WA Addictions Symposium

Professor Nicholas Lintzeris (MBBS, PhD, FAChAM) is a clinician who has worked for over 30 years in the area of cannabis and other addictions and is a national reference regarding cannabinoid behaviour and response in humans. He also has a wealth of expertise in pharmacovigilance of medicines with abuse potential, such as opioid and benzodiazepine pharmacovigilance.

Although ACRE is focused on developing an efficacy and safety evidence base for the medicinal aspects of cannabinoids, it is recognized that either actual or perceived abuse potential of cannabinoids by the community and health practitioners is a major hurdle to research into safe implementation of cannabinoid therapeutic goods in practice. Nicholas also has expertise in clinical trials regarding medicinal cannabinoids, including outcome, safety and cost effectiveness assessments

Professor Ogden obtained his degrees from the University of Melbourne. He is a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, a Fellow of the Chapter of Addiction Medicine of the Royal Australian College of Physicians and a Fellow of the Faculty of Clinical Forensic Medicine of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia. He was awarded the Public Service Medal for services to Forensic Medicine on Australia Day 2005.

His research interests focus on the role of alcohol and drugs in traffic safety and development of treatments for alcohol and drug abuse based on applying current understanding of the neurobiology of addiction into meaningful clinical treatments.

Associate Professor Mathew Coleman is a consultant psychiatrist with the WA Country Health Service, Clinical Director for the Midwest Mental Health service and Clinical Academic with the Rural Clinical School of WA. He is a qualified child and adolescent, and addiction psychiatrist and has experience and qualifications in health service management. He was the co-author of the RANZCP learning modules on smoking cessation and nicotine vaping products.