Background:

I am a Research Associate within the Population Health Sciences Institute. 

I have been working in Academia since January 2016 and since being at Newcastle I have been involved as a co-applicant on grants generating £603,776. My role within these grants has included study PI (£61,493) Co-applicant and study co-ordinator on (£45,000) and co-applicant, member of the steering group and qualitative research (£497, 283).

Prior to working in academia I was a drug and alcohol practitioner and I have worked within a variety of substance misuse settings (criminal justice, residential and in the community) between 2004- 2016. I also have experience of working alongside a team of Social Workers within the Emergency Duty Team addressing Health and Social Care problems across North Yorkshire and York.

Qualifications:

Ba (Hons) Criminology and Psychology- University of Northampton- 2004

MSc Criminology- Teesside University- 2007

PhD- Newcastley University- 2016 

Research Interests:

Substance Misuse

Criminial Justice

Mental Health

Young People

I am currently working on the following projects;

• I am a researcher on EXIT: 'Innovation for Looked after Children Experiencing Post-16 Transition'

I have previously worked on the following projects;

• I was the project co-ordinator for SOLID (Supporting Looked After Children and Care Leavers in Decreasing Drugs and Alcohol). 

• AESOPS project: a randomised controlled trial of the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of opportunistic screening and stepped care interventions for older hazardous alcohol users in primary care. http://dx.doi.org/10.3310/hta17250.

• SIPS JR project looking at Developing and evaluating interventions for adolescent alcohol use disorders presenting through emergency departments. http://www.ncl.ac.uk/ihs/research/project/4086.

• ACCEPT: which is a pilot feasibility trial looking at brief interventions in a custody suite setting.

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Teaching:

I have been involved in teaching single sessions on the following modules;

MSc Fundamentals of Research module- Newcastle University

MSc Health Policy- Newcastle University

MSc Public Health Interventions- Newcastle University.

Tutor, Essential Junior rotation in Public Health, Medical school, Newcastle University

I have also delivered guest lectures in partner universities Durham and Teesside on the following courses;

Tutor, BSc Criminology (Drugs and Society module)-Teesside University

Guest Lecturer MSc Contemporary Issues in drug use- Teesside University

Guest Lecturer MSc Social Work- Durham University

• Alderson H, Brown R, Copello A, Kaner E, Tober G, Lingam R, McGovern R. The key therapeutic factors needed to deliver behavioural change interventions to decrease risky substance use (drug and alcohol) for looked after children and care leavers: a qualitative exploration with young people, carers and front line workers. BMC Medical Research Methodology 2019, 19(1), 38.
• Alderson H, Brown R, Smart D, Lingam R, Dovey-Pearce G. 'You've come to children that are in care and given us the opportunity to get our voices heard': The journey of looked after children and researchers in developing a Patient and Public Involvement group. Health Expectations 2019, 22(4), 657-665.
• McGovern R, Gilvarry E, Addison M, Alderson H, Geijer-Simpson E, Lingam R, Smart D, Kaner E. The Association Between Adverse Child Health, Psychological, Educational and Social Outcomes, and Nondependent Parental Substance: A Rapid Evidence Assessment. Trauma, Violence, and Abuse 2018, Epub ahead of print.
• McGovern R, Gilvarry E, Addison M, Alderson H, Carr L, Geijer-Simpson E, Hrisos N, Lingam R, Minos D, Smart D, Kaner E. The health, psychological, educational and social impact of non-dependent parental substance misuse upon the child age 0-18 years: a rapid evidence assessment. Trauma, Violence, and Abuse 2018.
• Alderson H, McGovern R, Brown R, Howel D, Becker F, Carr L, Copello A, Fouweather T, Kaner E, McArdle P, McColl E, Shucksmith J, Steele A, Vale L, Lingam R. Supporting Looked After Children and Care Leavers In Decreasing Drugs, and alcohol (SOLID): Protocol for a pilot feasibility randomised controlled trial of interventions to decrease risky substance use (drugs and alcohol) and improve mental health of Looked After Children and Care Leavers aged 12 -20 years. Pilot and Feasibility Studies 2017, 3, 25.
• Alderson H, Kaner E, Brown R, Howel D, McColl E, Smart D, Copello A, Fouweather T, McGovern R, Brown H, McArdle P, Lingam R. Behaviour change interventions to reduce risky substance use and improve mental health in children in care: the SOLID three-arm feasibility RCT. Public Health Research 2020, 8(13).
• Brown R, Alderson H, Kaner E, McGovern R, Lingam R. “There are carers, and then there are carers who actually care”; Conceptualizations of care among looked after children and care leavers, social workers and carers. Child Abuse and Neglect 2019, 92, 219-229.