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The National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline

For free and confidential advice about alcohol and other drugs, call the National Alcohol and Other Drug hotline: 1800 250 015. It will automatically direct you to the Alcohol and Drug Information Service in your state or territory. Click here for more information

Counselling online

An online text-based counselling for people concerned about their own drinking or drug use. The service is equally available to people concerned about a family member, relative or friend. Click here for more information

Cracks in the ice

An online toolkit providing evidence-based and up-to-date information and resources about crystal methamphetamine (ice) for the Australian community. Click here for more information

NCCRED Symposium

NCCRED Symposium

Watch recordings from our Symposia, 2019-2022

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Symposium Recordings: 2019-2022

2023 Symposium: Bridging knowledge and practice for methamphetamine and emerging drugs

The 5th annual Symposium for the National Centre for Clinical Research on Emerging Drugs (NCCRED) was held on Sunday 12th November 2023. 

Key themes included knowledge translation, digital interventions and prompt responses to emerging drugs of concern.  

Download the symposium program >

 

2022 NCCRED Symposium – Transforming healthcare responses to methamphetamine and emerging drugs

The 2022 NCCRED Symposium presented new clinical research findings which have the potential to transform healthcare responses to methamphetamine and emerging drugs. The symposium showcased emerging research, including presentations from recipients of NCCRED’s Round 4 Seed Funding Grants, NCCRED Clinical Research Scholars and the current work of the Centre.

Key themes of the 2022 symposia included:

  • New directions in pharmacotherapies for methamphetamine use disorder: cannabidiol, lisdexamfetamine, oxytocin, psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy.
  • Intervention research for methamphetamine use disorder: contingency management, cognitive remediation, transcranial magnetic stimulation, neuropsychological assessment, and an innovative AOD program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people on Barngarla and Nauo Country
  • Emerging drugs and harm reduction: drug-checking fever detection on the dance floor, GHB, prompt response network, risk communication.

2022 Symposium Program

View Here

International Guest Speaker – Ms Anja Busse

Ms Anja Busse

Anja Busse is a Programme Officer at the Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Section of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), where she coordinates UNODC’s global projects on treatment
Read more

Session 1: New directions in pharmacotherapies for methamphetamine use disorder

Session 1 Chair:

Mr Jack Nagle, Chief Executive Officer, Real Drug Talk Australia, NCCRED Working Group member

Session 1 Presenters:

A/Prof Shalini Arunogiri

Clinical Director, Statewide Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Turning Point NHMRC Emerging Leader Research Fellow, Monash University – Candidate pharmacotherapies for methamphetamine use disorder in young people: ketamine and cannabidiol

 mOXY- A pilot study of intranasal oxytocin for methamphetamine withdrawal in women Skip to:

1min 8sec
A/Prof Gillinder Bedi

Principal Research Fellow, Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Head, Substance Use Research Orygen

 Candidate pharmacotherapies for methamphetamine use disorder in young people: ketamine and cannabidiol Skip to:

14min 40sec
Dr Elizabeth Knock

Clinical Psychologist, Senior Clinician Outpatient Services, Alcohol and Drug Service, St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney NCCRED Clinical Research Scholar

 Psilocybin-facilitated treatment for methamphetamine dependence: A pilot study (Psi-MA) Skip to:

29min 55sec
Dr Brendan Clifford

Clinical Research Coordinator, Alcohol & Drug Service, St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney, Adjunct Lecturer, National Drug & Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), UNSW

 Lisdexamfetamine for Methamphetamine use disorder: Baseline characteristics of the LiMA study sample Skip to:

43min 05sec
Prof Nadine Ezard

Director, NCCRED, Clinical Director, AOD, St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney

 A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of Lisdexamfetamine for the treatment of methamphetamine dependence (The LiMA trial) Skip to:

52min 20sec
Mr Liam Acheson

Research Officer, St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney, PhD candidate, NDARC, UNSW

 Lisdexamfetamine for the treatment of acute methamphetamine withdrawal Skip to:

59min 30sec

 

Session 2: Intervention research for methamphetamine use disorder

Session 2 Chair:

