2025 NDRI Symposium Program

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

Note: Program is subject to change. 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 Faculty of Health Sciences Address
Professor Carlo MarraPro-Vice Chancellor, Health Sciences, Curtin University
9.10 – 9.50am KEYNOTE ADDRESS: ALCOHOL – A GLOBAL PROBLEM NEEDING GLOBAL SOLUTIONS
Professor Sir Ian GilmoreUniversity of Liverpool, Alcohol Health Alliance UK Chair
9.50 – 10.05am Stigma, other barriers and facilitators to care engagement among people who inject with an invasive infection
Dr Sam Colledge-FrisbyNDRI Research Fellow
10.05 – 10.20am Experiences of Aboriginal women accessing post-release supports in Perth
Emma TufugaFormer NDRI Researcher
10.20 – 10.50am MORNING TEA
10.50 – 11.05am People who smoke methamphetamine and interactions with police
Dr Shelley WalkerNDRI Research Fellow
11.05 – 11.20am Imprisonment among people who use drugs
Dr Michael CurtisNDRI Research Fellow
11.20 – 11.35am Intimate partner violence during pregnancy: Pregnancy, fetal and infant health impacts and evidence-based intervention approaches
Dr Nyanda McBrideNDRI 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 VieiraNDRI Research Officer and NDRI PhD Scholar
11.50am – 12.05pm Growing alcohol affordability in Australia and how this can be addressed through minimum unit pricing
Dr Nic TaylorNDRI Research Fellow
12.05 – 12.20pm Stakeholder perspectives on the roles of vested interests in alcohol policy development
Julia StaffordNDRI PhD Scholar and Alcohol Program Manager, Cancer Council WA
12.20 – 1.10pm LUNCH
1.10 – 1.50pm KEYNOTE ADDRESS: NEW SYNTHETIC OPIOIDS AND OTHER EMERGING DRUGS - THE INTERNATIONAL SITUATION AND LOCAL IMPLICATIONS
Professor Paul GriffithsNew NDRI Director and Outgoing European Union Drugs Agency Scientific Director
1.50 – 2.05pm Assessing oral health related quality of life in a cohort of people who inject drugs in Melbourne
Shady AbdelsalamNDRI PhD Scholar
2.05 – 2.25pm Nitrous oxide: Update on survey trends, clinical presentations, and regulatory responses in WA
Dr Jodie GriggNDRI 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 A cluster RCT of a school-based Vaping intervention: Development, study protocol, teacher insights and findings
Leen BlackburnFormer NDRI Researcher and Lena NiklassonNDRI Research Assistant (with firsthand insights from Head of Health at independent high school)
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-minute opening statements by each panellist followed by discussion and Q & A.

Panel members:
4.45 – 4.50pm Panel facilitator summary
Professor Steve AllsopPanel Chair
4.50 – 4.55pm Closing remarks
Professor Simon Lenton – Outgoing NDRI Director and Professor Paul Griffiths – New NDRI Director
5 – 6.30pm SYMPOSIUM NETWORKING EVENT (IN-PERSON)

In-person registration includes entrance to all presentation sessions and the networking event, lunch, and morning and afternoon tea. Online registration to attend presentations sessions virtually is also available.

Register now