Prof Alexander Baldacchino

Chair in Medicine

Researcher profile

Phone

+44 (0)1334 461894

Email

amb30@st-andrews.ac.uk

Research areas

My main research interest lies in improving the lives of individuals with a history of substance misuse problems. My research portofolios have a common thread of understanding the comorbid conditions (physical and psychological) arising as a result of chronic abuse of pharmacological agents with dependence potential especially opioids and alcohol. I am interested in utilising informatic systems, clinical outcome data, neuropsychological and neuroimaging processes amongst many other possibilities in order to identify and minimise risks present in this patient population

I graduated as a doctor in Malta in 1987 gaining my MD in the process. I eventually decided to study psychiatry as my clinical specialisiation following a period of internal medicine jobs. I therefore joined the basic and higher psychiatric schemes in the UK (Cambridge, Edinburgh, Fife and London) in order to fulfill my requirements as a general psychiatrist and as a specialist in addiction medicine. I was awarded my MRCPsych in 1994, FRCPsych in 2007 and FRCPE in 2016. Always interested in research and teaching I pursued a clinical academic career along side my basic medical and higher psychiatric training. I joined as a lecturer and senior lecturer with St George's Hospital Medical School in London and then with Ninewells Hospital Medical School in Dundee. I was awarded my MPhil in Psychiatry from the University of Edinburgh in 1996 and a PhD in Medicine from the University of Dundee in 2012.

I am a Executive Board Member and Chair for the training and education Committee and, recently, President Elect of the International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM) I am also founding member for the European Network for Training, Education and Research (ENTER)-Mental Health. Other positions include Associate Director for the Social Dimensions of Health Institute (SDHI), NHS Fife Research and Development (R&D) Director, and President for ISAMDundee2015 World Congress.

Last but certainly not least I am honoured to spend time with patients who need the best of clinical care and compassion which, I hope, makes a difference in their quality of life.

My hobbies are hill walking, swimming and gardening

PhD supervision

• Aldo Alberto Conti
• Beatrice Lydia Mwagomba

Selected publications

• Pharmacogenetics of opioid addiction: are they relevant to young people?

  Davey, F. & Baldacchino, A. M., 7 Jan 2020, Substance Misuse and Young People: Critical Issues. Crome, I. & Williams, R. (eds.). 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN: Routledge, p. 118-126

  Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding ? Chapter

• A roadmap for integrating neuroscience into addiction treatment: a consensus of the Neuroscience Interest Group of the International Society of Addiction Medicine

  Verdejo-Garcia, A., Lorenzetti, V., Manning, V., Piercy, H., Bruno, R., Hester, R., Pennington, D., Tolomeo, S., Arunogiri, S., Bates, M. E., Bowden-Jones, H., Campanella, S., Daughters, S. B., Kouimtsidis, C., Lubman, D. I., Meyerhoff, D. J., Ralph, A., Rezapour, T., Tavakoli, H., Zare-Bidoky, M., Zilverstand, A., Steele, D., Moeller, S. J., Paulus, M., Baldacchino, A. M. & Ekhtiari, H., 23 Dec 2019, In : Frontiers in Psychiatry. 10, p. 1-23 23 p., 877.

  Research output: Contribution to journal ? Review article

• Buprenorphine/naloxone and methadone opioid replacement therapy: a 2-year follow-up study and health economic analysis

  Kidd, B., Renwick, C., Parrott, S., Matthews, K. & Baldacchino, A. M., 3 Apr 2019, In : Journal of Addiction & Addictive Disorders. 6, 1, 9 p., 24.

  Research output: Contribution to journal ? Article

• Chronic tobacco smoking and neuropsychological impairments: a systematic review and meta-analysis

  Conti, A. A., McLean, L., Tolomeo, S., Steele, D. & Baldacchino, A. M., Jan 2019, In : Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. 96, p. 143-154 12 p.

  Research output: Contribution to journal ? Review article

• Cognitive consequences of opioid use

  Baldacchino, A. M., Steele, D., Davey, F. & Tolomeo, S., 21 Mar 2019, Cognition and Addiction: A Researcher?s Guide from Mechanisms towards Interventions: Section 2: COGNITIVE RISK FACTORS AND CONSEQUENCES OF SUBSTANCE AND BEHAVIORAL ADDICTIONS. Verdejo-Garcia, A. (ed.). 35 p.

  Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding ? Chapter

• Craving in opioid use disorder: from neurobiology to clinical practice

  Kakko, J., Alho, H., Baldacchino, A. M., Molina, R., Nava, F. A. & Shaya, G., 30 Aug 2019, In : Frontiers in Psychiatry. 10, 12 p., 592.

  Research output: Contribution to journal ? Review article

• Effects of opioid dependence on visuospatial memory and its associations with depression and anxiety

  Tolomeo, S., Davey, F., Steele, J. D. & Baldacchino, A. M., 23 Oct 2019, In : Frontiers in Psychiatry. 10, p. 1-8 8 p., 743.

  Research output: Contribution to journal ? Article

• Is (poly-) substance use associated with impaired inhibitory control? A mega-analysis controlling for confounders

  Liu, Y., van den Wildenberg, W. P. M., de Graaf, Y., Ames, S. L., Baldacchino, A., Bø, R., Cadaveira, F., Campanella, S., Christiansen, P., Claus, E. D., Colzato, L. S., Filbey, F. M., Foxe, J. J., Garavan, H., Hendershot, C. S., Hester, R., Jester, J. M., Karoly, H. C., Kräplin, A., Kreusch, F., Landrø, N. I., Littel, M., Steins-Löber, S., London, E. D., López-Caneda, E., Lubman, D. I., Luijten, M., Marczinski, C. A., Metrik, J., Montgomery, C., Papachristou, H., Park, S. M., Paz, A. L., Petit, G., Prisciandaro, J. J., Quednow, B. B., Ray, L. A., Roberts, C. A., Roberts, G. M. P., de Ruiter, M. B., Rupp, C. I., Steele, V. R., Sun, D., Takagi, M., Tapert, S. F., van Holst, R. J., Verdejo-Garcia, A., Vonmoos, M., Wojnar, M., Yao, Y., Yücel, M., Zack, M., Zucker, R. A., Huizenga, H. M. & Wiers, R. W., Oct 2019, In : Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. 105, p. 288-304

  Research output: Contribution to journal ? Article

• Neurocognitive consequences of chronic cannabis use: a systematic review and meta-analysis

  Figureiredo, P., Tolomeo, S., Steele, D. & Baldacchino, A. M., 9 Nov 2019, In : Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. In press

  Research output: Contribution to journal ? Article

• Profiles of visuospatial memory dysfunction in opioid exposed and dependent populations

  Baldacchino, A., Tolomeo, S., Balfour, D. & Matthews, K., May 2019, In : Psychological Medicine. 49, 7, p. 1174-1184 27 p.

  Research output: Contribution to journal ? Article

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