Ms Annalee Stearne, Research Associate, National Drug Research Institute, NCCRED Board member

Session 2 Presenters:

A/Prof Rebecca McKetin

Associate professor, NDARC, UNSW

 A systematic scoping review of contingency management for people who use methamphetamine Skip to:

0min 31sec
Dr Simon Clay

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, NDARC UNSW

 Integrating contingency management for methamphetamine use into routine clinical care in Australia: Outcomes from in-depth interviews Skip to:

12min 55sec
Ms Joanne Lunn

Doctoral Candidate, University of Wollongong

 Feasibility and preliminary efficacy of cognitive remediation groups in a community outpatient setting for people who use methamphetamines Skip to:

28min 29sec
Dr James Gooden

Senior Clinical Neuropsychologist, Turning Point, NCCRED Clinical Research Scholar

 Beyond the ice: Differences in biopsychosocial risk factors and neuropsychological profiles among individuals with histories of alcohol or methamphetamine-polysubstance use Skip to:

39min 48sec
Mr Jason Ramp

Shelter Worker, West Coast Youth and Community Support, NCCRED Clinical Research Scholar

 N/A Skip to:

51min 56sec
Dr Buddhima Lokuge

Staff Specialist Addiction Medicine, Drug and Alcohol Clinical Services, Hunter New England Local Health District, Research Fellow and Conjoint Lecturer, University of Newcastle

&

Dr Tarun Yadav

Staff Specialist Psychiatrist, Drug and Alcohol Clinical Services, Hunter New England Local Health District, Research Fellow and Conjoint Lecturer, University of Newcastle

 Theta burst Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for methamphetamine use disorder – A feasibility study to inform the design of a multisite randomised control trial Skip to:

1 hr 02min 30sec
Ms Florence Bascombe

Adjunct Lecturer, NCCRED

 Strengthening first-line support for Australians who use drugs, their friends and families: A training needs analysis for AOD helplines for calls relating to methamphetamine and emerging drugs of concern Skip to:

1 hr 14min 06sec

 

Session 3: Emerging drugs & harm reduction

Session 3 Chair:

Ms Melanie Walker, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Alcohol and other Drugs Council (AADC)

Session 3 Presenters:

Dr Llewelyn Mills

Senior Research Associate, Specialty of Addiction Medicine, Central Clinical School, University of Sydney

 Impact of amphetamine type stimulant use on clinical outcomes in OTP clients Skip to:

1min 51sec
Mr Brennan Geiger

Research Officer, Edith Collins Centre (Translational Research in Alcohol Drugs and Toxicology) Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Senior Project Officer, Network of Alcohol and other Drugs Agencies (NADA)

 Use of wearable thermometers to reduce the risk of drug-related toxicity at music festivals: The COVID pivot Skip to:

15min 00sec
A/Prof Amy Peacock

Program Lead, Drug Trends, Associate Professor, NDARC, UNSW

 Risk communication for people who use drugs: Awareness of, behavioural responses to, and preferences for, dissemination of drug alerts Skip to:

26min 27sec
Dr Robert Page

Staff Specialist, Alcohol & Drug Service, St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney

 Co-designing a fixed-site drug checking service at Sydney’s Medically Supervised Injecting Centre Skip to:

37min 41sec
Mr Jack Freestone

Alcohol and Other Drugs Research and Development ACON, PhD candidate Kirby Institute, UNSW

 The GHB cultures practices and experiences study Skip to:

47min 55sec
Dr Penelope Hill

Prompt Response Network Lead & Emerging Drugs Research Fellow, NCCRED

 Implementing an Australian national prompt response network for emerging drugs, Dr Penny Hill (PPT, 5MB) Skip to:

58min 44sec

 

2021 NCCRED Symposium – Improving Outcomes: Interventions, Networks & Pharmacotherapies

The 2021 NCCRED Symposium brought into focus three key areas of concern and innovation related to emerging drugs – Interventions, Networks & Pharmacotherapies. The symposium hosted leading national clinical researchers in the AoD field including presentations from recipients of NCCRED’s Round 3 Seed Funding Grants and the current work of the Centre. Areas of exploration in the 2021 symposia included:

  • Interventions to assist early treatment and improved outcomes for methamphetamine dependence
  • Pharmacotherapy trials for the treatment of methamphetamine dependence
  • Developments in drug alerts and national communication networks

NCCRED’s 2021 symposium, in line with the Centre’s aims, is a vital opportunity for the AoD sector to advance its collective response to emerging drugs:

  • Collaborate to build and expand research networks and capacity
  • Generate the best evidence-based knowledge
  • Translate the latest research into best clinical practice

2021 Symposium Program

View Here

International Guest Speaker – Dr. Madhukar Trivedi

Dr. Madhukar Trivedi

Madhukar Trivedi, M.D., is a Professor of Psychiatry, Chief of the Division of Mood Disorders, and founding Director of the Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care at UT Southwestern Medical Center,
Read more

Session 1: PHARMACOTHERAPY – treatment of methamphetamine dependence

Session 1 Presenters:

Mr Liam Acheson

PhD Candidate, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), UNSW, Research Officer, Alcohol and Drug Service, SVHS

 Pharmacological treatment for methamphetamine withdrawal: a systematic review and meta-analysis Skip to:

3min 8sec

The future of pharmacotherapy for methamphetamine use disorder in Australia – the pilot studies and future work, Skip to: 9min 52sec

Dr Krista Siefried

Clinical Research Lead & Deputy Director, NCCRED, Senior Research Associate, NDARC, UNSW and SVHS Centre for Applied Medical Research (SVHS AMR) and Alcohol and Drug Service

 The OLAM Trial
A/Prof Rebecca McKetin

Associate Professor, NDARC, UNSW

 The TINA Trial
Dr Jonathan Brett

Clinical Pharmacology Unit, SVHS, Centre for Big Data Research in Health, UNSW

 The Psi-MA Trial
A/Prof Gillinder Bedi

Orygen, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne

 The MASKOT Trial & The CALM Trial

 

Session 2: NETWORKS – communication & information sharing

Session 2 Presenters:

Dr Monica Barratt

Vice Chancellor’s Senior Research Fellow, Social and Global Studies Centre, RMIT University

& Ms Rita Brien

Research & Education Officer | Workforce Development, Turning Point (Eastern Health Clinical School), Eastern Health Statewide Services

 Co-design of clinical alerts as part of a drug early warning network in Victoria, Australia

 

 Skip to:

1min 7sec
 

A/Prof. Suzanne Nielsen

Deputy Director, Monash Addiction Research Centre, NHMRC CDF Fellow, Eastern Health Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Monash University

 Early findings from novel methods of surveillance for novel synthetic opioids and other psychoactive substances within  Supervised Injecting Facilities Skip to:

9min 57sec
 

Ms Penny Hill

Prompt Response Network Lead, Emerging Drugs Research Fellow, NCCRED

 Towards an Australian Prompt Response Network for Emerging Drugs Skip to:

19min 41sec

Session 3: INTERVENTIONS – treatment & harm-reduction

Session 3 Presenters:

A/Prof. Peter Kelly

Deputy Head of School (Research), School of Psychology, Director, Centre for Health Psychology Practice and Research  (CHPPR), School of Psychology, University of Wollongong

 

 SMART Family and Friends: feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an intervention for family members impacted by  methamphetamine Skip to:

1min 49sec
Prof. Antonio Verdejo-Garcia

Deputy Lead, Addiction and Mental Health Program, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University

 Goal Management Training for People with Methamphetamine Use Disorder in Residential Treatment Skip to:

12min 0sec
Dr Alison Beck

Trial Coordinator, Clinical Psychologist, School of Psychology, University of Wollongong

 Methamphetamine and mutual support: An update on findings from a mixed methods exploration of SMART Recovery  participants’ characteristics and opportunities for enhanced referral pathways

 

 Skip to:

23min 30sec
Ms Florence Bascombe

Knowledge Translation Lead, NCCRED

 Feasibility and efficacy of the S-check app to change help seeking behaviour of people who use methamphetamine Skip to:

38 min 29sec

Innovations in therapeutic practice

NCCRED’s second national symposium on November 20, was a vital opportunity for the AoD sector to advance its collective response to emerging drugs.

The symposium focused on innovations in the therapeutic practice for methamphetamine disorder.

The symposium included presentations from recipients of NCCRED’s Round 2 Seed Funding Program, NCCRED Clinical Research Fellows, and NCCRED research team members, all sharing the most up-to-date aspects of their work and research around emerging drug use.

Check out our full program below or catch up with all presentation recordings.

2020 Symposium Program

Download PDF

Session 1 – Methamphetamine use disorder: pharmacotherapies

Session 1 Presenters:

David Goodman

Assistant Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, USA

 CTN-0110 (MURB): A Randomized, placebo-controlled trial of monthly injectable buprenorphine for methamphetamine use disorder with co-occurring opioid use. Skip to:

6min 20sec
Edward Mullen

NCCRED Research Fellow,

Consultant Psychiatrist, Hype and Substance Use Research Group and Early Intervention Clinic

 An Open-Label Pilot Study of Subanaesthetic Ketamine for Stimulant Use Disorder – Methamphetamine Type in Youth Skip to:

25min 20sec
Liam Acheson

PhD Candidate, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), University of New South Wales,

Research Officer, Alcohol and Drug Service, St Vincent’s Health Sydney

 Lisdexamfetamine for the management of acute methamphetamine withdrawal: Protocol for an open-label safety and feasibility study Skip to:

38min
Robert Ali

Chair, NCCRED Methamphetamine and Emerging Drugs Clinical Research Network Working Group,

Clinical Associate Professor in the Discipline of Pharmacology at the University of Adelaide

 Discussant Skip to:

51min 20 sec

Session 2 – Methamphetamine use disorder: psychosocial interventions

Session 2 Presenters:

Alison Beck

Trial Coordinator, Clinical Psychologist, School of Psychology, University of Wollongong

 Methamphetamine and mutual support: A mixed methods exploration of SMART Recovery participants’ characteristics and opportunities for enhanced referral pathways Skip to:

2min 30 sec
Victoria Manning 

Head of Research and Workforce Development, Turning Point, Eastern Health,

Associate Professor of Addiction Studies, Monash University

 The methamphetamine approach-avoidance training (MAAT) trial: A randomised controlled trial of personalised approach bias modification for methamphetamine use  Skip to: 

12 min 50 sec
Adam Rubenis 

NCCRED Research Fellow,

Psychologist, Statewide Clinical Services, Turning Point (Eastern Health)

 Collaborative development of a clinician-administered checklist to facilitate retention and therapeutic engagement in substance use treatment Skip to: 

25 min 45 sec
Rachel Reilly

Senior Research Fellow, Novel Interventions to Address Methamphetamine Use in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities (NIMAC), Infection and Immunity Aboriginal Health, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI)

 An acceptability and feasibility study of the We Can Do This online therapeutic program in primary care and residential rehabilitation settings Skip to:

34 min 40 sec
Annalee Stearne

Chair, NCCRED Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Working Group, & NCCRED Board member 

Research Associate/ PhD Candidate, National Drug Research Institute

 Discussant  Skip to:

45 min 55 sec

Session 3 – Methamphetamine use disorder: using data for improved outcomes

Session 3 Presenters:

Emma Black

Senior Project Officer, Drug and Alcohol Services, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, The Langton Centre

 Developing a clinical data laboratory for methamphetamine use in NSW: The MAData project Skip to:

1 min 25 sec
Llewellyn Mills

Honorary Research Fellow, Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine
The University of Sydney & South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, The Langton Centre

 Impact of Amphetamine Type Stimulant Use on Clinical Outcomes in OTP Clients Skip to:

12 min 30 sec
Krista Siefried

Deputy Director & Clinical Research Lead, National Centre for Clinical Research on Emerging Drugs (NCCRED)

 Clinical outcomes and measures used in randomised controlled trials examining pharmacotherapy for methamphetamine dependence Skip to:

28 min 05 sec
Robert Stirling

NCCRED Board member

Chief Executive Officer, Network of Alcohol and Other Drugs Agencies

 Discussant Skip to:

39 min 05 sec

Session 4 – Emerging drugs of concern: signal detection for prompt response

Session 4 Presenters:

