About Dorothy Newbury-Birch

Dorothy Newbury-Birch joined the University in January 2015 as Professor of Alcohol and Public Health Research. She is a member of the Department of Clinical Psychology/Mental Health/ Learning Disabilities and Community within the School of Health and Social Care at Teesside University. She leads the Alcohol, Obesity and Public Health Team (TeamAlpha). She is co-lead of the Resilient & Secure Societies Research Grand Challenge Theme with Professor Nigel Copsey. Dorothy is an associate member of Fuse and a member of both the early life and adolescence and behavioural change programmes.

Professor Newbury-Birch's research focuses on work around reducing alcohol related harm in society, particularly for young people and those in various stages of the criminal justice system. She also works in partnership with individuals and practitioners to get evidence into practice. She has been involved in over 70 peer reviewed publications and reports as well as many other abstracts and letters and been awarded over £13 million in research grants. 

Research interests and activities

• Alcohol related harm
• Interventions for alcohol use disorders with young people
• Interventions for alcohol use disorders in the criminal justice setting
• Co-production public health evaluations with public health practitioners
• Systematic reviewing

Research projects & external funding

NIHR PHR, The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of alcohol brief interventions in reducing risky drinking in the high school setting with 14-15 year olds SIPS JR-HIGH, Grant holder (2015)

NIHR PHR, Interventions to reduce substance use by children and young people in Youth Offending Teams: RISKIT-CJS, Co-applicant (2016)

Alcohol Research UK. Development of a core outcome set for alcohol brief interventions: The ORBIT project; Grant holder (2016) 

MRC, PHIND, Examining the evidence base for alcohol screening and brief interventions in the UK prison system, Co-applicant (2015) 

Durham Council, Co-production Public Health Evaluations, Grant holder (2011)

PhD and research opportunities

I am interested in hearing from potential students who wish to carry out a PhD around my research interests.

Current PhD students - Teesside

Gillian Waller (2015): Embedding interventions into public health within a changing landscape. Full time student.

Philip Watson (2015): Spiritual practices for the long term recovery from substance use. Part time student. Professional Doctorate student

Newcastle
Melissa Girling (2015). Young people’s experience of mental health and well-being in the youth justice system. Full time student.

Nicola Howe. (2014) Sharing Patient Trial Data: Patient’s views and the potential impact upon participation in Clinical Trials. Part time student.

Samantha Level (2012). An Evaluation of County Durham Alcohol Recovery Service (DRAW). Part time PhD.

Claire Sullivan (2011). Exploring the relationship between alcohol and sexual decision- making in adults attending sexual health clinics, with an emphasis on those aged 25 years and over. Part time PhD.

External roles and professional activities

Member of Funding Panel for Alcohol Research UK

Topic expert on the NICE - alcohol interventions in schools

Member of the Advisory Board for PORSCH

Member of the Co-ordinating Committee for INEBRIA

External research collaborations

I currently work with the following institutions:

University of Edinburgh
University of Kent
Newcastle University
Liverpool John Moores University
Kings College London
University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Durham County Council
Norham High School, North Tyneside

Learning and teaching interests

I teach systematic reviewing to postgraduate students and teaching staff.

I teach nursing students about alcohol and criminal justice and about the risks associated with alcohol. 

I have taught students in the USA systematic reviewing using Skype.

Enterprise interest and activities

I currently work with a group of six 15 year old students at Norham High School in North Tyneside to develop and carry out a piece of research looking at how staff and students feel about the new GCSE's.  This work will be written up as a book chapter. 

Publications

Selected publications

1. McParlin C, O’Donnell A, Robson S, Beyer F, Moloney E, Bryant A, Bradley J, Muirhead C, Nelso-Peircey C, Newbury-Birch D, Norma, J, Simpson e, Swallow B, Yates L, Vale L. Treatments for Hyperemesis Gravidarum and Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy: A Systematic Review. (2016) JAMA. 316(13)1392-1401.

2. Newbury-Birch D, Birch J, O’Neill G, McGovern R. (2016) A rapid systematic review of what we know about alcohol use disorders and brief interventions in the criminal justice system. International Journal of Prisoner Health. 12(1):57-70.
 
3. Newbury-Birch D,  Scott S, O’Donnell A, Coulton S, Howel D, McColl E, Stamp E, Graybill E, Gilvarry E, Laing K, McGovern R, Deluca P, Drummond C, Harle C, McArdle P, Tate L, Kaner E.  A pilot feasibility cluster randomised controlled trial of screening and brief alcohol intervention to prevent hazardous drinking in young people aged 14-15 years in a high school setting (SIPS JR-HIGH). Report to NIHR Public Health Research Program Report 2(6).

