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Meet Our Speakers

A lineup of influential voices bringing knowledge, experience, and fresh perspectives to the Understanding Drug Addiction: Prevention, Treatment and Recovery stage.

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Dr. Anika Verma

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.

Sessions
  1. Opening Ceremony and Keynote: The Neuroscience of Addiction
  2. Workshop: Medication-Assisted Treatment in Practice
  3. Panel: Harm Reduction and Public Health Policy
  4. Closing Remarks and Next Steps
Prof. Michael Andersson

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.

Sessions
  1. Panel: Tackling Stigma and Changing the Narrative
  2. Keynote: Recovery Across the Lifespan
  3. Voices of Recovery: Lived-Experience Stories
Dr. Maria Constantinou

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.

Sessions
  1. Keynote: Prevention in Schools and Communities
  2. Session: Co-occurring Mental Health Conditions
  3. Workshop: Motivational Interviewing Skills
Dr. Lena Fischer

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.

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Prof. Samuel Okonkwo

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

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.

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Accommodation Rules

A valid ID proof is required for all guests at the time of check-in.

Rooms are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis unless pre-booked.

Any damage to hotel property will be charged to the guest.

Guests are requested to maintain cleanliness and respect shared spaces.

Outside visitors may be restricted as per hotel guidelines.

Noise levels should be kept minimal after 10 PM.

Thalassaemia International Federation is not responsible for any personal loss.