Primary supervisor: Associate Professor Amy Peacock

Secondary supervisor(s): Dr Mia Miller, Professor Kathryn Backholer, Associate Professor Michael Livingston

Project description:

Young people’s relationship with alcohol has been reshaped by rapid changes in the market and digital environment. Online delivery services, targeted digital marketing, and new products designed to appeal to youth have transformed how and when alcohol is accessed and consumed. These shifts raise critical questions about their impact on young people’s alcohol use, and longer-term mental and physical health outcomes.

This PhD is part of an innovative research program examining alcohol access, marketing, consumption, and harms among young people conducted in close collaboration with policymakers and youth services. A key component is the establishment of a longitudinal cohort of young Australians, incorporating world-first technology to monitor digital alcohol marketing.

The PhD candidate will work with an expert team across leading Australian research institutes on a range of possible projects that may include:

• Systematic review on young people’s access and exposure to alcohol
• Analysis of longitudinal cohort data, including exposure to digital alcohol marketing
• Analysis of national datasets to examine broader trends in youth alcohol use and outcomes
• Qualitative research exploring young people’s views, needs and priorities

This PhD will provide advanced research training while producing evidence to inform policy, shape prevention strategies, and support healthier futures for young Australians.

Candidate requirements:

• Masters or Honours degree in public health, health, psychology, epidemiology, biostatistics or a related field
• Strong skills in quantitative analysis
• Demonstrated scientific writing ability, including peer-reviewed scientific papers
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills

For more information about this project please contact Associate Professor Amy Peacock (amy.peacock@unsw.edu.au).

Primary supervisor: Dr Amy Peacock

Co-supervisor(s): Anna Olsen (ANU), Raimondo Bruno (UTAS)

Project description:

There is increasing public support for provision of drug checking (‘pill-testing’) services, and some progress in the planning and establishment of such services in Australia. Despite a range of drug checking services operating globally, there is a need for further evidence of the feasibility and effectiveness of different drug checking models in the Australian context. The supervisory team are involved in the evaluation of the first fixed-site drug checking service in Australia. Through this PhD, the candidate will work with the team to gather new evidence and inform policy through a range of possible projects, including:

• systematic reviews of evidence around engagement in drug checking by people who use drugs
• analysing data from interviews and surveys with people accessing drug checking services
• analysing data from interviews and surveys with people who use drugs around their drug checking and broader harm reduction practices 
• analysing other novel data sources (e.g., social and news media data) on drug checking 

Candidate requirements:

• Masters or Honours in psychology, public health, epidemiology, biostatistics, or a related field.
• Strong skills in quantitative or qualitative data analysis.
• Track record of publication of peer-reviewed scientific articles.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

For more information about this project please contact Amy Peacock (amy.peacock@unsw.edu.au).

Primary supervisor: Associate Professor Amy Peacock

Secondary supervisor(s): Dr Mia Miller

Project description:

Young people’s health behaviours develop within rapidly changing social, digital, and commercial environments. Lifestyle risk behaviours such as alcohol use, smoking/vaping, illicit drug use, gambling, unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity commonly co-occur during adolescence and young adulthood, shaping long-term physical and mental health trajectories. Alcohol use, in particular, often sits at the centre of these behaviour patterns and may influence the uptake, clustering, and persistence of other lifestyle risks.  

This PhD is part of a broader research program examining multiple lifestyle risk behaviours in young people, with a focus on understanding how these behaviours cluster over time and contribute to health inequalities. The project will combine rigorous evidence synthesis with longitudinal data analysis to generate a comprehensive picture of lifestyle risk behaviour patterns, placing alcohol use within a wider behavioural and public health context. 

