News

APSAD are delighted to announce that two leading Aboriginal researchers, Professor James Ward and Dr Michael Wright, will be featured at this year’s conference.

Professor James Ward (Head of Infectious Diseases Research - Aboriginal Health at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute in Adelaide) will be providing a keynote presentation on his body of research. Professor Ward is a national and international leader in blood borne virus and STI research. His knowledge of this field, particularly among Aboriginal youth, has much to teach us about injecting drug use and its associated harms.

Dr Michael Wright, National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University and Telethon Kids Institute, will be leading an invited symposium on the Looking Forward Project which is based in the south west of Western Australia. The Looking Forward Project works closely with a group of Nyoongar Elders in designing and implementing a distinctive culturally safe research methodology for working with Nyoongar peoples. Dr Wright will present alongside representatives from some of the 12 mainstream mental health and drug and alcohol services and 18 Nyoongar Elders as participants and stakeholders in The Looking Forward Project.

NDRI researchers Dr Julia Butt and Dr Robert Tait have been appointed conference co-convenors for the 2015 APSAD (Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol & other Drugs) scientific conference.

The APSAD conference will be held at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Perth from 8-11 November 2015.  For more information on these and other APSAD conference presenters please visit the website http://www.apsadconference.com.au