In recent years Brendan’s involvement in various projects, including consultancies for the World Health Organization, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Save the Children and United Nations Children’s Fund, has facilitated the expansion of his professional interests to areas such as HIV, viral hepatitis and gender-based violence. For example, in early 2015, Brendan assisted in designing baseline research to evaluate an intervention for increasing HIV testing and treatment uptake among marginalized, at-risk youth in Bandung, Indonesia, including men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, female sex workers and transgender individuals. He continues to collaborate on diverse projects with Australian and international researchers.
The incidence of methamphetamine-related harms affecting Australian individuals, families and communities continues to rise. In consideration of this, Brendan will travel to the United States to learn from, and work alongside, Dr Stephen Shoptaw, a world-renowned researcher of methamphetamine and other substance use issues. Dr Shoptaw’s team at the Center for Behavioral & Addiction Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, is conducting innovative research on methamphetamine, including novel prevention and treatment responses, unlike any current studies in Australia. The experience will augment Brendan’s knowledge, skills and experience of researching drug and alcohol issues and countering related harms, to inform necessary translational studies and evidence-based policy and preventative measures for defining and appropriately addressing the significant issue of methamphetamine use in Australia.