National Drug and Alcohol Awards

Celebrating Australian achievements to prevent
and reduce alcohol and other drug use and harm

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Major Sponsors

Supporter

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Dr Rosa Alati SELECTED as a finalist in the 2008 National Drug Awards Excellence in research Category

The National Drug and Alcohol awards committee is pleased to announce Dr Rosa Alati as a finalist in the 2008 Excellence in Research award.

Dr Alati has had a distinguished career with a background in alcohol and other drug studies and Indigenous health research. She has taught and researched in the field of Indigenous alcohol misuse, and has had considerable experience in working with Australian youth, Indigenous traditional and non traditional people. Her research interests are in the life course epidemiology of alcohol and other mental health disorders.

Her research has made important contributions to the understanding of the causes of excessive alcohol use in Australian youth. Understanding the aetiology of alcohol problems is important to develop appropriate public health strategies and reduce the social and individual harm associated with excessive alcohol use. Her research has highlighted the role of problematic behaviour, parenting styles and maternal lifestyle patterns on the development of alcohol disorders as well as alcohol initiation in adolescence. The risk associated with alcohol consumption during pregnancy is a particular concern of Dr Alati's research.

Dr Alati has expended the understanding of the role played by alcohol and other drugs within our society, helping to build a sound evidence-base for health and legislative changes.

She has formed extensive academic links both within Australia and world-wide. Dr Alati has published over 30 papers dealing with alcohol and health issues and she is regularly invited to speak at national and international conferences. Her work has achieved extensive media coverage both here and overseas.

The winner of the Excellence in Research award will be announced at a gala dinner at The Plaza Ballroom in Melbourne on 27 June 2008.

“It is a great privilege to support the national alcohol and other drugs sector in celebrating the achievements of their unsung heroes, said Daryl Smeaton, CEO of the AER Foundation. As the major sponsor of these awards, AER congratulates all the winners, finalists and nominees.”

The National Drug and Alcohol Awards are a collaborative effort of the Ted Noffs Foundation, The Australian Drug Foundation, The Alcohol and Other Drugs Council of Australia and the Australian National Council on Drugs.

It is estimated around 10,000 Australians now work directly in drug and alcohol treatment across Australia with a further 8,500 in associated sectors.

Sponsors of the awards are the Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation (Principal sponsor), the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing (major sponsor); VIC Department of Human Services (major sponsor), The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (major sponsor), VIC Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (sponsor) and NSW Health — ActNow (supporter).

To interview the finalist please contact Sam Hunt on 02 6122 8600. For more information about the National Drug & Alcohol Awards go to http://www.drugawards.org.au/