Programme Officer (Treatment of Drug Use Disorders) - Temporary, P3 (Temporary Job Opening)

This position is located in the Regional Office for Eastern Africa (ROEA) of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Nairobi, Kenya. The Programme Officer (Treatment of Drug Use Disorders) will work under the overall guidance of the Regional Representative of ROEA and the direct supervision of the Programme Officer (HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care) at ROEA as well as the supervisory guidance of the Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Section (PTRS), Drug Prevention and Health Branch (DHB), Division for Operations (DO) at UNODC headquarters.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to be part of an international team led by the Nicotine Research Group in the Addictions Department at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London to review the safety aspects of e-cigarettes/vaping devices.

The purpose of the role is to help complete a comprehensive evidence update on e-cigarettes commissioned by Public Health England focusing largely on safety aspects, but will also include chapters on policy and prevalence of use of e-cigarettes in England.

The Post

The aims of the project

The Drugs Research Network Scotland (DRNS) is funded by the Scottish Government to help inform policy and practice that will reduce the harms associated with drug use in Scotland. We are committed to the meaningful involvement of people with lived/living experience of drug use, and affected family members, throughout our work. We engage with a wide range of stakeholders to:

• develop collaborative research projects to address key information needs. These collaborations include people with lived/living experience, affected family members, academics, health and care service providers, service planners and decision/policy makers.
• secure funding to deliver these projects across Scotland, the rest of the UK and internationally.
• share learning from our and other peoples’ research to help inform the Scottish response to problem drug use.

The Role

We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Research Coordinator to support the developing work of the DRNS. This post is a unique opportunity to move the DRNS into the next phase in which supporting ambitious and large-scale collaborative projects will be a priority. Research management experience is required, and knowledge or involvement in drug dependence, addictions, drug policy and health service research are highly desirable. A minimum of Masters or MRes level degree is essential, as is the ability to communicate confidently and effectively through all communication systems, excellent planning and organisational skills, and a particular eye for detail. This role would suit someone who enjoys crafting clear research proposals from initial networking and collaboration, to study design and preparation of the application. 

An opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic person to work on an Economic and Social Research Council funded project which explores the nature, creation, impact and regulation of gendered alcohol brand and nightlife marketing in the age of ‘contemporary feminism’. 

The research aims to improve our understanding of how such marketing affects alcohol use, and experiences of the night-time economy, with the aim of engaging with key stakeholders (e.g. young people, NGOs, policy makers, industry) to help make venues healthier, safer, and more inclusive. It will examine the gendered nature of alcohol brand and nightlife industry marketing and how this has changed in recent years as a result of the re-emergence of feminism(s), and the increasing use of ‘cause marketing’ by brands. 

The Opportunity  

• 3-Year Full time, Fixed-term opportunity
• Sydney, Australia based
• Applicants will be required to have full working rights for the duration of the contract

The Postdoctoral Research Fellow plays a key role at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) but will also work collaboratively with other UNSW centres on initiatives of the NHMRC Advancing the health of people who use drugs: hepatitis C and drug dependence (ASCEND) program grant.

The Postdoctoral Research Fellow will work closely with senior researchers at NDARC, contributing to a number of projects relating to drug dependence epidemiology, treatment, and surveillance.

Full job description.

The appointee will participate in an ambitious project over two years to explore the interactions of English local governments with harmful commodity industries such as food which is considered unhealthy, alcohol, tobacco and gambling industries.

The aim of the proposed work is to better understand the nature and extent of such interactions in local government, explore stakeholder views on this issue and the need for guidance, and present the evidence in the format of potential guiding principles for local authority interactions with corporations that market products that are damaging to health.

The project utilises mixed methods and includes evidence synthesis, primary data collections from local authorities, data analysis and interviews with stakeholders.  

The Yale School of Medicine is seeking a full-time faculty member at the rank of Instructor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Program in Addiction Medicine and the Section of General Internal Medicine.

This individual will be considered Core faculty in the Program in Addiction Medicine with primary responsibilities on the inpatient Yale Addiction Medicine Consult Service. The individual should be passionate about hospital-based Addiction Medicine and medical education.

A full time Research Assistant post is available in the TobaccoTactics team providing research support to the STOP project (see below).

TobaccoTactics.org is a unique academic resource that summarises research and monitoring findings on the tobacco industry and its allies in an evidence-based and user-friendly format. It is used globally by politicians, civil servants, journalists and advocates.

You will be required to edit and update existing content as well as research and develop new profiles for the TobaccoTactics website, a unique academic resource that explores how the tobacco industry influences policy and public health in the UK, the EU and internationally. We are particularly interested in someone who can analyse the operation of multinational corporations.

THE STOP PROJECT

STOP (Stop Tobacco Organisations & Products) is a global tobacco industry watchdog, established with $15m funded from Bloomberg Philanthropies. It is a partnership between the Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath, the Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control, Thailand, the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Paris, and Vital Strategies, New York.

