Prof John Stoner

John Stoner is an experienced environmental scientist and senior manager with interests in the environment and human health. He played a prominent part in designing and delivering the organisational and culture changes associated with the formation of the National Rivers Authority and subsequently the Environment Agency. He was formerly Regional Director of the NRA and Director of the EA in Wales and was awarded an OBE for services to the environment in Wales in 1997.

In 1999 he was appointed a Professorial Research Fellow at the Centre for Research into Environment and Health (CREH) at the University of Aberystwyth, where he has managed a wide range of large partnership projects assessing the risk of environmental factors to human health and their implications for policy and practice. He was also heavily involved in directing the development the Rivers Trust movement in Wales, with the aim of improving the management, awareness and enjoyment of the aquatic environment in partnership with the voluntary sector. This has involved securing government and European funding and managing large, complex, multi-disciplinary partnership projects.

Since 2008 he has developed his knowledge and experience of recovery from addiction by working at a 12-Step treatment centre in West Wales and latterly as researcher on the Higher Power Project and associated 12-Step mutual-aid recovery projects. He is currently a Visiting Professor in Addiction, Recovery and Spirituality at the University of Chester, where he is also Director (Projects) of the recently formed CSARS (Chester Studies of Addiction, Recovery and Spirituality) Group. His primary interest is in applying research results in the field to influence policy and practice for the benefit of the individuals affected by addiction and society more generally. He sees the development of multi-disciplinary partnership projects as the key to success in delivering these benefits.