Catriona Matheson
University of Stirling Drugs Research Network Scotland
Catriona Matheson is a former trustee and treasurer of the Society for the Study of Addiction. Her research interests are in the delivery of care to substance users. Past research includes exploring new services in primary care (e.g. naloxone distribution) and exploring health professional and the general public’s opinions about drug treatment strategies. Current work includes developing and testing complex interventions for older drug users ORT patients, and managing dependence on prescription and over the counter medicines.
Drugs Research Network Scotland 2019 Conference Report
Aims
The overarching project aim is to host a second drugs research conference in Scotland which brings together researchers, policy makers and people with experience of drug use, to network, and learn from experts relevant to the field. The conference theme is preparing and prioritising research for the future.
The conference will be open to the DRNS membership, SSA members and others worked in areas related to the field. The conference is not limited to Scotland and will be promoted throughout the UK.
The DRNS is a funded by the Scottish Funding Council for three years from September 2017. It is an interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral and multi-institutional collaboration that aims to develop a Scottish drugs research strategy that will build capacity, maximise research investment and deliver robust research evidence to inform policy and practice.
The DRNS aims to:
- Optimise the potential for collaboration amongst a diverse range of Scottish researchers and across UK and international collaborations.
- Contribute to the building of Scottish research capacity and capability to be sustainable – developing a robust continuity plan that can realistically deliver a national legacy.
- Deliver the highest impact research outputs – DRNS partners will collaborate to produce high quality, interdisciplinary, academic research, published in high impact peer-reviewed journals.
- Set up effective knowledge exchange (KE) channels and take advantage of those already in existence amongst stakeholder groups, to maximise the potential impact of DRNS research undertaken and to facilitate co-production of research and research outputs.