The PhD candidate will work with an interdisciplinary team of researchers in public health, epidemiology, and behavioural science on a range of possible projects that may include:  

• Systematic reviews and meta-analyses examining the co-occurrence and clustering of lifestyle risk behaviours in adolescents and young adults 

• Analysis of longitudinal cohort data to identify behaviour profiles and trajectories across adolescence and early adulthood  

• Alcohol-focused analyses exploring the role of alcohol use as a predictor, marker, or driver of broader lifestyle risk behaviour patterns 

• Examination of associations between multiple lifestyle risk behaviours and key mental, physical, and social health outcomes 

This PhD will provide advanced training in evidence synthesis and longitudinal data analysis while producing policy-relevant evidence to inform integrated prevention strategies and support healthier transitions to adulthood.

Primary supervisor: Professor Rebecca McKetin

Secondary supervisor(s): Dr Chrianna Bharat, Associate Professor Alys Havard, Scientia Professor Louisa Degennhardt

Project description:

Precise knowledge of health risks from stimulants, especially methamphetamine use, is limited due to insufficient robust outcome estimates. 

This PhD opportunity offers the candidate the chance to develop expertise in public health research, including advanced data analysis techniques, and work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team at NDARC. The candidate will be supported in building a strong publication record and gaining exposure to policy-relevant research while analysing linked administrative data to understand health outcomes for people who use stimulants. We strongly encourage prospective candidates passionate about impactful research to apply and help advance knowledge in this important area. 

This PhD opportunity is part of an NHMRC-funded research program to better understand how emerging drug-using behaviours are associated with health and social outcomes (NHMRC Ideas Grant 2048308). The candidate will: 

• Conduct a systematic review of health outcomes for people who use stimulants to synthesize current evidence and identify research gaps.

• Analyse linked administrative data to estimate the prevalence of specific health outcomes, such as cardiovascular events, stroke, suicides, and accidental injuries, among people who use stimulants. This will involve data cleaning, statistical analysis, and clear reporting of findings. 

• Compare the relative risk of specific health outcomes among people who use stimulants to the general population, and collaborate with policy makers, service providers, and peer-advocacy groups, to derive public policy recommendations.

Candidate requirements:

• Strong honours degree epidemiology, biostatistics, psychology, medicine or a related field  

• Strong analytical and quantitative research skills 

• Demonstrated scientific writing ability, including peer-reviewed scientific papers 

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills 

• Willingness to embrace the values of UNSW and NDARC, including collaboration and engagement with the community and people with lived and living experience of substance use

Primary Supervisor: Scientia Professor Louisa Degenhardt

Co-Supervisor: Dr Thomas Santo Jr

Project title: Improving post-release outcomes for people who experience incarceration: Using data linkage to measure the impact of mental health and substance dependence treatment

Project description: Globally and in Australia, incarceration rates have surged, with over 67,000 individuals released from Australian prisons in 2023 alone. This population faces profound health and social inequities, including heightened risks of drug overdose, mental illness, homelessness, and mortality following release. However, despite increased attention to post-incarceration care, little is known about which health and social interventions improve outcomes and reduce disparities among formerly incarcerated populations, particularly for First Nations people and women.

This PhD project is embedded within the Prison Outcomes STudy (POST), a large-scale, population-based cohort study linking data on all adults incarcerated in NSW since 2000 (~200,000 people) across 16 administrative datasets. The candidate will conduct a series of studies to:

1. Quantify the incidence and timing of key adverse outcomes (e.g., overdose, suicide, recidivism) post-release;

2. Evaluate the effectiveness of post-release interventions for opioid dependence, methamphetamine dependence, and serious mental illness;

3. Use mathematical modelling to assess the potential impact of scaling up interventions among priority populations.

These analyses will inform evidence-based strategies to improve continuity of care and reduce preventable harms after incarceration. The project will also consider how intersecting factors such as sex, First Nations status, and co-occurring conditions influence outcomes and intervention effects.

Candidate requirements:

• Honours or Master's degree in public health, epidemiology, pharmacoepidemiology, biostatistics, or related discipline

• Strong skills in quantitative research and statistical analysis

• Experience with linked administrative data is highly desirable

• Demonstrated scientific writing ability, including peer-reviewed publications

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills

For more information about this project, please contact Dr Thomas Santo Jr (t.santo@unsw.edu.au) or view the project page here.

Primary supervisor: Dr Catherine Foley/Professor Michael Farrell

Secondary supervisor(s): Professor Julaine Allan (CSU), Associate Professor Michael Doyle (USyd)

Project description:

Opioid dependence is a chronic, debilitating condition, and timely medical treatment can be lifesaving. Many people in hospital-based outpatient care are in stable treatment and would benefit from receiving holistic care in general practice. Few doctors in general practice, however, prescribe opioid dependence medications and multiple barriers prevent others from doing so. When clients in stable treatment cannot transition to care in general practice, new clients face long waiting times or miss out on treatment. These pressures are amplified in rural and regional areas where there are fewer health services and greater distances between them. The supervisory team is co-designing and evaluating an innovative model that provides tailored support to doctors and streamlines the process for people who wish to transition from hospital outpatient settings to general practice. This program of work offers an excellent opportunity for a PhD candidate based in a rural or regional area to develop their research skills within a clinical setting, and we strongly encourage rural and regional applicants. Through this PhD, the candidate will generate new evidence and help shape future policy, by: 

• Conducting systematic reviews on engagement in Opioid Dependence Treatment (ODT)

• Collecting and analysing interview and administrative data from people accessing ODT

• Collecting and analysing interview and administrative data from clinicians delivering ODT

• Developing models that support safe, sustainable transition of care to general practice

Candidate requirements:

• Masters or Honours in psychology, public health, epidemiology, biostatistics, or a related field

• Strong skills in quantitative or qualitative data analysis

• Demonstrated track record of peer-reviewed scientific publications

• Understanding of rural and regional health services or communities (desirable)

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• This PhD will be based within rural and regional Health Districts, with location negotiable

Individuals located in rural, regional or remote locations, and/or health clinicians are encouraged to enquire. 

Primary supervisor(s): Scientia Associate Professor Natasa Gisev, Associate Professor Ramesh Walpola (School of Health Sciences, UNSW Sydney)

Secondary supervisor: Dr Abdullah Al-Masud

Project description:

This PhD project will be undertaken as part of national initiative which aims to improve the safe and effective use of opioids and psychotropic medicines through evidence-based prescriber and pharmacist education. The project focuses on reducing medication-related harms associated with co-prescribing of these medicines by contributing to the design, implementation, and evaluation of evidence-based educational interventions for health professionals.  

The candidate will work closely with a multidisciplinary project team and engage directly with clinicians, educators, consumers, policymakers, and professional organisations involved in module development and national roll-out. They will have opportunities to present at conferences, publish in peer-reviewed journals, and contribute to national education and quality use of medicines initiatives.

Candidate requirements:

• Background in pharmacy, medicine, or a related discipline 

• Strong interest in medication safety, mental health, and pain management 

• Experience with quantitative and qualitative research methods 

• Excellent communication and analytical skills

Primary supervisor: Professor Michael Farrell

Joint supervisor: Dr Julia Lappin

Secondary supervisor: Scientia Professor Louisa Degenhardt

Project description:

Substance dependence impacts not only people who are experiencing problems, but their families and communities. Effective treatments such as opioid agonist treatment are available for opioid dependence, but there are few effective options for methamphetamine, and little is known about client and families’ experiences of seeking help. This PhD will explore the barriers and facilitators of substance use therapies from varied perspectives using a mixed method approach. It will explore how to optimise interventions through attaining insights from individuals who consume drugs, their family members, the community, health care workers and service providers.