Peter Stockham

Principal Forensic Scientist, Toxicology, Forensic Science SA

 Conclusion of the South Australian Drug Early Warning System – Emergency Department Admission Blood Psychoactive Testing (EDABPT) Study Skip to:

1 min 15 sec
Jennifer Smith

Research Project Officer, Centre for Clinical Research in Emergency Medicine, Royal Perth Hospital

 “Brevity of data will take precedence”: evolution of a national minimum dataset of illicit and emerging drugs in the emergency department Skip to:

10 min 10 sec
Andrew Kozman

NCCRED Research Fellow,

Emergency Consultant, Fiona Stanley Hospital

 The implementation of the Recreational Drug Intoxication Protocol  Skip to:

22 min 50 sec
Rachel Sutherland

Research Fellow, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales

 Feasibility, consumer acceptability and behavioural outcomes associated with take-home fentanyl test strips Skip to:

32 min 05 sec
Jack Nagle

Founder of Realdrugtalk,

Member NCCRED Methamphetamine and Emerging Drugs Clinical Research Network Working Group

 Discussant Skip to:

41 min 35 sec

Collaborate, Generate, Translate: Research meets clinical practice in methamphetamine and emerging drugs

In line with NCCRED’s aims, the symposium was designed to:

  • Collaborate to build research networks and capacity
  • Generate evidence-based knowledge
  • Translate research into best clinical practice

We gathered vastly experienced clinicians and researchers from some of the major drug and alcohol centres around the country. The program included presentations from Round 1 NCCRED Clinical Research Seed Funding Grant recipients, NCCRED Clinical Research Capacity Building Grant recipients, the NCCRED team and affiliates. They shared the most up-to-date aspects of their work and research around emerging drug use, including:

  • Drug monitoring and response networks around Australia
  • Treatment outcomes and methods
  • Future research priorities

Check out the program:

Program

2019 Presentations

  1. Dr Krista Siefried, Clinical Research Lead, National Centre for Clinical Research on Emerging Drugs (NCCRED): A rapid clinical research priority assessment for substance use disorders due to methamphetamine and emerging drugs of concern in Australia
  2. Dr Emma Partridge, Forensic Scientist, Forensic Science SA: Results of the South Australian Drug Early Warning System – Emergency Department Admission Blood Psychoactive Testing (EDABPT) Study
  3. Dr Chris Tremonti, Advanced Trainee in Addiction and Pharmacology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital: A randomised double-blind placebo-controlled study of Lisdexamfetamine for the treatment of methamphetamine dependence (LiMA) – RPAH experience of participant recruitment and retention
  4. Emma Black, Senior Project Officer, Drug and Alcohol Services, The Langton Centre: Characteristics and treatment outcomes of the drug treatment population in New South Wales – focus on amphetamine type stimulants (ATS)
  5. Dr Sandra Mitchell, Prompt Response Research Fellow, National Centre for Clinical Research on Emerging Drugs (NCCRED): Towards a prompt response network for Australia: rapid health communication about events related to emerging drugs of concern
  6. Roger Nicholas, Senior Researcher, National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction, Flinders University: The National Centre for Clinical Research on Emerging Drugs: Clinical Research Workforce Development Strategy
  7. Dr Craig Rodgers, Senior staff specialist, Alcohol and Drug Service, St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney: Sentinel surveillance for emerging illicitly manufactured fentanyl use in an inner-city opioid agonist treatment service
  8. Dr Briony Larance, Senior Research Fellow, University of Wollongong & Sarah Adams, Clinical Psychologist, Illawarra Drug and Alcohol Services: Drawing on regional data analytics and stakeholder consultation to improve responses to methamphetamine-related harm in a New South Wales Local Health District
  9. Dr Jessamine Soderstrom, Clinical Toxicologist, Emergency Physician, Royal Perth Hospital: Emerging Drug Network of Australia
  10. Liam Acheson, Research Officer, St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney: Optimising Care for People Who Inject Drugs: A retrospective medical record review of staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia treatment

National Centre for Clinical
Research on Emerging Drugs

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