- Institution:
- University of Stirling
- Email:
- t.s.parkes@stir.ac.uk
Tessa is Professor of Substance Use and Inclusion Health and Co-Director of the Salvation Army Centre for Addiction Services and Research at the University of Stirling where she leads a number of research and knowledge exchange projects focused on the reduction of harms and promotion of health and well-being for those impacted by social and health inequalities. Tessa has experience in the statutory and non-statutory health, social care and housing/homelessness sectors as a front-line support worker, team leader, and mental health nurse, and has provided consultancy and training to a wide variety of organisations focused on service improvement to better meet the needs of healthcare users with mental health issues including related to problem use of substances. She has a track record of creating a positive impact on policy and practice through research. For 25 years her research activity has centred on enhancing the experience of people who use health/social care services, with a clear commitment to social justice, health equity and advocacy for poorly serviced groups including people who use alcohol and drugs. She has participated in various committees related to drugs and alcohol, such as the Partnership for Action on Drugs in Scotland (PADS), Drug Deaths Taskforce, and the Scottish Government’s National Mission for Drugs Oversight Group, and is Grantholder and Co-Deputy Convenor for the Drugs Research Network Scotland. She was made a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in February 2023.
View Tessa’s University of Stirling profile for recent work and publications: