2025 NDRI Symposium Program

Tuesday 4 March, 2025
Esplanade Hotel Fremantle by Rydges (Island Suite) and online

Note: Program is indicative only. All times are AWST (UTC+08:00) – For AEDT: +3 hours, AEST: +2 hours, ACDT: +2.5 hours, ACST: +1.5 hours

8.15 – 8.45am	REGISTRATION
8.45 – 9.00am	Welcome to Country
9.00 – 9.05am	Welcome Professor Simon Lenton – Outgoing NDRI Director
9.05 – 9.10am	Curtin University Address Professor Carol Marra – Pro-Vice Chancellor, Health Sciences
9.10 – 9.50am	KEYNOTE ADDRESS: ALCOHOL – A GLOBAL PROBLEM NEEDING GLOBAL SOLUTIONS Sir Professor Ian Gilmore – University of Liverpool and Chair, Alcohol Health Alliance UK
9.50 – 10.05am	Shame, stigma and stereotyping Dr Sam Colledge-Frisby – NDRI Research Fellow
10.05 – 10.20am	Experiences of Aboriginal women accessing post-release supports in Perth Emma Tufuga – NDRI
10.20 – 10.50am	MORNING TEA
10.50 – 11.05am	People who smoke methamphetamine and interactions with police Dr Shelley Walker – NDRI Research Fellow
11.05 – 11.20am	Imprisonment among people who use drugs Dr Michael Curtis – NDRI Research Associate
11.20 – 11.35am	Domestic violence against women who are pregnant Dr Nyanda McBride – NDRI Associate Professor and Prevention and Early Intervention Program Leader
11.35 – 11.50am	Trends and gender differences in young people’s drinking in Australia Emma Vieira – NDRI Research Officer
11.50 – 12.05pm	Growing alcohol affordability in Australia and how this can be addressed through minimum unit pricing Dr Nic Taylor – NDRI Research Fellow
12.05 – 12.20pm	Vested interests in alcohol policy Julia Stafford – NDRI PhD Scholar
12.20 – 1.10pm	LUNCH
1.10 – 1.50pm	KEYNOTE ADDRESS: NEW SYNTHETIC OPIOIDS AND OTHER EMERGING DRUGS - THE INTERNATIONAL SITUATION AND LOCAL IMPLICATIONS Paul Griffiths – Incoming NDRI Director and Outgoing European Union Drugs Agency Scientific Director
1.50 – 2.05pm	Methamphetamine use, injecting drug use and treatment, and criminal justice outcomes Shady Abdelsalam – NDRI PhD Scholar
2.05 – 2.25pm	Nitrous oxide: Update on survey trends, clinical presentations, and regulatory responses in WA Dr Jodie Grigg – NDRI Research Fellow, Dr Jessamine Soderstrom – Emergency Physician, Clinical Toxicologist, Royal Perth Hospital and Neil Keen – Director of the Public Health Regulation Directorate
2.25 – 2.45pm	Nicotine vapes: harm minimisation at work or gateway? Leen Blackburn – NDRI
2.45 – 3.15pm	AFTERNOON TEA
3.15 – 4.45pm	EXPERT PANEL: WORKING TOGETHER TO IMPROVE AOD POLICY AND PRACTICE IN 2025 AND BEYOND The AOD community works well together to inform, influence and improve AOD policy and practice. Panellists will consider what they see as the coming challenges and opportunities in AOD and reflect on what have we learned, and what can we improve, to best respond. The format will be 5 mins opening statements by each panellist followed by discussion and Q & A. Panel members: Professor Steve Allsop – NDRI Professor (Panel Chair) Paul Griffiths – Incoming NDRI Director Sir Professor Ian Gilmore – University of Liverpool, Alcohol Health Alliance UK Chair Julia Stafford – Alcohol Program Manager, Cancer Council WA Robert Shaw – Yamatji man and NDRI PhD scholar Paul Dessauer – CEO, Peer Based Harm Reduction WA Professor Simon Lenton – Outgoing NDRI Director and Harm Reduction Policy Program Leader
4.45 – 4.50pm	Panel facilitator summary Professor Steve Allsop – Panel Chair
4.50 – 4.55pm	Closing remarks Professor Simon Lenton – Outgoing NDRI Director and Paul Griffiths – Incoming NDRI Director
5 – 6.30pm	SYMPOSIUM NETWORKING EVENT (IN-PERSON)