ISSUP Scientific Council

Introducing the ISSUP Scientific Council  

In our continued commitment to keeping the ISSUP community updated on the latest research and evidence-based practice geared towards drug demand, ISSUP has established a Scientific Council to provide further support ISSUP in our efforts to ensure that resources shared via our platform are accessible to the full spectrum of our membership, from providers of care with varying levels of professionalisation to drug demand reduction system managers and policymakers. The Scientific Council is established to support ISSUP in ensuring that the most current evidence base is communicated into practice and ultimately into policy.  

Following a nomination and review process in April and September 2024, the Scientific Council held its first meeting on 10 October 2024, and it is our pleasure to introduce these esteemed colleagues to the community.

	Apinun Aramrattana
	Fran Calvo
	Gavin Bart
	Harry Sumnall
	Jiang Long
	John Toumbourou
	Kristiana Siste
	Mulka Nisic
	Nadine Harker
	Nathalie Panabokke
	Rachele Donini
	Wadih Maalouf

The Council is composed of a group of global experts with demonstrable expertise in the development and implementation of evidence-based practice in drug demand reduction. The Council is chaired by Goodman Sibeko, the Scientific Advisor for ISSUP Global.  The members of the Council have been drawn from regions around the globe, including ample representation from Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Oceania, South Asia and North America. This gives ISSUP the benefit of varied regional expertise, with a critical sensitivity to local perspectives in a global context. We look forward to further enriching the Council with representation from Latin America in the near future.

The Scientific Council have a strong academic background with key areas of expertise that will be a crucial value add for ISSUP. This includes a strong representation of the areas of Prevention, Treatment, Mental Health, and Translation of Research into Policy.  Also strongly represented are the areas of Harm Reduction, Programme and Policy developed and implementation, and monitoring and surveillance. We are excited to additionally have access to the Scientific Council’s crucial expertise in Recovery Support, Quality Assurance, Behavioural addictions and criminal justice. These all feed into ISSUP’s priority engagement as reflected in past and future webinars, knowledge share, and training offerings.

ISSUP is embedded in a strong global drug demand reduction network and through our website and events, ISSUP facilitates sharing across several internal networks. We are pleased to note that the Scientific Council strengthens ISSUP’s network linkages through affiliations across the following networks. Amongst many others: 

• International Consortium of Universities for Drug Demand Reduction (ICUDDR)

• International Technology Transfer Centres (ITTC)

• The European Society for Prevention Research (EUSPR)

• United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

• World Health Organisation (WHO)

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

• Recovered Users Network (RUN)

• Society for Prevention Research (SPR)