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Dr Krista Siefried

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Clinical Research Lead and Deputy Director, the National Centre for Clinical Research on Emerging Drugs (NCCRED). Senior Lecturer, UNSW National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), and St Vincent's Hospital Sydney Centre for Applied Medical Research (SVHS AMR) and Alcohol and Drug Service.

Dr Siefried is a leader in clinical research and clinical trials in populations at risk of harms due to substance use disorders. In her role as Clinical Research Lead and Deputy Director at NCCRED her extensive HIV, Infectious Diseases, Drug and Alcohol, and Public Health experience enable her to direct a program of clinical research and translation; facilitate the establishment of a national clinical research network; and oversee the NCCRED clinical research capacity building grants, seed funding grants, and clinical research fellowships and scholarships. 

Dr Siefried has extensive experience in clinical research, healthcare, and clinical project management. Prior leadership roles include: Senior Clinical Project Manager (SVHS AMR); Clinical Research Manager (SVHS AMR Clinical Research Program); and Nurse Unit Manager (Immunology and Infectious Diseases). Prior clinical experience includes Research Nurse and Clinical Trials Coordinator; Registered Nurse / Clinical Nurse Specialist; Heart/Lung Transplant Coordinator; ICU and CCU Registered Nurse (in Australia and Canada). 

Broad clinical research interests include pharmacotherapies, comorbidities and treatment outcomes in people living with methamphetamine dependence.

University role: 
Clinical Research Lead
Qualifications: 

RN; BSc; GCert Continuing Care; GDip Coronary Care; PhD

Grants: 

NHMRC: $2,928,298

Other Public and Industry: $20,874,009

 

 

Awards: 

Faculty of Medicine, UNSW

2022: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre Prof Richard Mattick Award 

St Vincent’s Clinic Foundation 

2016: Nursing Excellence Award Clinical Researcher on St Vincent’s Campus

Gilead

2013-2014 Fellowship: Awarded for research on factors associated with suboptimal outcomes in antiretroviral therapy (CIA)

 

Research
Research activities: 

Current research:

An open-label safety and feasibility pilot trial of oral naltrexone-bupropion combination pharmacotherapy for methamphetamine use disorder (pending recruitment, info here)

GHB cultures, experiences and practices quantitative survey (open to recruitment, info here)

Safety, tolerability, and feasibility of psilocybin-facilitated treatment for methamphetamine use disorder: a pilot study (open to recruitment, info here)

Implementation of time-limited parenteral hydromorphone in people with treatment-resistant injecting opioid use disorder: feasibility, safety, cost (closed to recruitment, info here)

Feasibility and efficacy of the S-Check App: a harm reduction and early intervention smartphone application for methamphetamine use (closed to recruitment, info here)

Teaching & Supervision
I am available to supervise: 
Yes
Currently supervising: 

PhD

Liam Acheson - Pharmacotherapy for adults during acute withdrawal from methamphetamine (Joint Supervisor with Michael Farrell)

Jack Freestone - Exploring sexualised drug use among LGBTQ populations and examining the impact of peer led interventions to address related harms (Co-Supervisor with Garrett Prestage and Mohamed Hammoud)

Supervision keywords: 
drug dependence
antiretroviral (arv) drugs
antiretroviral therapy
health outcomes
comorbidity
alcohol and other drug treatment
Teaching: 

Current - UNSW Medicine Hons Project

Vincent Chauvet (2023) - Outcomes and measures used in research of psychedelic medications for mental health and addiction (Co-supervising with Jonathan Brett)

Sophie van der Helder (2023) - Co-designing psychedelic-facilitated psychotherapy studies with Australians with lived experience (Co-supervising with Jonathan Brett)

Completed - UNSW Medicine Hons Project

Keaton Buhagiar (First Class Hons) - Gamma-hydroxybutyrate cultures, experiences and practices in heterosexual cis and transgender people living in Australia (Co-supervised with Jonathan Brett) (2022)

Oliver Harris (First Class Hons) - Gamma-hydroxybutyrate overdose in inner-Sydney emergency departments: a retrospective review (Co-supervised with Jonathan Brett) (2021)

Completed - Notre Dame Medicine Year 2 Research Project

Rhiannon Lindsey - A retrospective audit of gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) withdrawal in an inner-city Sydney hospital (Co-supervised with Jonathan Brett) (2022)

Completed - UNSW Medicine Year 4 Research Project

Amy Healey - Drug use at music festivals (Co-supervised with Jonathan Brett) (2020)

Angus Tolhurst-McKiernan - Methamphetamine use and its associations with insomnia and psychosis (Co-supervised with Nadine Ezard and Jonathan Brett) (2019) 

Clinical

Nursing preceptorships; Clinical Psychology Students (research supervision and clinical supervision); Nursing student supervision (clinical)