Meet Dr Barbara Stone

Dr. Barbara Stone has an extensive career spanning over 40 years in the scientific community. Before co-founding FRMSc, she was a QinetiQ Fellow and the Technical Manager for the Human Protection and Performance Enhancement Group, where she oversaw the work of approximately sixty scientists and managed the technical quality and strategy of the group.

Barbara has published over 100 scientific papers in the fields of fatigue, sleep physiology, pharmacology, and transportation research. She established the human sleep laboratory at the Institute of Aviation Medicine and led numerous research programs on the effects of irregular work schedules and various drugs on sleep and performance. Her research for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) included studies on the impact of duty schedules on the sleep and alertness of civil aircrew and air traffic controllers.

Throughout her career, Barbara has conducted numerous studies on environmental factors affecting sleep, such as altitude, light, noise, and jet-lag, and has provided expertise on shift patterns for train drivers and rail infrastructure workers. She developed a model of insomnia and contributed to guidelines for drug use in military and civil aviation. Barbara’s collaborative research has involved UK, US, and European academia, NASA, and airlines. She co-founded the FRMS Forum and holds a BSc in Physiology from the University of Manchester and a PhD on Sleep and the Environment from the University of Surrey.