Alison Joan Ritter is an Australian academic whose research focuses on illicit drug use and policy. As of 2021 she is a full professor and director of the Drug Policy Modelling Program at the

University of New South Wales The University of New South Wales (UNSW), also known as UNSW Sydney, is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the founding members of Group of Eight, a coalition of Australian research-intensive ...

Career

Ritter graduated from the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...

in 1988 with a Master of Arts. Her thesis was titled "Coping and relapse in opiate users". She subsequently was awarded a PhD by the same university in 1998 for her thesis, "The influence of neuropsychological status on response to treatment for alcohol dependence: Coping skills, clinician ratings, self-efficacy and therapist characteristics". From 1987 to 1993 Ritter worked as a clinical psychologist with Victorian Alcohol and Drug Services, before joining the Victorian Department of Human Services as a senior policy officer. From there she was appointed deputy director (1994–2005) of Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre in Melbourne. She then moved to Sydney where she has worked as associate professor (2006–2011) then professor (2011–) in the Drug Policy Modelling Program (DPMP) at the

(UNSW). She also served as acting director (2009–2011) and Deputy Director (2013–2018) of the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at UNSW. While at the DPMP, Ritter has contributed to government policy in areas such as the regulation of medicinal cannabis and has participated in reviewing the decriminalisation of personal drug use. She has served on a number of Australian and international boards, including as president of the Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol & Drugs (2007–2011), vice president of the Alcohol and Drug Council of Australia (2011–2019) and president of the International Society for the Study of Drug Policy (2011–2015). She has been a chief investigator in the

National Health and Medical Research Council The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is the main statutory authority of the Australian Government responsible for medical research. It was the eighth largest research funding body in the world in 2016, and NHMRC-funded rese ...

since 2000 and been a member of its grant review panel. As of 2021 she is editor in chief of the ''

International Journal of Drug Policy The ''International Journal of Drug Policy'' is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal covering drug policy with respect to both illegal and legal drugs. It was established in 1987 as the ''Mersey Drugs Journal'', and obtained its current name in ...

''.

Awards and recognition

Ritter was appointed an

Officer of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

in the

2020 Australia Day Honours The 2020 Australia Day Honours are appointments to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by Australian citizens. The list was announced on 26 January 2020 by the Governor General of Australia, David Hurley. The Australia ...

for "distinguished service to education, to drug and alcohol research and social policy, and to professional medical societies". She was elected a Fellow of the

Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia (ASSA) is an independent, non-governmental organisation devoted to the advancement of knowledge and research in the social sciences. It has its origins in the Social Science Research Council of Austr ...

in November 2021.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ritter, Alison Living people Year of birth missing (living people) University of Melbourne alumni University of New South Wales faculty Australian psychologists Officers of the Order of Australia Fellows of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia