Clinical and Social Research Team at Turning Point
The Clinical and Social Research Team at Turning Point aims to address addiction issues across the spectrum of harm, establishing effective methods for supporting client journeys from initial help-seeking through to specialist treatment and recovery. The Clinical and Social Research team use an interdisciplinary framework that looks at the connection between biology, psychology and socio-environmental factors that contribute to addiction. They work to reduce stigma and harms at the community level by changing cultures, supporting family members and health care professionals, and generate insights and innovation for a more efficient and effective treatment system by trialling novel pharmacological, psychological and neuroscience-informed interventions. Several team members teach on the Monash Master of Addictive Behaviours as unit coordinators, lecturers and tutors.
MARC members from the Clinical and Social Research Team include both senior researchers and emerging researchers.
 | Prof Victoria Manning is the Head of Research and Workforce Development and Professor in Addiction Studies. She is a chartered psychologist (UK) and holds a PhD on neurocognition and co-occurring disorders. Over the past two decades, she has worked as a clinical researcher in addictions in the UK, Asia and Australia. Her research portfolio includes clinical trials, intervention studies, training and prevalence and treatment outcome studies. Her passion lies in trailing neurocognitive, psychological, pharmacological and other novel interventions to optimise treatment effectiveness for people with substance use disorders, co-occurring disorders and examining the role of peer support models in promoting recovery. She is a unit co-coordinator and lectures on the Masters in Addictive Behaviours course at Monash University. A/Prof Manning currently collaborates with MARC members on various projects, including: Linking clinical and basic science discovery to find new treatments for alcohol use disorder |
| A/Prof Shalini Arunogiri is a clinical addiction psychiatrist and has extensive experience working across alcohol and other drug (AOD) and mental health services. She is an Associate Professor (Research) and NHMRC Emerging Leader at Monash University, with research interests focusing on methamphetamine use, and management of co-occurring mental health substance use disorders, including PTSD and addiction. Shalini is the inaugural clinical director of the Hamilton Centre, Victoria's statewide service for treatment, research and training in integrated care for mental health and addiction. Shalini is immediate past-chair of the binational Faculty of Addiction Psychiatry at the RANZCP (2017-2024), and served on the Board of Directors for the International Society of Addiction Medicine (2019-2024). Shalini is an executive committee member of the World Association of Dual Disorders (WADD), and is a Board Director for the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE). A/Prof Arunogiri currently collaborates with MARC members on various projects, including: A randomised controlled trial of cannabidiol (CBD) in the treatment of cannabis dependence |
| Dr Michael Savic is a Senior Research Fellow in Addiction Studies at the Eastern Health Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, and Strategic Lead of Clinical and Social Research at Turning Point, Eastern Health. His research focuses on the social and cultural contexts of alcohol and other drug use, addiction concepts, treatment and experiences of intervention implementation and care across several mediums. His research is multi-disciplinary in orientation, policy and practice relevant, and often draws on critical approaches and qualitative methods. He coordinates units in the Monash University Master of Addictive Behaviours and is a theme leader at the Monash Addiction Research Centre. He is a co-convener of the Victorian Substance Use Research Forum, an Associate Editor at the International Journal of Drug Policy, and a Deputy Editor at Drug and Alcohol Review. |
| Dr Jasmin Grigg is a Senior Research Fellow in Addiction Studies at Turning Point (Eastern Health) and Monash University (Eastern Health Clinical School). Her research focuses on the development of novel public health interventions to reduce alcohol consumption and related harms, and raise awareness about the low levels of drinking that cause harm. Through the use of hybrid implementation-effectiveness research methods that involve close collaboration with consumer, community, government and industry stakeholders, Dr Grigg’s research is contributing to the evidence-base for alternative, highly accessible interventions to reduce the gap in service provision for populations not accessing conventional alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment. Dr Grigg currently collaborates with MARC members on various projects, including: |
| Dr Joshua Garfield has long had an interest in the interactions between drug use, the brain, and behaviour. He completed a bachelor of science with honours in psychology at the University of Tasmania in 2002, and then a PhD in behavioural neuroscience at the University of New South Wales in 2008, where he studied animal learning theory. Dr Garfiled currently collaborates with MARC members on various projects, including: |
 | Dr Sarah Catchlove has a research background in psychopharmacology, cognitive neuroscience, psychophysiology and neuroimaging. Her research interests include the potential health-enhancing mechanisms of medications, novel pharmaceuticals, exercise and nootropic supplements, as well as direct effects on brain and cognitive function. |
 | Dr Ari Roxburgh is a psychologist and research fellow who is interested in addiction recovery and treatment. His PhD focused on the relationship between anxiety and self-control. His current research is focused on the recovery of those with substance use, alcohol, or gambling related problems. |