4. Newbury-Birch D, Coulton S, Bland M, Cassidy P, Dale V, Deluca P, Gilvarry e, Godfrey C, Heather N, Kaner E, McGovern R, Myles J, Oyefeso A, Parrott S, Patton R, Perryman K, Phillips T, Shepherd J, Drummond C. (2014) Screening and brief interventions for hazardous and harmful alcohol use for offenders:  a pragmatic multicentre cluster randomised controlled trial, Alcohol and Alcoholism. 49(5) 540-548.

View Dorothy Newbury-Birch's Publications on TeesRep

In the news

• Professorial interview
  BBC Radio Tees, Mike Parr, 21/12/2017
  Professor Dorothy Newbury-Birch talks about her life and career.

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• Alcohol and under 15s
  BBC 1 Breakfast, 15/12/2017; BBC Radio Network, 15/12/2017; Sky News, 15/12/2017
  Professor Newbury-Birch comments on the issue of alcohol and the under 15s.

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• Teens invited to learn the importance of social science research
  Fuse (web), 19/12/2017
  Pupils from Norham High School in North Shields experienced how animations are narrated in a recording studio, being part of a virtual reality video game and using motion sensors to build animations.

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• Sleeping out will put homelessness in the spotlight
  North East Connected (Web), 11/10/2017; Northern Echo, 12/10/2017; Northern Echo (web), 12/10/2017; TFM 02/11/2017
  Professor Azrini Wahidin and Professor Dorothy Newbury-Birch will be braving the cold winter night as part of the CEO Sleepout.

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• Addressing alcohol issues in the criminal justice system
  North East Connected, online, 29/09/2017
  Teesside University is hosting an international conference to address the costs and consequences of alcohol in the criminal justice system.

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• Online tools shown to work to help cut drinking in former soldiers
  Fuse (web), 04/08/2017; The Journal, 09/08/2017
  The study, a collaboration between Teesside, Newcastle and Northumberland Universities and the Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, reveals that online support worked.

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• Online tools shown to work to help cut drinking in former soldiers
  Pathfinder International (web), 18/07/2017; The Confederation of Service Charities, 18/07/2017; Newcastle University (web), 18/07/2017; North East Connected, 19/07/2017; Medical Xpress, 19/07/2017
  The study to cut drinking in former solderis is a collaboration with Teesside University and Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust.

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• Teens invited to learn the importance of social science research
  Fuse (web), 12/12/2016
  An hands-on animation event was hosted at Teesside University on Wednesday 9 November as part of the ESRC's (Economic and Social Research Council) Festival of Social Science.

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• The effects of Alcoholism
  Radio 5 live, 19/08/2016
  Dorothy Newbury-Birch talks about the effects of alcoholism.

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• Inspiring school's latest academics
  News Guardian 21.07.16: News Guardian(web) 22.07.16
  Dorothy Newbury-Birch, professor of alcohol and public health research at the Health and Social Care Institute at Teesside University, talked to pupils at Norham High School, 35 years after she left.

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• Levels of alcohol misuse, dependence and interventions in the UK criminal justice system
  Alcohol Policy UK (blog) 12.07.16:
  Research team at Teesside University,led by Professor Newbury-Birch have carried out a systematic review of literature which shows the level of alcohol misuse at different stages of the CJS in the UK.

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• Research highlights issue of alcohol in the criminal justice system
  North East Chamber of Commerce 29.06.16, Love Middlesbrough 29.06.16, Northern Echo 29.06.16, Northern Echo North edition 30.6.16
  Research led by Professor Newbury-Birch, Professor of Alcohol and Public Health Research in Teesside University's Health and Social Care Institute - alcohol in the criminal justice system.

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• Crime Commissioners fight alcohol abuse
  Newton News, 25/03/2016
  Professor Dorothy Newbury Birch spoke at a conference held by three of the North East's Police and Crime Commissioners in Durham

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• Study seems to say ADHD drugs with alcohol?
  Health, Medical and Sciences updates, 1/11/2015
  Dorothy Newbury-Birch featured in report on ADHD drugs

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• Project is set to take on teenage drinking
  The Northern Echo, 07.09.2015
  Teesside University's project on teenage drinking.

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• Project is set to take on teenage drinking
  The Northern Echo, 07.09.2015
  Teesside University's project on teenage drinking.

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• Research into how to tackle the effects of booze on teenagers
  Northern Echo Online, 02.09.2015; BBC Tees, 02.09.2015; Care Appintments, 03.09.2015
  Teesside University staff, Dorothy Newbury-Birch and Emma Giles mentioned in article.

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• Social scientists who wish to drive policy should ‘think big'
  Times higher Education online, 26/02/2015
  Dorothy Newbury-Birch has joined Teesside University as professor of alcohol and public health research.

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• Alcohol put in spotlight
  Evening Gazette, 23/01/2015
  As each New Year begins with more of us choosing not to drink in January, an event is to be hosted at Teesside University looking at the risks and benefits of consuming alcohol.