NDARC Director wins Senior Scientist Award at APSAD 2025

Professor Michael Farrell, Director of the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) at UNSW Sydney, has been awarded the Senior Scientist Award at the APSAD 2025 Conference for his outstanding long-term contribution to the field of substance use.

Professor Farrell is an Addiction Psychiatrist by training and has led NDARC since 2011, with an extensive background in alcohol and other drugs (AOD) research and policy development.

He has a strong track record in delivering community-based treatments for marginalised populations and is internationally recognised for his dedication to bridging groundbreaking research with policymaking and evidence-based treatment aimed at reducing AOD harms.

Under his leadership, NDARC’s research has influenced national and state policies on social, illicit, and prescription drug use, as well as the guidelines and scheduling for substances such as buprenorphine and cannabis.

Professor Farrell is a member of the UNAIDS Reference Group on HIV and Human Rights, Chair of the International Consortium for Health Outcome Monitoring working group on Addiction, and has held key board positions at Mindgardens and Odyssey House NSW.

He has published more than 400 research articles, book chapters and other publications since 1990 and has made significant contributions to a wide range of Australian and international projects that address AOD-related issues.

Professor Farrell will be departing NDARC in 2026 after 15 years of dedicated service to AOD research and the sector more broadly, both in Australia and across the globe.