The PhD will: 

1. Examine client access to different treatment modalities, and factors influencing exploration of improved delivery systems (including novel depot opioid treatments, which have recently been registered in Australia), through the CoLAB study 
2. Explore families’ experiences of the onset of problematic use of drugs and their access to models of support for families and carers of people with dependent use
3. Explore, using routine data collections on drug treatment, the extent of treatment utilisation and retention in treatment
4. Using data from the Family Drug Support program, examine families’ access to this service and their patterns of engagement

Candidate requirements:

• Masters or Honours in public health, epidemiology, social sciences or a related field
• Strong skills in quantitative analysis
• Track record of publication of peer-reviewed scientific articles
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

For more information about this project, please contact Professor Michael Farrell (Michael.farrell@unsw.edu.au). 

Primary supervisor: Associate Professor Amy Peacock

Secondary supervisor: Dr Rachel Sutherland

Project description:

Drug markets are increasingly complex, with rapid shifts in availability, purity, and price that can precede serious harms. At the same time, patterns of use and emerging substances evolve quickly, challenging public health and policy responses. The Drug Trends program at NDARC provides a unique opportunity to integrate multi-source data, including sentinel surveys, administrative data, and novel online data, to better understand these dynamics. 

This PhD will explore how triangulated drug surveillance data can be used not only to describe trends but to anticipate drug-related harms and inform harm reduction policy. By connecting market indicators, user behaviour, and health outcomes, the research aims to strengthen the ability of policymakers and services to respond proactively to evolving risks. 

The PhD candidate will work with an expert team across leading research institutes on a range of potential research questions. Examples below are illustrative; only a subset will be addressed during the PhD depending on the candidate’s area of interest: 

1. How do data sources complement or diverge in describing patterns of use and harm?

2. How can triangulated data be used to anticipate increases in drug-related harm, including overdose?

3. How can machine learning or other predictive analytics improve early detection of emerging substances, market shifts, or spikes in drug-related harm? 

4. How can triangulated data inform decisions on scaling up interventions to reach higher risk populations or geographic areas? 

5. How do policymakers and other stakeholders currently use surveillance data, and what are their unmet information needs? 

This PhD will provide advanced research training while generating evidence to improve the timeliness, accuracy, and policy relevance of drug surveillance in Australia. By combining methodological innovation with real-world policy engagement, the project will equip the candidate with the skills to translate complex, multi-source data into actionable insights for harm reduction and public health decision-making.

Primary supervisor: Associate Scientia Professor Natasa Gisev

Joint supervisor: Professor Michael Farrell

Secondary supervisor: Dr Amy Peacock

Project description:

There is global concern regarding escalating pharmaceutical misuse among older adults. Negative impacts on global health burden and healthcare utilisation may be exacerbated by the complex healthcare needs of the growing ageing population. Currently, the extent and drivers of pharmaceutical misuse among older adults and related harms, and their comorbidity with other drug and alcohol problems, are unknown. The candidate will undertake a range of studies using data from population-based sources and linked cohorts [e.g. Data-Linkage Alcohol Cohort Study (~200,00 people) and Opioid Agonist Treatment Safety Study (~50,000 people)] to generate robust evidence addressing these gaps to inform appropriate responses.

Candidate requirements:

• Masters or Honours in public health, epidemiology, pharmacoepidemiology, biostatistics or a related field
• Strong skills in quantitative analysis, with experience using linked administrative data highly regarded
• Track record of publication of peer-reviewed scientific articles
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

For more information about this project, please contact Assoc Prof Natasa Gisev (n.gisev@unsw.edu.au). 

Primary supervisor: Associate Professor Alys Havard and Dr Bianca Varney (joint)

Secondary supervisor(s): Professor Sallie Pearson, Dr Jonathan Brett

Project description:

Gabapentinoids, benzodiazepines, and Z-drugs are widely used for pain, anxiety, and sleep disorders, yet are increasingly recognised for their potential risks of dependence. The UK’s medicines regulator has recently strengthened warnings across all three medicine classes, reflecting growing unified recognition of their risks of dependence and withdrawal effects.  

This PhD will use Australian population-based linked administrative data to quantify the harms associated with use and discontinuation of these medicines, identifying which populations are most vulnerable to harm. The evidence produced will inform safer prescribing and deprescribing of gabapentinoids, benzodiazepines, and Z-drugs and contribute to regulatory decisions in Australia.

