Blog series:
Meet our postgraduate research supervisors. This week we are meeting Scientia Professor Louisa Degenhardt, AO, Associate Professor Alys Havard, and Dr Winifred Asare Doku
Published on the 12 November 2024
Meet some of NDARC’s higher degree research (HDR) supervisors: Driving research to reduce alcohol and other drug-related harms.
Are you passionate about making a difference in alcohol and other drugs (AOD) research? A PhD at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) at UNSW Sydney, offers the opportunity to work with some of the world’s leading experts. Whether you're interested in epidemiology, harm reduction, mental health, or the impacts of illicit drug use, NDARC’s faculty members lead cutting-edge research that shapes policies, improves treatment programs, and enhances our understanding of critical public health issues. In this series, we introduce some incredible supervisors and their areas of expertise.
Scientia Professor Louisa Degenhardt, AO
Research Areas: Epidemiology of illicit drug use, harm reduction interventions, drug use among youth, and opioid dependence
Email: l.degenhardt@unsw.edu.au
Scientia Professor Louisa Degenhardt is a trailblazer in the epidemiology of illicit drug use, particularly cannabis, amphetamines, cocaine, and heroin. Her research delves into the mortality rates among people who use drugs, the role of injecting drug use in harm, and the effectiveness of harm reduction strategies such as opioid agonist treatment. Louisa’s work is pivotal in shaping the evidence for public health interventions to reduce drug-related harms.
Associate Professor Alys Havard
Research Areas: Drug use during pregnancy, prescription medicines, and data linkage
Email: alys.havard@unsw.edu.au
Associate Professor Alys Havard’s research focuses on drug use during pregnancy, including the use, safety and effectiveness of prescription medicines for expectant mothers. Her work uses linked routinely collected health data, often combined across multiple countries, to generate evidence that improves maternal and child health outcomes.
Dr Winifred Asare-Doku
Research Areas: Mental health, dual diagnosis, suicide prevention, and cultural health disparities
Email: w.asaredoku@unsw.edu.au
Dr Winifred Asare-Doku’s research focuses on the intersections of mental health, substance use, and suicide prevention among vulnerable populations, including young people, people in the criminal justice system, and culturally diverse communities. Her work also examines workplace mental health programs and evaluates services to inform policy decisions.
NDARC Postgraduate Research Degree Information Session
Join us for an informative webinar about NDARC's postgraduate research opportunities for prospective students.
