Monica Barratt, BSc(Hons)
Research Fellow (Casual)

Monica has worked in drug research since 2002, for the National Drug Research Institute, Australian Drug Foundation, Deakin University, the University of Melbourne, and Turning Point. She is currently completing her PhD thesis 'Researching the forums: Illicit drug use in a networked world'. At Turning Point, Monica collates and analyses data on alcohol and drug related harms for use by local government bodies to guide their funding and resource decisions.

Areas of interest
Recreational drug use and harm reduction; impact of drug policies; drug user participation in research; technological change and communication and internet-based research methods.

Contact details
monica.barratt@turningpoint.org.au

Shelley Cogger, BSocSci (Human Services and Social Policy)
Research Fellow

Shelley has been with Turning Point since March 2009 and is currently responsible for a number of projects including the Victorian Drug Statistics Handbook and the Earlier Identification of Drug Harms Project (EIDHP).  For the past 12 years Shelley has worked in a variety of AOD service and research roles, initially providing grassroots harm reduction services to marginalised groups of injectors. Since 2003, Shelley has worked in AOD research on studies examining brief HCV interventions for young injectors, annual trends in illicit drug use among regular injectors and recreational drug users, the post release experience of prisoners in Queensland and longitudinal outcomes among a cohort of dependent methamphetamine users in treatment.

Areas of interest
Harm reduction, illicit drug trends (including ecstasy and related drug use), pharmaceutical drug use and pharmacotherapy, methamphetamine use and related harms, mental health, ageing cohorts of injectors, drug use trajectories among different populations.

Contact details
shelley.cogger@turningpoint.org.au
Phone: 03 8413 8411

Belinda Lloyd, BA(Hons), PhD (submitted)
Senior Research Fellow

Belinda leads the Epidemiology and Surveillance Program at Turning Point. Belinda’s interests include the development of epidemiological studies of drug and alcohol use and related behaviours within and across different populations and subpopulations in order to enhance the evidence base for further research, treatment and support. Belinda has been involved in drug and alcohol research for nine years, and has worked in university and government environments in teaching and research capacities, utilising a range of research methods and data sources to explore patterns of drug use. She also has a background in mental health and longitudinal research.

Areas of interest
Pharmaceutical drug use; hidden populations, marginalisation and treatment/service access; gambling; mental health; longitudinal research

Contact details
belinda.lloyd@turningpoint.org.au
Phone: 03 8413 8427

Sharon Matthews, MSc, BSW, BA(Hons)
Research Fellow

Sharon has been conducting health-related research since 1994. In the UK, she worked on one of the major longitudinal cohort studies investigating social health inequalities and impacts to health across the life course. In Australia, she has specialised in substance use and has used a variety of large administrative data sets to examine trends in licit and illicit substance use and related-harms at the national, state and local government area level. She received funding to examine stability and change in women’s alcohol consumption using the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health. Currently she manages the local area analysis consultancies, as well as coordinating the Australian arm of a large international study examining cultural differences in alcohol use – the GENACIS project (Gender Alcohol and Culture; An International Study). In addition to her publications in the alcohol field, she has a strong publication record from her work on the UK 1958 cohort, as well as presenting at numerous conference and symposia nationally and internationally.

Areas of interest
Alcohol use and harm; social and cultural determinants of alcohol use; longitudinal analysis and local area analysis.

Contact details
sharon.matthews@turningpoint.org.au
Phone: 03 8413 8410

Paul McElwee, BInfTech
Research Systems Analyst

Paul McElwee has extensive experience in data management and database design for research projects, primarily in the drug and alcohol field but also in HIV/AIDS. The research projects in which he has been involved have predominantly been in surveillance/epidemiology but he has also worked on clinical research and health services evaluation projects. Although his involvement in these research projects has largely been in data management, he also has experience in writing protocols, questionnaire design, data analysis and report and paper writing.

Areas of interest
Pharmaceutical drug use; mental health; social and cultural determinants of drug use.

Contact details
paul.mcelwee@turningpoint.org.au
Phone: 03 8413 8402

Heidi Strickland, BASc(Health Promotion), GradCertAOD
Senior Research Assistant

Heidi has a background in health promotion and harm reduction and has been working in the AOD field since 2005.  Heidi joined the Epidemiology & Surveillance team in April 2007 and has also worked on a range of projects with the Clinical Research team.  Heidi is now also working part time with the Health Services Research & Evaluation team.  Most recently Heidi has been involved in the dual diagnosis assessment and comprehensive care project & a randomised control trial examining the effectiveness of clinical case management for AOD clients.  In her time at Turning Point, Heidi has also been involved in local area analysis consultancies, drug trend monitoring and early warning studies and a number of pharmaceutical misuse projects.

Areas of interest
Mental health & AOD issues; performance & image enhancing drug use; evaluation; AOD use & access to services in rural & regional Victoria.

Contact details
heidistrickland@turningpoint.org.au
Phone 03 8413 8476