
MB BS (UWA) FRANZCP FAChAM
Summary -
Dr Mark Montebello is the Clinical Director and Senior Staff Specialist in Addiction Medicine and Psychiatry, at Drug and Alcohol Services, Northern Sydney Local Health District. He is the Accredited Medical Practitioner for the Royal North Shore Hospital Involuntary Drug and Alcohol Treatment Unit, Member of the Advisory Board of the Australian, New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, a Honorary Senior Lecturer at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, and a Clinical Senior Lecturer, Specialty of Addiction Medicine, Northern Clinical School, University of Sydney.
More information at https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1776-3974
Publications 2017 onwards -
Jackson MA, Brown AL, Johnston J, Clancy R, McGregor I, Bruno R, Lintzeris N, Montebello M, Luksza J, Bowman J, Phung N, Allsop D, Dunlop AJ. The use and effects of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists by NSW cannabis treatment clients. Journal of Cannabis Research Vol 3, 33 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s42238-021-00091-z
Kwon I, Blazey A, Montebello M. The successful treatment of Kamini dependence with depot buprenorphine (Buvidal) – a case report. Australasian Psychiatry May 20 (2021). DOI: 10.1177/10398562211014214
Kwon I, Montebello M, Bittoun R. Tobacco dependence management in a smoke-free inpatient drug and alcohol unit. Australasian Psychiatry Dec 10 (2020) 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1177/1039856220975287
Grebely J, Read P, Cunningham E, Weltman M, Matthews G, Dunlop A, Montebello M, Martinello M, Gilliver R, Marks P, Applegate T, Dore G. Elbasvir and grazoprevir for hepatitis C virus genotype 1 infection in people with recent injecting drug use (DARLO-C): an open-label, single-arm, phase 4, multicentre trial. Health Sci Rep (2020) 3:e151. https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.151
Lintzeris N, Mills L, Dunlop A, Copeland J, McGregor I, Bruno R, Kirby A, Montebello M, Hall M, Jefferies M, Kevin R, Bhardwaj A. Cannabis use in patients 3 months after ceasing nabiximols for the treatment of cannabis dependence: Results from a placebo-controlled randomised trial. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 215 (2020) 18220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108220
Mills L, Lintzeris N, Bruno R, Montebello M, Dunlop A, Deacon R, Copeland J, Jefferies M, Rivas C, Mammen K. Validation of the Australian Treatment Outcomes Profile for use in clients with cannabis dependence. Drug and Alcohol Review (2020). DOI: 10.1111/dar.13050
Jones NR, Shanahan M, Dobbins T, Degenhardt L, Montebello M, Gisev N, Larney S. Reductions in emergency department presentations associated with opioid agonist treatment vary by geographic location: A retrospective study in New South Wales, Australia. Drug and Alcohol Review (September 2019), 38, 690–698. DOI: 10.1111/dar.12976
Lintzeris N, Bhardwaj A, Mills L, Dunlop A, Copeland J, McGregor I, Bruno R, Gugusheff J, Phung N, Montebello M, Chan T, Kirby A, Hall M, Jefferies M, Luksza J, Shanahan M, Kevin R, Allsop D. Nabiximols for the Treatment of Cannabis Dependence: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.1993
Jacobs NI, Montebello ME, Monds LA, Lintzeris N. Survey of Australian psychiatrists’ and psychiatry trainees’ knowledge about and attitudes towards medicinal cannabinoids. Australasian Psychiatry (2018) Oct 9: https://doi.org/10.1177/1039856218803675
Lintzeris N, Monds LA, Rivas C, Leung S, Dunlop A, Newcombe D, Walters C, Galea S, White N, Montebello ME, Demirkol A, Swanson N, and Ali R. Transferring Patients From Methadone to Buprenorphine: The Feasibility and Evaluation of Practice Guidelines. J Addict Med (2018) 12: 234–240
Bhardwaj AK, Allsop DJ, Copeland J, McGregor IS, Dunlop A, Shanahan M, Bruno R, Phung N, Montebello ME, Sadler C, Gugusheff J, Jackson M, Luksza J, Lintzeris N and Agonist Replacement for Cannabis Dependence (ARCD) study group. Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) of cannabinoid replacement therapy (Nabiximols) for the management of treatment-resistant cannabis dependent patients: a study protocol. BMC Psychiatry (2018) 18:140
Allsop DJ, Rooney K, Arnold JC, Bhardwaj AK, Bruno R, Bartlett DJ, Montebello ME, Arkell T, Richards E, Gugusheff J, Rooke S, Kerley W, Murnion B, Haber P, McGregor IS, Lintzeris N. Randomised controlled trial (RCT) of daily aerobic exercise for inpatient cannabis withdrawal: A study protocol. Mental Health and Physical Activity 13 (2017) 57-67
Broad Research Areas:
Drug Related Harm / Addiction, Psychiatry, Medical Education
Qualifications:
MB BS (UWA), FRANZCP, FAChAM
Specific Research Keywords:
Addiction psychiatry, addiction medicine, cannabis, amphetamines, smoking cessation
See research activities above
Winner of the NSLHD Quality and Research Awards - Keeping People Healthy award category
Winner of the 2019 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs (APSAD) Clinician of the Year
Winner of the Journal of Addiction Medicine Most Downloaded Article Published in 2018 for “Transferring Patients from Methadone to Buprenorphine: The Feasibility and Evaluation of Practice Guidelines.”