Candidate requirements:

• Strong quantitative data analysis skills

Primary supervisor: Scientia Associate Professor Natasa Gisev

Joint/secondary supervisor: TBC

Project description:

This PhD project will be conducted as part of a broader research program aimed at improving the identification, understanding, and prevention of suicide, alcohol-related, and other drug-related deaths in Australia. These deaths remain a major public health concern, with complex social, clinical, and systemic contributors.

The PhD candidate will contribute to a series of studies examining patterns, risk factors, and service pathways preceding suicide and alcohol and other drug (AOD) deaths using linked health, social services, and mortality datasets. The project will also explore opportunities for intervention and system-level improvements, including the translation of findings into policy and practice to reduce preventable mortality. 

Candidate requirements:

• Masters or Honours in public health, epidemiology, pharmacoepidemiology, biostatistics or a related field
• Strong skills in quantitative analysis, with experience using linked administrative data highly regarded
• Track record of publication of peer-reviewed scientific articles
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

For more information about this project, please contact Associate Professor Natasa Gisev (n.gisev@unsw.edu.au).

Primary supervisor: Associate Professor Alys Havard

Project description: Prescription drugs of dependence, which include psychostimulants, opioids and benzodiazepines, are prescription medicines that have therapeutic value but a high potential for misuse, abuse and dependence. Limited evidence exists to guide decisions regarding the potential use of these medicines during pregnancy. This PhD project will investigate the magnitude and patterns of use of prescription drugs of dependence among pregnant women in NSW, and the risk of harm to the mother and baby. These research questions will be investigated linked routinely collected data including birth records, pharmaceutical dispensing data, hospital admissions data, congenital malformation notifications, NAPLAN data and death records.

Candidate requirements:

• Masters or Honours in clinical medicine, public health, epidemiology, pharmacoepidemiology, biostatistics or a related field
• Strong skills in data management and statistical analysis, with experience using large-scale linked data highly regarded
• Track record of publication of peer-reviewed scientific articles
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

For more information about this project please contact Dr Alys Havard (alys.havard@unsw.edu.au). 

Primary supervisor: Professor Rebecca McKetin

Secondary supervisor: Dr Chrianna Bharat

Project description:

New data modelling methods are needed to fully capture and understand the health risks associated with Australia’s rapidly shifting patterns of drug use. 

This PhD provides the candidate with the opportunity to develop advanced data modelling skills and to collaborate with international experts in modelling health outcomes related to illicit substance use. The candidate will be supported to build a strong publication record and will gain exposure to policy-relevant research while analysing Australia’s largest survey of illicit drug use. We encourage prospective candidates with a strong background in quantitative data analysis who are keen to develop their data modelling skills and who are passionate about applying innovative data modelling methods to inform policy responses. 

This PhD opportunity is part of an NHMRC-funded research program to better understand how emerging drug-using behaviours are associated with health and social outcomes (NHMRC Ideas Grant 2048308). The candidate will: 

• Support the implementation of a large online survey of illicit drug use in Australia and link the survey data to administrative health records. 

• Analyse the survey data to identify emergent patterns of substance use and related health risks that are relevant to public policy. 

• Apply network analysis to understand how patterns of illicit drug use cluster with health and social risks, providing a new and unique perspective on how we conceptualise illicit drug use behaviour. 

• Work collaboratively with the community (policy makers, service providers, and people with lived and living experience of substance use) to identify key policy implications from the research.

Candidate requirements:

• Strong honours degree in mathematics, biostatistics, epidemiology, psychology, medicine or a related field. 

• Strong analytical and quantitative research skills 

• Demonstrated scientific writing ability, including peer-reviewed scientific papers 

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills 

• Willingness to embrace the values of UNSW and NDARC, including collaboration and engagement with the community and people with lived and living experience of substance use.