Dr Carol-Ann Getty is a Research Fellow at the National Addiction Centre, King’s College London, currently undertaking an Academic Fellowship funded by the Society for the Study of Addiction (SSA). With a background in Psychology and Applied Behaviour Analysis, her research focuses on the development and evaluation of digitally delivered Contingency Management (CM) behavioural interventions for individuals with substance use disorders. Carol’s work centres on advancing technological innovations in CM, specifically exploring how mobile and digital platforms can be used to increase the accessibility, engagement, and effectiveness of this evidence-based approach within real-world addiction services. As part of her Fellowship, Carol is developing and evaluating a smartphone app to remotely monitor heroin use and incentivise abstinence in service users with heroin dependence.

Carol joined King’s in 2017 to undertake an SSA-funded PhD investigating the feasibility and acceptability of mobile CM among service users in UK drug treatment settings. Since then, she has contributed to several NIHR-funded research projects evaluating CM interventions aimed at improving adherence to supervised opioid agonist treatment, increasing naloxone carriage, and supporting continuity of care for individuals with a history of heroin use transitioning from prison to the community.

Prior to joining King’s, Carol worked at the Behavioural Research Unit at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, where she contributed to CM studies aimed at promoting treatment related outcomes in people with experience of drug dependence, such as abstinence and reduction in substance use, medication adherence in people living with HIV, and reducing HIV-related risk behaviours among people who inject drugs. Alongside her academic research, Carol has worked in residential detox and rehabilitation units and homeless hostels.

Carol’s research interests lie at the intersection of behavioural science, digital health, and substance dependence. Through her SSA Fellowship and wider research portfolio, she is committed to improving the reach and impact of behavioural interventions across diverse treatment settings.

 

Research Interests

• Behavioural interventions
• Contingency management
• Digital health
• Opioid use disorder

 

Research Groups

Drugs Research Group

CM4OUD: Contingency management for opioid use disorder

TIES: Mobile telephone delivered contingency management for encouraging adherence to supervised methadone consumption

PRET: Prison Release Engagement Trial

CM4COYN: Contingency Management to increase naloxone carriage: development and testing of a new behavioural intervention

 

Expertise and Public Engagement

Co-organiser and committee member for the SSA’s annual conference

Member of the communications and events committee for the SSA

 

Teaching

Co-led the ‘Contemporary Issues and Theories in Addiction Science’ module on KCL’s BSc Psychology programme and continues to lecture on this module.

Supervises MSc students on the Addictions programme at KCL.

Key Publications

Getty, C. A., Metrebian, N., Neale, J., Weaver, T., & Strang, J. (2025). Addiction specialists' perspectives on digital contingency management and its role within UK drug and alcohol services: A qualitative exploration. Drug and Alcohol Review.

Metrebian, N., Getty, C. A., Carr, E., Weaver, T., Pilling, S., Kelleher, M., ... & Strang, J. (2025). Mobile telephone contingency management to encourage adherence to supervised medication among individuals most at risk of non-adherence to opioid agonist treatment: a study protocol for a feasibility study (TIES2). Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 11(1), 33.

Getty, C., Brobbin, E., & McQuarrie, T. (2024, June 6). Contingency management for substance use disorder and addictive behaviours: Scoping Review Protocol of the UK evidence base. https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/8ZAN3

Getty, C.A, Weaver, T., & Metrebian, N. (2022). A qualitative exploration of patients' experience of mobile telephone‐delivered contingency management to promote adherence to supervised methadone. Drug and Alcohol Review. Online early view. Getty, C. A., Weaver, T., & Metrebian, N. (2023). A qualitative exploration of patients' experience of mobile telephone‐delivered contingency management to promote adherence to supervised methadone. Drug and Alcohol Review, 42(3), 641-651.

Getty, C. A., Weaver, T., Lynskey, M., Kirby, K. C., Dallery, J., & Metrebian, N. (2021). Patients' beliefs towards contingency management: Target behaviours, incentives and the remote application of these interventions. Drug and Alcohol Review, 41(1), 96-105.

Metrebian, N., … Getty, C.A. & van der Waal, R. (2021). Mobile telephone delivered contingency management for encouraging adherence to supervised methadone consumption: feasibility study for an RCT of clinical and cost-effectiveness (TIES). Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 7(1), pp.1-12.

Metrebian, N., … Getty, C.A., Cooper, C. and van der Waal, R. (2020). Telephone delivered incentives for encouraging adherence to supervised methadone consumption (TIES): Study protocol for a feasibility study for an RCT of clinical and cost effectiveness. Contemporary clinical trials communications, 17, p.100506.

Getty, C.A, Morande, A., Lynskey, M., Weaver, T. & Metrebian, N. (2019). A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of mobile telephone-delivered contingency management interventions promoting behaviour change in individuals with substance use disorders. Addiction.

Silverman, K., ... Getty, C.A., Ruhs, S., Marzinke, M.A. & Fingerhood, M. (2019). Incentives for Viral Suppression in People Living with HIV: A Randomized Clinical Trial. AIDS and behaviour.

Getty, C.A., Subramaniam, S., Holtyn, A.F., Jarvis, B.P., Rodewald, A. & Silverman, K. (2018). Implementation and evaluation of a computer-based HIV-prevention programme delivered to adults at risk of HIV.

Getty, C.A et al. (2018). Protocol for A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of mobile telephone-delivered contingency management interventions promoting behaviour change in individuals with substance use disorders.

Subramaniam, S., Getty, C.A., Holtyn, A.F., Rodewald, A., Katz B., Jarvis, B.P., Leoutsakos, J., Fingerhood, M. & Silverman, K. (2018). Evaluation of a Computer-Based HIV Education Program for Adults Living with HIV. Aids & Behavior.

Morley, K. I., Lynskey, M. T., Toti, G., Singh, P., Kalk, N. J., Getty, C. A., ... & Fincham-Campbell, S. (2018). Liver Disease Risk Factors in Patients Treated for Alcohol and Drug Dependence.