The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), UNSW Sydney hosted 'The 2020 NDARC Annual Research Symposium' as a virtual event for the first time.
NDARC, UNSW Sydney, hosted webinars every Thursday in November that showcased, ‘Research, policy and practice: Resilience through times of change.’
- Session One: Substance use in the COVID-19 era: Research findings and clinical implications. Thursday, 5 November: 1:30pm - 3:00pm (AEDT).
- Session Two: Research partnerships: Engaging with families, communities and services. Thursday, 12 November: 1:30pm - 3:00pm (AEDT).
- Session Three: E-cigarettes and tobacco: Policy, trends and interventions. Thursday, 19 November: 9:00am - 10:30am (AEDT).
- Session Four: Illicit drugs: Research and clinical responses. Thursday, 26 November: 9:00am - 10:30am (AEDT).
Session One: Substance use in the COVID-19 era: Research findings and clinical implications
FULL PROGRAM
The first session was focused on research findings and clinical implications of substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The session included presentations on projects and studies driven by researchers at NDARC including Drug Trends, the Australians’ Drug Use: Adapting to Pandemic Threats’ (ADAPT) Study, Australian Parental Supply of Alcohol Longitudinal Study (APSALS), and the COVID-19 Health Care Workers (HEROES) Study.
There was also a panel discussion with experts from wide ranging fields, including:
- Jude Byrne, National Project Coordinator at the Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League (AIVL)
- Dr Fadil Pedic, Manager, Strategic Research and Evaluation, Alcohol and Other Drugs at NSW Health
- Julie Babineau, CEO of Odyssey House
- Adrian Dunlop, Director and Addiction Medicine Senior Staff Specialist with Hunter New England Local Health District, Drug & Alcohol
Session Two: Research partnerships: Engaging with families, communities and services
FULL PROGRAM
The second session was focused on research partnerships and engaging with families, communities and services.
Held during NAIDOC week, presentations highlighted NDARC research that focuses on Indigenous communities. Speakers also included Indigenous alcohol and other drug leaders in research and service providers.
Session Three: E-cigarettes and tobacco: Policy, trends and interventions
FULL PROGRAM
The third session was focused on the latest research on e-cigarettes and tobacco.
This session included presentations on NDARC’s tobacco and e-cigarettes stream, including the e-cigarette surveillance project and smoking cessation trials. Speakers included leading experts in the area including Ann McNeill, Professor of Tobacco Addiction at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, and Professor Hayden McRobbie, Professor at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Australia, and a Consultant in Lifestyle Medicine at Lakes District Health Board, New Zealand.
Session Four: Illicit drugs: Research and clinical responses
FULL PROGRAM
The fourth session focused on bringing researchers and clinicians together to discuss current treatment, clinical trials, and studies into illicit drug use.
The session included presentations on the latest trends in illicit drug use, including NDARC's clinical trials, with a particular focus on opioids and methamphetamine.
Survey
Please let us know your thoughts on how the Symposium went, and what you would like to see next year from our webinars. CLICK HERE FOR SURVEY.
2019 NDARC Annual Research Symposium
For resources and videos from the 2019 NDARC Annual Research Symposium, please go here.
We have started a networking register to help you connect with others in the industry.
All posters this year can be accessed online and are accomnaied by a two minute presentation.
Poster Awards
Outstanding e-poster presentation at the 2020 NDARC Annual Research Symposium (as determined by judging panel, to which this guideline pertains)
- Agata Chrzanowska for her poster ‘Exploring trends in cocaine treatment episodes. Findings from Drug Trends, Australia 2002-2019.’ Watch here.
People’s Choice e-poster presentation at the 2020 NDARC Annual Research Symposium (as determined by the highest number of votes via the online voting system).
- Saki Talukder for her poster ‘Inequality in Smoking Cessation Clinical Trials – Exclusion of smokers with Mental Health Disorders’. Watch here.