Professor Colin Drummond
Cluster Title: Experimental and clinical research on treatment of alcohol misuse and dependence cluster (ECTAD)
Area of interest
The primary aim of this cluster is to develop more effective interventions for alcohol misuse and dependence. This will be achieved by the formation of a multidisciplinary research cluster to undertake translational research exploiting knowledge from basic research through experimental research to clinical application. This will include studying the mode of action and specific stages of alcohol misuse and dependence current treatments interact with. In addition, this could potentially include back translation from human clinical populations to animal models.
There is a need to strengthen the evidence base, particularly in the UK, for the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of interventions for both hazardous/harmful drinkers as well as people with established alcohol dependence. Current barriers to advances in this area are: limited interdisciplinary research collaboration in the UK; the need to attract a wider range of research expertise into addiction; lack of pharmaceutical industry interest and investment in alcohol misuse and dependence; lack of clinical research facilities and networks to support a large programme of research. To fill these gaps we will combine existing strengths of UK alcohol research mostly funded by MRC, DH NIHR, MHRN and EU, and attract new expertise and resources to allow more rapid advances in treatment development
Policy direction
Alcohol misuse and dependence are highly costly to society, costing around £25 billions per annum. These issues are, therefore, of high priority within UK government and the NHS. Current government alcohol strategies emphasise the importance of treatment interventions in society’s response to alcohol, both in terms of early interventions for hazardous and harmful drinkers, and treatment for people with more severe alcohol problems. The main objective of this cluster in relation to public health policy and practice will be in developing translational clinical research studies to address real world clinical and public health problems. At its core, the quality and clinical relevance of the research is paramount and this has relevance to clinical practice and policy internationally. The research also aims to fill gaps in evidence and develop new treatment approaches of particular relevance to the UK context. To maximise its relevance to public health policy and practice we will engage with clinicians, providers, public health specialists and policy makers throughout the development, conduct, and dissemination of the research, including Department of Health, Home Office, National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse, and National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.
Co-Investigators
• Prof Charles Abraham
• Prof Jackie Andrade
• Dr Jonathan Chick
• Dr Patricia Conrod
• Prof Miles Cox
• Prof Graham Collingridge
• Prof Simon Coulton
• Dr Mike Crawford
• Prof Hugo Critchley
• Dr Hans Crombaq
• Prof Bill Deakin
• Dr Ed Day
• Dr Paolo Deluca
• Prof Dora Duka
• Rebecca Elliot
• Dr Matt Field
• Prof Christine Godfrey
• Dr Lee Hogarth
• Dr Stephen Husbands
• Dr Sarah King
• Prof Anne Lingford-Hughes
• Prof Hilary Little
• Prof Jon May
• Prof David Nutt
• Dr Tamzin Ripley
• Dr Abi Rose
• Prof Gunter Schumann
• Prof Dai Stephens
• Prof John Strang
• Prof Steve Williams
Collaborators
• Dr Peter Anderson (Holland)
• Dr Sidney Shaw (Switzerland)
• Prof John Littleton (USA)
• Dr Mark Prendergast (USA)
• Dr John Krystal (USA)
• Prof Tony Dickinson (UK)
• Prof David Kavanagh (Australia)