Dr Paolo Deluca is Reader in Addiction Research with a background in cognitive and developmental psychology, and more than twenty-year experience in the addiction field.

Paolo studied Psychology at the University of Padua, Italy, and completed his PhD on cognitive development at Lancaster University UK in 2000. He moved to London to work at the Institute of Psychiatry in 2001, then moved to St George’s University of London. He re-joined the Institute of Psychiatry in 2007.

Throughout his time at the IoPPN he has been working on numerous national and international projects on a wide range of topics from Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention for adult (SIPS) and adolescents (SIPS jr, SIPS Jr HIGH), to early diagnosis and treatment provision and optimization (ANARP, SANA, AMPHORA, ODHIN, RISKIT, ACTAD, and AOTT), and policy evaluation of the introduction of minimum pricing for alcohol in Scotland (MUP).

He also led groundbreaking research on illicit drug information and availability of novel psychoactive substances (NPS) on the Internet (Psychonaut 2002 and Psychonaut EWS projects); the delivery of prevention intervention for the use of NPS in vulnerable individuals (ReDNet), the marketing strategies of NPS (ALICE RAP), the misuse of codeine (CODEMISUSED) and the real time monitoring of the availability and distribution of NPS over the Internet (CASSANDRA).

He has particular expertise in conducting and evaluating health service and public health research. He also has a specific interest in Information Technologies and their roles on substance misuse prevention and treatment (eHealth). Paolo Deluca has also extensive expertise on national and international clinical trial management, intervention development, delivery and evaluation.

He is deputy lead for the South London NIHR ARC Alcohol Theme. He is also deputy chair of the IoPPN Research and Innovation Committee.

Novel recreational drugs/legal highs (NPS).

The role of Information and Communication Technologies in drug abuse prevention and treatment

Alcohol screening and brief interventions.

Prescription drugs misuse.

Drug and alcohol policy.

Alcohol. New Psychoactive Substances (Legal Highs). Prescription drugs. Screening & Brief Intervention. Electronic Intervention, eHealth & mHealth.