Dr Paul Toner has a PhD in Psychology and an MSc in Research Methods from the University of Bath and a first class BSc with Honours in Psychology from Queen’s University Belfast. He has a Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCAP) from the University of York, is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA), a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society (BPS).  

Paul leads research which aims to prevent and alleviate the suffering and economic burden caused by addiction and common mental health difficulties. Through rigorous development work, experimental and mediation testing utilising innovative methods his research attempts to improve ways of preventing, assessing and treating these issues at individual, family, community and population levels. Implementation fidelity from research to the real-world context is also an important consideration - ensuring impact outside of the University environment. Paul takes a trans-disciplinary approach to research and collaborates with national and international colleagues. His main research areas are: alcohol, psychometrics, mixed methods and psychosocial interventions.  

Paul has received two 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 respectively, and with colleagues has generated a research income of approximately £1 million from funders including the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR), Wellcome Trust, the Department for International Development (DFID), and Alcohol Change UK.