RDF19 Speaker Details

Alex Copello

Job Title: Professor of Addiction Research

Organisation: Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS  at the School of Psychology, University of Birmingham

Biography: 

Professor Copello’s career combines clinical and academic work. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods his interests include the study of psychosocial approaches to addiction and mental health problems, the impact of addiction upon families and friends and the development and evaluation of family and social network based psychological interventions for addiction and mental health problems.  Professor Copello’s research has led to major impacts on addiction treatment in the UK in recent years. He was Principal Investigator in the MRC funded UK Alcohol Treatment Trial, the largest multicentre trial of alcohol treatments conducted in the UK that informs effective and cost effective delivery of psychosocial interventions for alcohol problems. He led the development of a social and family intervention (Social Behaviour and Network Therapy) used in the trial and shown to be as effective as a more established individual treatment. His 5-Step family intervention work in primary care and specialist NHS services with colleagues in the UK has been recommended in the NICE guidelines for drug problems and also in guidelines for commissioning services for carers. His work on integration of substance misuse treatment into mental health services has been quoted as a model of good practice in national guidelines and recommended for wider implementation. Alex has received NIHR and MRC research funding over the past few years as chief or principal investigator in a number of trials of psychological interventions. Alex publishes regularly and widely in international academic scientific journals