Dr. Anika Verma
Addiction Medicine Specialist
Institute for Substance Use Research
India
Leads a clinical programme on medication-assisted treatment and has published widely on relapse prevention and integrated care for substance use disorders.
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Events / 2026
Symposium
Understanding Drug Addiction: Prevention, Treatment and Recovery
A hybrid symposium bringing together clinicians, researchers, policy makers, people with lived experience and families to explore the science of substance use disorders, evidence-based prevention, treatment pathways and long-term recovery. Join us in person or online.
2026 Dec 04 - 05
Athens
, Greece
Register Now
Opens 3 October 2026 · Closes 30 November 2026
Sponsorship Application
Opens 5 October 2026 · Closes 15 November 2026
Abstract Submission
Opens 5 October 2026 · Closes 31 October 2026
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Key Highlights
30+ Expert Speakers
Evidence-Based Prevention & Treatment
Hybrid: In Person & Live Online
CME Credits & Certificate of Attendance
About Event
Substance use disorders affect millions of people and families worldwide. This hybrid symposium brings together clinicians, addiction medicine specialists, psychologists, researchers, public health leaders, policy makers, peer-support workers and people with lived experience to share the latest evidence on how drug addiction develops, how it can be prevented, and how recovery can be supported over the long term. Over two days, participants will explore the neurobiology of addiction, early-intervention and school-based prevention programmes, medication-assisted treatment, harm-reduction approaches, co-occurring mental health conditions, stigma reduction and community-based recovery models. Sessions combine keynote lectures, panel discussions, case-based workshops and interactive Q&A, and are available both in person and live online so that colleagues around the world can take part.
Expected attendees
300+ in person, 1,000+ onlineKey themes
Prevention, Treatment, Recovery, Harm ReductionWho should attend
Clinicians, researchers, educators, policy makers, families
Featured Speakers
Prof. Michael Andersson
Professor of Neuroscience
Nordic Centre for Brain and Behaviour
Sweden
Studies the neurobiology of reward and craving and how this research can inform new pharmacological and behavioural treatments.
Dr. Maria Constantinou
Clinical Psychologist
Mediterranean Centre for Mental Health
Cyprus
Specialises in cognitive behavioural therapy, motivational interviewing and the treatment of co-occurring mental health conditions in people with substance use disorders.
Dr. Lena Fischer
Consultant Addiction Psychiatrist
Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Germany
Dr. Fischer leads an inpatient detoxification and dual-diagnosis unit in Berlin and has spent fifteen years treating people with both substance use disorders and severe mental illness. She chairs the German working group on integrated care pathways and teaches motivational interviewing to junior doctors across Europe.
View profile
Prof. Samuel Okonkwo
Professor of Public Health
University of Lagos
Nigeria
Prof. Okonkwo researches drug policy and service delivery in low and middle income settings. His team built the first community naloxone distribution network in West Africa, and he advises national health ministries on scaling opioid treatment where specialist services are scarce.
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Ms. Carla Mendes
Peer Support Lead and Recovery Advocate
Lisbon Recovery Alliance
Portugal
Carla Mendes has eleven years in recovery and now trains and supervises peer support workers across Portugal. She sits on the national harm reduction advisory board and speaks on how services can be designed with, rather than merely for, the people who use them.
View profileProgram Outline
View Full Agenda04 Dec
09:00 - 10:00Opening Ceremony and Keynote: The Neuroscience of Addiction
Welcome address, then a keynote on how drugs reshape the brain reward, stress and decision-making circuits.
Read More04 Dec
10:30 - 11:30Keynote: Prevention in Schools and Communities
Evidence-based approaches to preventing early substance use among young people.
Read More04 Dec
11:45 - 13:00Panel: Tackling Stigma and Changing the Narrative
How language, media and policy shape who seeks help, and how to make treatment feel safe to ask for.
Read More04 Dec
14:00 - 15:30Workshop: Medication-Assisted Treatment in Practice
Case discussions on methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone, including starting, tapering and relapse planning.
Read More04 Dec
15:45 - 17:00Session: Co-occurring Mental Health Conditions
Integrated care for people living with both substance use disorders and conditions such as depression, anxiety and PTSD.
Read More05 Dec
09:00 - 10:15Keynote: Recovery Across the Lifespan
What long-term recovery looks like and the social supports that sustain it.
Read More05 Dec
10:30 - 12:00Workshop: Motivational Interviewing Skills
Practical skills for building motivation and reducing ambivalence in conversations about drug use.
Read More05 Dec
13:00 - 14:15Panel: Harm Reduction and Public Health Policy
Needle exchange, naloxone access, drug checking and supervised consumption: what the evidence says.
Read MoreVenue Highlight
Athens Conference Centre (Sample Venue)
1 Example Avenue, 115 28 Athens, Greece
Hotel highlight
Free high-speed Wi-Fi
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Meet the Organizers
The people driving the vision, planning, and execution of this conference.
Dr. Anika Verma
Scientific Committee Chair
Prof. Michael Andersson
Programme Lead
Dr. Maria Constantinou
Abstracts and Posters Lead
Sofia Papadopoulou
Event Operations Manager
Nikos Georgiou
Delegate Support and Registration
Dr. Lena Fischer
Lived Experience Advisory Lead
Submit Your Abstract Now
Open to researchers, industry experts, and thought leaders. Don’t miss your chance to present.
Opens 5 October 2026 · Closes 31 October 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Clinicians, nurses, counsellors, psychologists, social workers, peer support workers, researchers, students, policy makers and people with lived experience of addiction and recovery. No prior specialist training is assumed.
Both. It is a hybrid symposium. You can join us at the venue in Athens or take part live online, with the same keynotes, panels and Q&A. Workshops have limited in-person places.
Yes. Registered delegates get access to recordings of the keynotes and panels for three months after the event. Workshops and the lived-experience session are not recorded, so people can speak freely.
Yes. The call is open until 23:59 Athens time on 31 October 2026 and submission is free. See the Call for Abstracts page for the structure, word limit and ethics requirements.
No, but the presenting author of an accepted abstract must register for the event before presenting. Submitting an abstract does not register you.
Yes. A certificate of attendance is issued to every registered delegate after the symposium, including those joining online, and records the sessions attended.
Yes. The programme includes a lived-experience session and a session for families, and the whole event follows a non-stigmatising language policy. Some clinical sessions are technical but open to all.
All sessions are in English. Live captions are available for online delegates.
A limited number of bursaries covering registration are available for students, peer workers and delegates from low and middle income countries. Email the organisers before 31 October 2026.
Email the organising team through the Contact Us page, or write to abstracts@tifeducation.org for anything about abstracts and posters.
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