Located within the Centre for Criminology at the University of South Wales, the Substance Use Research Group (SURG) was formed in 2019 to conduct high-quality research into the use of drugs and alcohol.
Led by Professor Katy Holloway, the group is made of academic researchers (including Emeritus Professor Trevor Bennett, Professor Ali Wardak, Professor Kate Williams, Dr Sophie Chambers, Dr Marian Buhociu and Sharmila Kumar) with expertise in current and emerging issues in substance use, such as: harm reduction interventions, drug production and supply, criminal justice responses, substance use among university students, ‘treatment-resistant’ heroin users, and the implementation of substance misuse policy.
SURG members enjoy strong collaborative relationships with a wide range of staff working in the substance misuse field in Wales. This includes academic colleagues in other institutions as well as professional colleagues working in Welsh Government, Public Health Wales and third sector organisations. SURG members provide research support and advice to the DIGDDAS consortium (Dyfodol, Iris, Gwent, Dyfed - Drug and Alcohol Service) and sit on Welsh Government’s National Implementation Board for Drug Poisoning Prevention. They are working alongside Kaleidoscope in supervising a KESS-funded PhD student (Sharmila Kumar) and collaborating with Barod in developing and evaluating a bespoke substance misuse information, advice and support service for university students.
In March 2021 SURG expanded by appointing two Visiting Professors: Dr Rhian Hills and Dr Jan Melichar. Rhian completed her PhD at USW and is now Senior Drug Policy Manager at the Welsh Government, while Jan is a Consultant Psychiatrist at the Community Addictions Unit in Cardiff.
The group has a lengthy track record of securing internal and external funding for substance misuse research from the Home Office, Ministry of Justice, Welsh Government, South Wales Police Crime and Commissioner, and from third sector treatment providers. Their research has generated a range of high quality publications including books, journal articles and official reports that have helped develop the evidence base on a range of substance use issues.
SURG members are currently engaged in a range of externally funded projects. These include studies investigating:
30-04-2024
30-01-2024
24-11-2023
23-03-2023
01-03-2023
Professor Katy Holloway's research focuses on illegal drugs. She has conducted studies that have investigated a wide range of drug-related issues including: drug use among arrestees, the causal connection between drug use and crime among prisoners, the effectiveness of drug treatment, the use of Take-Home Naloxone among opiate users, the implementation of the Welsh Substance Misuse Strategy, and the characteristics of opiate overdose events. The philosophy of harm reduction underpins Katy’s research and she is part of an Advisory Panel on Substance Misuse to investigate the potential benefits of introducing safer injecting facilities in Wales.
Professor Ali Wardak is Professor of Criminology and Vice President of the South Asian Society of Criminology and Victimology. His main interests focus on comparative criminology, the rule of law, and the relationships between state and non-state justice systems.
Dr Marian Buhociu is Lecturer in Criminology. His research interests include contemporary issues in drug misuse; new psychoactive substances and drug trafficking organisations.
Former substance misuse worker Sharmila Kumar is conducting her PhD research in partnership with Gwent Drug and Alcohol Service (GDAS).
Professor Kate Williams is Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice and Director of the Welsh Centre for Crime and Social Justice. Prof Williams worked
with Prof Katy Holloway on a Welsh Government substance-use related project which evaluated a substance
misuse outcome monitoring tool for children and young people.
Dr Sophie Chambers has conducted research on police governance in England and Wales, including the election of Police and Crime Commissioners, how community safety is performed in Wales (given policing is not devolved), and policing policy divergence and convergence. She is also interested in the politicisation of policing and the misuse of police powers.
Shannon Murray is a Research Assistant with SURG and a PhD student at Cardiff University where her research focuses on exploring young gay and bisexual men’s experiences of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in Wales.
Professor Jan K Melichar, BSc MB BS MD FRCPsych is an NHS Consultant Psychiatrist in Substance Misuse, and provides consultancy work to industry and commissioners. His research interests include lab-based research to understand what causes the significant benefit of Buvidal and the development of clinically fit-for-purpose, properly researched detoxification and trauma pathways, as well as wider work on further benefits in other patient groups.
Caroline Phipps
Visiting Fellow at USW
Martin Blakeborough
Visiting Fellow at USW
Jason Kew
Visiting Fellow at USW
Dr Tom May
Research Fellow at University College London
Andrew Misell
Alcohol Change UK’s Director for Wales
Dr Wulf Livingston
Reader in Social Science Glyndwr University
Dr James Morgan
London Metropolitan University
Andy Perkins
Director Figure 8 Consultancy Services
Rob Barker
Campaigns
and Communications Lead - Barod
Sian Chicken
Head Of Operations (Gwent) Kaleidoscope
Elwyn Thomas
Clinical Keyworker - GDAS
