Advisory group

Meet our advisory network.

Dr Kaanthan Jawahar

Dr Kaanthan Jawahar is an old age psychiatrist by training, but whose experience and interests lay in the realms of liaison, addictions and neuropsychiatry. ARBD has played a significant part in his work, currently overseeing the implementation of an Alcohol Care Team with acute trust partners, and also setting up a neuropsychiatry service that will see and assess potential ARBD cases – he feels this is a sustainable model that will also go some way to addressing the stigma this patient group is subjected to.

Annie Stoker

Annie Stoker is a senior occupational therapist within a specialist NHS team focusing on the mental health of homeless people who also typically have a personality disorder diagnosis as well as addiction problems.

Annie graduated from Sheffield Hallam University with a BSc and has since undertaken further training in various other therapeutic practices.

In the words of Ann Wilcock, OT, she supports people in their “doing” of meaningful occupations; the long-term aim being to enable them to become the person they want to be in society.

Dr Seonaid Anderson

Dr Seonaid Anderson is a Consultant Addictions Psychiatrist who believes passionately in the importance of multi-disciplinary and multi-agency working to support people with drug and alcohol problems to address their often-complex issues and achieve recovery. Part of her current role is as a member of an Assertive Alcohol Care Team. She is a Motivational Interviewing coach and she is involved in both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching. She has contributed to the “alcohol-related brain damage” and “young people” chapters of the PHE Alcohol Clinical Guidelines, the SHAAP “Advice for heavy drinkers” guidance that was rapidly developed at the onset of the COVID19 pandemic, and other policy developments in Scotland.

Dr Victoria Teggart

Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist & Lead for Clinical Neuropsychology
Greater Manchester Mental Health Foundation Trust

I have extensive experience of working in neuropsychological services within various settings including neurological rehabilitation, stroke rehabilitation, adult mental health, learning disability services, and brain injury rehabilitation. I conduct highly specialist assessments of cognitive functioning with clients with wide ranging presentations and I have a particular interest in the deficits resulting from mild to severe traumatic brain injury, stroke and alcohol misuse.

I undertake comprehensive neuropsychological assessments and provide neuropsychological rehabilitation and capacity assessments.

Amanda Marklew

I trained as a General Nurse In 1987 and had a passion to work in Alcohol & Mental Health. I soon realised that this platform gave me such a broad insight into the wider picture and health needs, particularly as a daughter of a chaotic binge drinker.

Initially in Orthopaedics then moving into a rehabilitation Unit for long term conditions and Head injuries before branching out into district nursing, assistant health visiting and community substance misuse.

Having extensive experience in leading acute alcohol services across two trust sites, embracing the front door approach from ED, recognising alcohol is a cradle to grave concern, and being ‘age blind’ has enabled me to share and support other trusts and staff to develop and keep believing that whatever they do is making a difference, because they care.

Ann Taylor

Substance Misuse Specialist Nurse.

I have worked in Substance Misuse for over 30 years both community and hospital based. I am educated to Masters level and I am also an NMP.

During this time I have had secondments into Commissioning Teenage Pregnancy Services and Research and Audit looking into the effectiveness of treatments provided by the local drug service.

I have had the privilege of working in Sydney Australia for 10yrs as a gastroenterology Nurse Consultant working in drug treatment service to provide Hepatitis C treatment to this client group. I was involved with an Australia wide group of gastroenterology nurses which produced National Standards for treatment for delivering best practice for patients receiving Hepatitis C treatment.

I am passionate about delivering effective, supportive services for addiction and championing equity in care.

Andrew Misell

Andrew is Alcohol Change UK’s Director for Wales, and has led the development of the charity’s work in Wales since 2009. He aims to help more people in Wales have a healthy relationship with alcohol, and to tackle some of the underlying issues that people sometimes use alcohol to cope with.

Professor Adam Winstock

A Consultant Psychiatrist and Addiction Medicine Specialist. He has worked as a Consultant Psychiatrist and Addiction Medicine Specialist for over 15 years and is Honorary Clinical Professor at the Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, University College London.

He holds the largest UK database on drug prices and street purchase amounts for the most commonly used drugs in the UK and is CEO of the Global Drug Survey.

Professor Winstock currently works across a community drug and alcohol team and drug treatment services in HMP Brixton. He has provided training on expert witness courses run for the police in the UK. Professor Winstock also advises as an expert to government and international advisory bodies.