As such it brings together the global leaders in in tobacco industry monitoring and research, advocacy, accountability and communication. This unique combination ensures our research is widely and effectively communicated and maximally impactful.

We will be leading the tobacco industry monitoring and research arm of the work. With a focus on low and middle income countries, we will be extending the scale, geographic reach and responsiveness of our current research.

Within the University of Bath, the STOP team will be based within the Tobacco Control Research Group and include staff from different faculties, departments and research centres

A two-year postdoctoral fellowship position is available for individuals interested in a career conducting research on recovery support services for adults with substance use disorders. The fellow will work directly with Drs. Ashli Sheidow and Michael McCart, two accomplished clinical investigators, in achieving the aims of NIH-, foundation-, and state-funded research projects.

This postdoctoral fellow will primarily work on a NIDA-funded Initiative (R24DA051950) focused on two populations:

(1) emerging adults and

(2) adults of any age involved with the justice system.

This Initiative seeks to advance research on the efficacy/effectiveness of recovery support services, specifically peer supports and recovery residences, by

(1) identifying priority research areas,

(2) increasing the number of early career investigators in this field,

(3) providing funds and guidance for pilot studies, and

(4) conducting dissemination and outreach to the larger field. Including individuals with lived experiences (i.e., in recovery from substance use and/or formerly involved with the adult or juvenile justice system) in all Initiative activities is a high priority. Beyond the Initiative activities, integration into other projects will be based on the fellow’s interests and training needs. 

CNWL Addictions is a well-established NHS provider offering a wide range of high-quality drug and alcohol treatment interventions to diverse and multicultural populations.

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust are looking for an experienced Service Coordinator/ NMP who will primarily be prescribing controlled drugs and managing a small caseload of substance misuse client at our Cobbold Road site.

Queen's University Belfast are recruiting for a Research Fellow in Systems Biology and Disease Models.

The long-term objective of the research is to define the genetic architecture of OUD in a rodent model and uncover new insights into this disease pathophysiology. To accomplish this, we are using a rat behavioural model of excessive opioid intake that exhibits both face and construct validity for dysregulated drug intake associated and opiate dependence.

This is a four-year Research Associate role to work on the National Institute for Health Research funded ADEPT (Using complexity science and digital technology to improve co-morbid Alcohol use disorder and DEpression Prevention and Treatment) study. 

ADEPT aims to use complex systems approaches to better understand the challenges experienced by patients with co-occurring heavy drinking and depression, and their service providers

Title

Alcohol Consumption and Mental Health Literacy in Young People

Project Description

According to the Global Drug Survey, nearly half of young people with existing mental health conditions increased their alcohol consumption during COVID-19 lockdown. Reasons for this included feeling depressed and anxious. Drinking for coping reasons is associated with long term problems (Holahan et al, 2001), and a vicious circle of excessive drinking and poor mental health. 

Mental Health Literacy (MHL) includes understanding how to obtain and maintain positive mental health, knowledge of help-seeking options, and decreasing stigma. Higher levels of MHL may be linked to lower levels of mental ill health, and may serve to encourage more healthy coping strategies. However, the field of MHL is currently characterised by “conceptual confusion and methodological inconsistency” (Mansfield et al, 2020, p11) and many interventions to improve MHL lack a theoretical basis, and focus on mental ‘disorder’ rather than mental ‘health’. 

This studentship will involve initial scoping research to inform the development of an intervention, which focuses on the potential of improving MHL. This work could start by exploring the relationship between MHL, alcohol consumption and coping strategies. Our research group values co-production and employs systematic frameworks in intervention development. 


The successful application will join the Children and Young People Network at Oxford Brookes. 

As part of their Studentship, any successful applicant will be required to undertake up to 6 hours undergraduate teaching a week during semesters without further remuneration. Training will be given. 

This PhD project will ask: 

Can we isolate the relationships between cannabis use, tobacco use and psychiatric disease through triangulation of data from cohort studies and brain imaging studies, and across statistical methods that differ in their ability to make causal links?

Background: 

Cannabis is gaining increasing acceptance as a medicinal and recreational drug and prevalence of use is rising worldwide. There are concerns about the association between cannabis and tobacco with risk of psychiatric disease, including severe and chronic disorders such as psychosis. The association between cannabis and psychiatric disease may be confounded by tobacco-use.

We propose an innovative approach to explore the impact of single- and combined-use of tobacco and cannabis on brain function and structure, between people with and without psychiatric illness (anxiety, depression, psychosis). 

International impact: 

Understanding the impact of single and combined use on brain regions will inform conclusions about the influence of these substances on psychiatric disease, and will have important policy implications, in the UK and around the globe.

The Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) was developed for the World Health Organisation (WHO) by an international group of substance abuse researchers to detect and manage substance use and related problems in primary and general medicine care settings.

Adelaide Medical School are seeking a researcher with extensive clinical experience in the drug and alcohol sector to oversee the ASSIST program. The successful applicant will also be required to conduct and coordinate research, disseminate findings, develop training resources and support organisations implementing the ASSIST program.

The successful candidate will join a multidisciplinary world-leading research group with a strong track record in deliver high impact research in design and evaluation of public health interventions across areas of blood borne viruses (BBVs), sexual health and substance use.

We are looking for an experienced data scientist to work with us in the areas of epidemiology, substance use and blood borne-viruses. The successful candidate will help to support a study funded by the Scottish Government Death Task Force.

The main goal of this study is to use linked and unlinked administrative data to measure the risks of mortality related to problem drug use in Scotland, and determine to what extent specific interventions (Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) and Take-Home Naloxone (THN)) are protective against drug-related deaths. 

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

Applications are now being accepted for the JSAT Editorial Fellowship Program. Supported by Elsevier and JSAT, the Fellowship is a one-year experience to begin in January 2021. We seek two Fellows for 2021. The compensation for the Fellowship is $1,000 for each Fellow, and the experience accrued will support future involvement in the editorial side of scientific publishing. Previous Editors-In-Chief and a current Associate Editor of JSAT were Editorial Fellows. Furthermore, there are several models for the Fellowship leading to roles on the JSAT Editorial Board.

The Fellows will participate in bi-weekly phone calls with the Editor-In-Chief, and monthly phone calls with the Editor-In-Chief, Associate Editors, and Managing Editor. The former will focus on manuscript review, the ethics of authorship and review, and how to combine and synthesize conflicting reviews into a constructive decision. Each Fellow will be expected to advance twelve to fifteen papers over the year through the editorial process from submission to review to publication decision. The work should not be longer than 1 to 2 hours per week. The Fellowship should result in a superb knowledge of contemporary electronic scientific publication and also improve writing skills and manuscript preparation.

The ideal applicant would be a person in an early to mid-phase of her or his academic or research career, with a track record indicating a commitment to substance use treatment research. Those interested should email Dr. Peter Friedmann, Editor-In-Chief, directly with questions (Peter [dot] Friedmann [at] baystatehealth [dot] org (Peter[dot]Friedmann[at]baystatehealth[dot]org)).

Applicants should send via email to Emily Babson: ewbabson [at] gmail [dot] com (ewbabson[at]gmail[dot]com): 1) a one-page letter to the Editor expressing interest in the Fellowship, describing any previous experience with JSAT as an author or reviewer, and indicating how the Fellowship will fit into career plans; and 2) a curriculum vitae. Applications are due by November 2, 2020. The editorial team will make final decisions, with a January 2021 start.

https://els-jbs-prod-cdn.jbs.elsevierhealth.com/pb/assets/raw/Health%20Advance/journals/sat/jsat_editorial_fellowship2021.pdf

Kings College London are seeking a research associate to work with researchers at Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care and the Nicotine Research Group at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience on a 16 months Cancer Research UK funded study to identify practices of stop smoking practitioners when supporting tobacco cessation among cannabis users. You will work with the PI and the team to ensure that the project objectives are achieved on time and within budget, taking responsibility for the day-to-day running and ethical conduct of the study.

The successful candidate will have a proven track record in delivering mixed methods research and insight about co-use of cannabis and tobacco. You will be involved in all aspects of the study from recruitment to dissemination of the findings, including opportunities to lead publications and planning the design of future studies. You will have access to research training opportunities throughout your tenure.

This post will be offered on a fixed-term contract for 16 months. 
This is a part-time post - 60% full time equivalent.

The Contemporary Drug & Alcohol Studies (CDAS) programme at the University of the West of Scotland is seeking to appoint a full-time fixed term (14 months) Research Fellow with extensive experience in qualitative research, and a particular expertise in researching marginalised populations.

The successful applicant will be a lead member of an inter-institutional research project recently funded by the Scottish Drug Deaths Taskforce called Understanding the Role and Potential of Primary Care in the Prevention of Drug Deaths post COVID-19 led by Dr. Aileen O’Gorman, CDAS, UWS and Professor Anne Whittaker, University of Stirling. The postholder will be based at UWS Paisley campus.

The study design uses mixed methods combining interviews and focus groups with GPs, patients, affected family members and other stakeholders with complex systems mapping. Key duties include:

• Collect and analyse data from each practice on the socio-demographic profile of their patients and local population; as well as local health and social care data.
• Recruit research participants and conduct audio-taped qualitative interviews/focus groups, on line if necessary.
• Enter data into NVivo, code and analyse qualitative data, develop framework matrices, write up analytic reports.
• Assist with the development of the complex systems mapping process using KUMU software