in human evolution. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 14 (1)
- Fong, Fiona M., Sahemey, Manpreet K., Hamedi, Golnessa, Eyitayo, Rachel, Yates, Derick, Kuan, Valerie, Thangaratinam, Shakila, Walton, Robert, 2014. Maternal genotype and severe preeclampsia : a HuGE review. American Journal of Epidemiology, 180 (4), pp. 335-345
- Steed, Liz, Kassavou, Aikaterini, Madurasinghe, Vichithranie W., Edwards, Elizabeth Ann, Todd, Adam, Summerbell, Carolyn D., Nkansah, Nancy, Bero, Lisa, Durieux, Pierre, Taylor, Stephanie J. C., Rivas, Carol, Walton, Robert, 2014. Community pharmacy interventions for health promotion : effects on professional practice and health outcomes. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 7
- Gillaizeau, F., Chan, E., Trinquart, L., Colombet, I., Walton, Robert, Rège-Walther, M., Burnand, B., Durieux, P., 2013. Computerized advice on drug dosage to improve prescribing practice. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 11
- Kuan, V., Martineau, A. R., Griffiths, C. J., Hyppönen, E., Walton, R., 2013. DHCR7 mutations linked to higher vitamin D status allowed early human migration to Northern latitudes. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 13 (1)
- Walther, M., de Caul, A., Aka, P., Njie, M., Amambua-Ngwa, A., Walther, B., Predazzi, I. M., Cunnington, A., Deininger, S., Takem, E. N., Ebonyi, A., Weis, S., Walton, Robert, Rowland-Jones, S., Sirugo, G., Williams, S. M., Conway, D. J., 2012. HMOX1 gene promoter alleles and high HO-1 levels are associated with severe malaria in Gambian children. PLoS Pathogens, 8 (3)
- Dunyo, S., Sirugo, G., Sesay, S., Bisseye, C., Njie, F., Adiamoh, M., Nwakanma, D., Diatta, M., Janha, R., Joof, F., Temple, B., Snell, P., Conway, D., Walton, Robert T., Cheung, Y. B., Milligan, P., 2011. Randomized trial of safety and effectiveness of chlorproguanil-dapsone and lumefantrine-artemether for uncomplicated malaria in children in the Gambia. PLoS One, 6 (6)
- Yindom, L.-M., Leligdowicz, A., Martin, M. P., Gao, X., Qi, Y., Zaman, S. M. A., Van Der Loeff, M. S., Van Tienen, C., Jaye, A., Aveika, A., Worwui, A., Diatta, M., Vincent, T., Whittle, H. C., Rowland-Jones, S. L., Walton, Robert T., Carrington, M., 2010. Influence of HLA class I and HLA-KIR compound genotypes on HIV-2 infection and markers of disease progression in a Manjako community in West Africa. Journal of Virology, 84 (16), pp. 8202-8208
- Janha, R. E., Sisay-Joof, F., Hamid-Adiamoh, M., Worwui, A., Chapman, H.L., Opara, H., Dunyo, S., Milligan, P., Rockett, K., Winstanley, P., Pirmohamed, M., Miller, A. K., Conway, D. J., Walton, Robert T., 2009. Effects of genetic variation at the CYP2C19/CYP2C9 locus on pharmacokinetics of chlorcycloguanil in adult Gambians. Pharmacogenomics, 10 (9), pp. 1423-1431
- Griffiths, C. J., Mudway, I., Wood, H., Marlin, N., Dundas, I., Walton, Robert, Grigg, J., Sheikh, A., Lee, T., Kelly, F., 2016. Impact of the london low emission zone on children's respiratory health : a sequential yearly cross sectional study 2008?2014. British Thoracic Society Winter Meeting 2016, London, UK, 7-9 December 2017, Published in Thorax
- Walton, Robert, Brock, A., Parker, M., Jolliffe, D., Sudwarts, A., Kuan, V., Martineau, A., Brennan, C., 2015. A zebrafish (Danio rerio) model identifies a role for the XXXX gene in nicotine reinforcement and human smoking behavior. SRNT Europe 16th Annual Congress, Maastricht, Netherlands, 10-12 Sep 2015
- Jolliffe, D., Martineau, A., Maclaughlin, B., Kiplin, K., Timms, P., Mein, C., Walton, Robert, Griffiths, C., 2014. Prevalence and determinants Of vitamin D deficiency in asthma patients. British Thoracic Society Winter Meeting 2014, London, UK, 3-5 December 2014, Published in Thorax, pp. A94-A95
- Jolliffe, D., Martineau, A., James, W., Islam, K., Mein, C., Timms, P., Walton, Robert, Griffiths, C., 2014. Prevalence and determinants of vitamin D deficiency in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. British Thoracic Society Winter Meeting 2016, London, UK, 3-5 December 2014, Published in Thorax, pp. A215-A216
- Walton, Robert, 2015. Inherited variation in drug metabolism and its relation to human disease.