Basak Tas
Research Fellow · Opioid overdose and its underlying mechanisms
King’s College LondonAbout
Dr. Basak Tas is a Research Fellow at King's College London, based in the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience within the Department of Addictions Sciences. She has been working at King's since 2014, initially as a PhD student and then as a Post-doctoral Research Associate, before taking up her current role in 2021. Her work focuses on opioid overdose and related interventions, collaborating with Professor Sir John Strang and Dr. Will Lawn.
Her educational background includes an undergraduate degree in Neuroscience from King's College London and an MSc in Neuroscience from the University of Edinburgh. She completed her PhD at King's College London under the supervision of Professor Sir John Strang, Dr. Caroline Jolley, and Dr. James Bell. Her PhD thesis was titled "Clinical and Laboratory Investigation into Heroin and Opioid Overdose Risk".
Dr. Tas's research centers on opioid overdose mechanisms, opioid use disorder treatments, and health interventions to reduce drug-related deaths. She investigates experimental drug studies and develops wearable technologies for overdose detection. Her work aims to understand the physiological underpinnings of overdose and create practical tools for real-world overdose prevention, particularly in high-risk populations.
Her recent publications (2020-2025) focus on innovative approaches to prevent opioid overdose deaths, including wearable biosensors (e.g., PneumoWave) and mHealth technologies. She explores risk factors for respiratory depression and the acceptability of detection devices among people who use opioids. Her work bridges laboratory models of overdose with clinical applications in supervised injecting facilities and community settings.
Dr. Tas was awarded the following scientific award:
- Addictions Clinical Academic Group (CAG) Early Career Research Prize (2022)
She contributes to teaching by supervising MSc Addiction Studies projects and teaching in the BSc Psychology "Addictions" and "Choices" modules. Additionally, she has been involved in public engagement, including school workshops and the art-science project "Heroin Bodies".
Dr. Tas is part of the Drugs Research Group within the Addictions Department at King's, led by Professors John Strang and John Marsden. Her current work involves collaboration on projects related to opioid overdose and wearable technologies.
