Adrian Dunlop

Brief description

With over 23 years experience as an addiction clinician and clinician/researcher, I currently serve as the Area Director and Addiction Medicine Senior Staff Specialist with Hunter New England Local Health District, Drug & Alcohol Clinical Services (2007-current). I also hold the position of Chief Addiction Medicine Specialist (2014 - current) for the Centre for Population Health, NSW Ministry of Health following the appointment as Clinical Advisor in Drug and Alcohol (2012-2013). I am a Conjoint Professor with the School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle and a member of the Centre for Translational Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute.I have extensive clinical experience in managing patients with a wide range of substance use problems including opioids, stimulants, cannabis, tobacco and alcohol, the provision of services for groups with distinct needs including pregnant women, parents with substance use problems, indigenous people and rural populations. My position for the HNE Health District spans a range of clinical addiction work. This includes inpatient withdrawal and hospital consultation liaison services, outpatient treatment, community opiate substitution prescribing and attendance at the amphetamine and cannabis clinics. I am also a member of the high risk maternal service for pregnant women who use substances.In 2010 I was awarded Clinical Leader of the Year at the HNE Health District Staff Achievement Awards for providing outstanding medical leadership, my commitment to and respect for patients of disadvantaged groups and for driving the service to become more patient-centred. Nominated by fellow staff members, I was also recognised for my contribution to research, significant growth of the service since my appointment, encouraging staff to use evidence based care and leading a robust clinical review process to ensure the delivery of care is safe and appropriate. In 2005 I received a Churchill Fellowship to study addiction and pregnancy treatment in the USA, Canada, UK and Europe.In addition to ensuring the provision of high quality clinical care, I have a keen interest in the improvement of care through clinically relevant research. I have attracted significant collaborative research funding.  This has provided assistance to investigate and publish research that has made important impacts on both health practice and patient outcomes in addiction. For example, I have been involved in research that has: evaluated stimulant treatment in NSW following the provision of a new service that resulted in reductions in methamphetamine use and improvements in mental health (McKetin R., Dunlop A., et al., 2013);   assisted in the development of national guidelines for opioid dependence (Lintzeris N., Leung S., Dunlop A., et al., 2013); established Hepatitis C treatment in opiate treatment settings (Alavi  M., Grebely J., Micallef M., Dunlop A., 2013); validated and implemented a brief treatment outcome measure in Australian drug and alcohol settings (Ryan A., Holmes J., Hunt V., Dunlop A., et al., 2014); trialled a new medication for cannabis withdrawal (Allsop D., Copeland J., Lintzeris N., Dunlop A. J., et al 2014).I have maintained an extensive collaborative research network that includes clinician researchers and university based academics both nationally and internationally. A significant international collaborative effort that I was involved in was the systematic Cochrane review of LAAM. My ongoing commitment to positively influence patient-centred