Sharon Osterfield

Developing the Science of Flourishing in Addiction Recovery – William Stauffer & Dr David Best This essay was coauthored with Dr. David Best, an internationally recognized researcher in addiction recovery whose work has been central to advancing the science of recovery capital, social networks, and community-based pathways to long-term change. As coauthor, he brings decades of empirical research and global perspective on how connection, belonging, and social identity underpin the process of...

By Shinasa Shahid April 2026 Recovery is often spoken about as a personal journey, a process of change, resilience, and rebuilding. While this is true, it is only part of the picture. Recovery does not happen in isolation. It is shaped by culture, identity, community, and the systems people encounter when they reach out for support. A recent study exploring the experiences of three women from different ethnic backgrounds in the UK offers an important reminder of this. It shows that while...

By Dr Kevin McInerney This blog explores recent research led by STAR associate researcher Dr Kevin McInerney, in partnership with Professor David Best and Professor Philip Hodgson, examining individuals aged 50 and over in recovery from problematic alcohol use. The study is one in a series of six peer-reviewed papers that have been published over the last two years and come from his PhD: Late-onset alcohol use disorder/problem drinking — Psychosocial characteristics and the role of meaning...