Research Interests
I am open to PhD projects on addictive behaviours (with a particular focus on alcohol) and mental health research adopting psychosocial approaches to prevention, assessment and intervention. These can utilise quantitative (for example, I have expertise in psychometrics for questionnaire development/validation) or mixed methods.
Public outreach & key achievements
Provided a comprehensive review of all the available diagnostic and psychometric research evidence on alcohol screening and assessment for young people. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.01.030
Informed the National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) guidance in the USA on how best to screen for alcohol use and problems in girls and women.
Expert adviser on alcohol screening for World Health Organisation (WHO) alcohol brief intervention training manual for primary care http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/351294/Alcohol-training-manual-final-edit-LSJB-290917-new-cover.pdf
Founding member of the Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) committee Department of Health Sciences, University of York which is now a University-wide network: Involvement@York
Received personal awards from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Society for the Study of Addiction (SSA) for doctoral and post-doctoral research
Rewarding Research Excellence Award winner and Visiting Research Fellow appointment, University of York
Founding member of the Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) committee Department of Health Sciences, University of York which is now a University-wide network Involvement@York.
Grant reviewer for all major UK research funders including the Medical Research Council (MRC), the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and Cross-border Healthcare Intervention Trials in Ireland Network (CHITIN). Article reviewer for leading academic journals including Addiction, Drug and Alcohol Dependence and International Journal of Drug Policy
Panel member – SSA PhD Studentship scheme
Trustee – Addiction and the Family International Network (AFINet)
Invited member of the Alcohol and Families Alliance, a joint initiative from Alcohol Change UK and Adfam, which acts as a resource for influencing policy on alcohol and families
Conference organiser for SSA PhD symposia and AFINet 1st International Conference
Expert consensus member for International Network on Brief Interventions for Alcohol and Other Drugs (INEBRIA) on outcome reporting in trials
Expert adviser on alcohol screening for World Health Organisation (WHO) alcohol brief intervention training manual for primary care http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/351294/Alcohol-training-manual-final-edit-LSJB-290917-new-cover.pdf
Addiction and the family social support assessment measure I developed is used in a research/practice capacity in the UK, Republic of Ireland, Germany, Belgium, Italy, USA, Canada, Australia, Iran, India and China
Research students
| PhD area | Assessing alcohol-related problems in young people |
| Name | Andrew Dyer |
| Years of study | 2019-2022 |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| PhD area | The development of a Post-Incarceration Syndrome (PICS) Questionnaire. |
| Name | Orla Gormley |
| Years of study | 2020- |
| Country | Northern Ireland |