Winner of the 1990 University of Western Australia Neuromuscular Disease Research Institute Medical Student Neuropathology Prize
Ongoing research -
Since September 2021: Principal Investigator - Exploring Cognition, Frailty and Health Outcomes of Patients 50- 65 Years with Alcohol Use Disorder in Inpatient Drug and Alcohol Services. Led by Ripley Corbett and Sarah Blakemore, Northern Sydney Local Health District.
Since September 2021: Principal Investigator - An observational cohort study to evaluate the use of finger-stick point-of-care hepatitis C RNA testing to enhance diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C virus infection among people at risk of HCV infection: The National Australian HCV Point-of-Care Testing Program. Multisite trial led by Jason Grebely, Kirby Institute.
Since July 2021: Principal Investigator - ETHOS III Study - Enhancing hepatitis C testing and treatment among people who inject drugs in drug treatment settings: the ETHOS III Study. NH&MRC funded GNT2006282 ($1,349,603). Multisite trial led by Jason Grebely, Kirby Institute.
Since June 2021: Associate Investigator - A randomised controlled trial of N-acetyl cysteine for the treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder. NH&MRC funded GNT2001375 ($1,294,923.44). Multisite trial led by Kirsten Morley, Sydney Local Health District.
Since May 2021: Associate Investigator - Drug Intoxication Detection Film Study. Led by Barry Renner, Northern Sydney Local Health District.
Since March 2021: Associate Investigator - The feasibility of using mobile gaming applications (Graze Invaders) as a means of assessing cognition in Opioid Treatment Program (OTP) clients. Led by Angelica Wong, Northern Sydney Local Health District.
Since February 2021: Associate Investigator - FASD Capacity Building Project: Improving care to children, young people and families affected by fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Led by Susan Evans, Northern Sydney Local Health District. Since February 2021: Associate Investigator - Micro-dosing with buprenorphine to transfer from methadone to buprenorphine - a prospective single-arm, phase 2 clinical trial. Multisite trial led by Chris Tremonti, Sydney Local Health District.
Since February 2020: Principal Investigator - Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) client concerns and wishes regarding cognitive impairment treatment. Multisite trial led by Lauren Monds, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District / Northern Sydney Local Health District / University of Sydney.
Since February 2020: Associate Investigator - NSW Health Workforce Consultation: Stigma and Discrimination Project. Multisite trial led by Tonina Harvey, Ministry of Health.
Since September 2020: Associate Investigator - What factors influence drug and alcohol clinicians when referring Aboriginal clients to IDAT in NSW Health. Led by Lynette Bullen, Western New South Wales Local Health District.
Since July 2020: Associate Investigator - Client and Staff Experiences and Perceptions of the Opioid Treatment Program’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Led by Dr Shane Woods, Northern Sydney Local Health District.
Since May 2020: Associate Investigator - Survey of Australian psychiatrists’ and psychiatry trainees’ knowledge and attitudes towards psychedelics in the treatment of psychiatry disorders. Led by Dr Cameron Grover, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District.
Since October 2019: Associate Investigator - DBS HIV Testing Pilot - NSW Dried Blood Spot Self-Sampling HIV and Hepatitis C Testing Pilot Program. Multisite trial led by Dr Anna McNulty, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District. NSW Health funded.
Since September 2019: Principal Investigator - The COQI Cohort Study- Examining clinical outcomes and quality indicators for clients attending NSW public alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment services. Multisite trial led by Nicholas Lintzeris, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District. NSW Health funded.
Since August 2019: Principal Investigator - Specialist Drug and Alcohol Nurse in General Practice - A Unique Shared Care Model. Collaboration partners - Sydney North Primary Health Network funded ($48,500).
Since December 2018: Principal Investigator - Defining the clinical role of topiramate in the treatment of alcohol dependence in Australia. NH&MRC funded ($718,836). Multisite trial led by Paul Haber, Sydney Local Health District.
Since December 2018: Principal Investigator - CoLAB - An open-label, multicentre, single-arm trial of monthly injections of extended release buprenorphine in people with opioid dependence. Indivior funded ($1,814,536 and study medication). Multisite trial led by Michael Farrell, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.
Since September 2018: Associate Investigator - Obtaining normative substance use, health and wellbeing data for clients attending NSW public drug and alcohol (D&A) treatment services. Multisite trial led by Nicholas Lintzeris, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District. NSW Health funded.
Since May 2018: Principal Investigator - ETHOS ENGAGE Study - A non-randomized trial to assess the effect of an intervention incorporating on-site hepatitis C virus RNA testing, liver fibrosis assessment, and linkage to care to enhance scale-up of direct-acting antiviral therapy for hepatitis C virus infection among people with a history of injecting drug use, and either recent injecting drug use or receiving opioid substitution therapy. Multisite trial led by Jason Grebely, Kirby Institute.
Since July 2016: Associate Investigator - REACH-C - Real world Efficacy of Antiviral therapy in Chronic Hepatitis C (Kirby Institute supported but unfunded). Multisite trial led by Greg Dore, Kirby Institute.
Since January 2014: Associate Investigator - Randomised double blind placebo controlled study of lisdexamphetamine for the treatment of methamphetamine dependence. NH&MRC funded GNT1109466 ($1,303,735.21). Collaboration partners - NDARC, St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney, Hunter New England Local Health District, Western Sydney Local Health District, Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia, National Drug Research Institute.