Alison Ritter

Professor Alison Ritter, AO, is a globally recognized expert in drug policy and Director of the Drug Policy Modelling Program (DPMP) at the University of New South Wales. She holds an NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship and leads interdisciplinary research aimed at improving evidence-based drug policy. Her work focuses on drug laws, treatment systems, democratic participation in policy-making, and policy processes. With over $31 million in research grants, her projects include designing drug policy solutions, analyzing treatment funding, and studying policy stasis/change. She has published extensively, including books and over 200 articles.

Her career spans clinical psychology in alcohol/drug treatment and policy advisory roles. She served as President of the International Society for the Study of Drug Policy and is Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Drug Policy. Awards include the Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). Key grants include ARC and NHMRC-funded studies on drug law enforcement impacts, policy participation, and treatment planning models.

Research activities include examining alcohol consumption during pandemics, stigma reduction, and non-criminal drug possession responses. She supervises HDR students on topics like compulsory drug treatment and policy processes. Her DPMP team collaborates with governments and NGOs to translate research into policy. She advocates for ethical drug policies prioritizing health and human rights.