CAPR Annual Report 2020
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ANNUAL REPORT 2020 CAPR Contents About us 3 Director’s message 4 Stakeholder messages 6 Advisory committee 7 Staff 8 Honorary appointments 10 Farewell Michael Livingston 11 Highlights 12 Research highlights 14 FARE 26 International collaborators 30 Informing policy 32 PhD students 34 Contributions 38 Visitors to CAPR 42 Team culture 44 Conferences 45 Media 47 Funding details 50 Research projects 52 Publications 54 2 Annual Report 2020 The Centre for Alcohol Policy Research (CAPR) is a world-class academic unit at the forefront About us of alcohol research. Our discoveries are used to promote and inform the development of evidence-based, effective alcohol policy in Australia and internationally. We work closely with the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) and other partners to ensure our findings are translated for policymakers and the public. Contents Our aim About us 3 We aim to conduct world-leading alcohol research, in Director’s message 4 order to build and disseminate the evidence needed Stakeholder messages 6 for effective public health-oriented alcohol policies. Advisory committee 7 Staff 8 To achieve our aim, we conduct research in three Honorary appointments 10 broad areas: Farewell Michael Livingston 11 Highlights 12 • Monitoring, which includes consumption Research highlights 14 trends, international comparisons, harms from FARE 26 alcohol, costs and method development. International collaborators 30 Informing policy 32 • Intervention opportunities covering taxation, PhD students 34 trade agreements, liquor outlets, policy changes, and Contributions 38 effects on behaviours. Visitors to CAPR 42 Team culture 44 • Contexts such as the home, events, cognitions Conferences 45 and cultures. Media 47 Funding details 50 Research projects 52 Publications 54 3 CAPR MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR EMMANUEL KUNTSCHE of the Kettil Bruun Society for Social Benjamin Riordan also joined us in and Epidemiological Research on September as a Postdoctoral Research Alcohol (KBS), the principal international Fellow. Prior to CAPR, Ben completed organisation in our field. his PhD at the University of Otago, his Fulbright Fellowship at Brown University, This year we said farewell to researchers and his first postdoctoral position who have made a significant contribution at the University of Sydney. Rowan to the team and CAPR as a whole. CAPR’s Dowling also joined us in September as Deputy Director Michael Livingston has a graduate researcher, undertaking his been with CAPR since its inception in PhD with CAPR under the supervision 2006 and played an important part in its of Heng (Jason) Jiang and Anne- move to and integration with La Trobe Marie Laslett. It was also lovely to University. Michael has earned a global have Lars Sjödin from Karolinska reputation as a leading scholar in alcohol Institutet, Sweden spend time with us in policy research as evidenced by his nearly Melbourne at the beginning of the year 10,000 citations of his work. His career prior to lockdown. trajectory provides an outstanding model While 2020 was a year that no one could for early-career scholars in the field, Florian Labhart successfully passed have anticipated, CAPR continued to thrive, including so many of his colleagues at his PhD this year, entitled ‘Context is as demonstrated by the achievements listed CAPR. I am incredibly grateful to Michael Everything: Using a Smartphone App in this report. I am grateful to the entire team for his contribution to the field, his to Capture Young People’s Drinking for their ability to adapt and indeed flourish collegiality, his humour and his support. Behaviours, Cognitions, Environments, through one of the most challenging years we and Consequences’. I am proud that I have ever faced. Cassandra Wright spent two and a half have been Florian’s supervisor, mentor years at CAPR as a National Health and CAPR researchers were successful in significant and colleague on so many important Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grants this year including Anne-Marie Laslett, projects in his role as research officer at Early Career Research Fellow. During Robin Room, Sandra Kuntsche, Heng (Jason) Addiction Switzerland in Lausanne and her fellowship, Cassandra worked on Jiang and Robyn Dwyer who were successful in at the Idiap Computer Science Institute the Ripple project aimed at reducing their Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage in Martigny and as a PhD student alcohol consumption in middle-aged application on ‘Alcohol’s harm to others: of Utrecht University and La Trobe women; assessing alcohol consumption Patterns, costs, disparities and precipitants’. University. Thinking about all the things under COVID-19; and sports and alcohol The Linkage Project is valued at $A1,244,000 we have done together, I am convinced consumption. Cassandra has moved to including a contribution of $A502,541 from the that I have learned as much from Florian Darwin for a role at the Menzies School of ARC. Sandra, myself and Cassandra Wright were as he has from me. Health Research. also awarded an ARC Discovery Project grant valued at $A268,184 on ‘Mothers’ little helper: I know Michael and Cassandra both Alcohol use in working mothers’. I would also have very bright futures ahead of them like to personally congratulate Heng on his and I wish them well. Both will remain promotion this year to Senior Research Fellow. connected to CAPR as Honorary Research Fellows. Our staff and students have an impressive record of publications and conference In 2020, we welcomed four new members presentations, including 76 journal articles, two of the CAPR team. Susanne Newton, book chapters, five policy submissions and 11 our new Communications Officer and reports. Even with travel restrictions limiting Knowledge Broker, came on board in our ability to attend conferences in person, January after three years at another La CAPR still managed to present at conferences Trobe University research centre. Tristan and seminars virtually. Duncan joined us as a Research Officer in September, having just completed his PhD I am particularly proud of our international with Griffith University, to work closely collaborations, with Anne-Marie Laslett and with Robyn Dwyer on her ARC Linkage Sandra Kuntsche holding the positions of Project assessing drinking cultures among president and secretary nurses and lawyers. Florian Labhart (left) with Emmanuel at Lake Geneva, Swiss Alps 4 Annual Report 2020 Another highlight of 2020 was appearing In 2020, CAPR hosted two ‘Meet the CAPR is a team effort. What makes the on ABC television nationally with Megan Experts’ online forums, both featuring centre so successful is the dedication Cook as part of Shaun Micallef’s, ‘On the CAPR researchers, guest experts and MC and contribution of everyone involved. Sauce’ program. I was pleased to advise Rob Moodie, who chairs CAPR’s Advisory In addition to the staff’s hard work, we Shaun on alcohol consumption as he Committee. are lucky to have the guidance of the lay on a psychologist’s couch in all three Advisory Committee members, led by The first panel, which featured Megan, episodes, with Megan wrapping up distinguished figure in public health, Rob Michael Livingston and myself from CAPR the final episode showing Shaun how Moodie, as well as the support of the and Caterina Giorgi, the CEO of FARE, pre-schoolers know a surprising amount School of Psychology and Public Health (in extended the conversations sparked by about alcohol and its effects on the adults particular Jacquie Burnheim and Stephen the ABC ‘On the Sauce’ documentary. in their lives. Kent) and La Trobe University. Over 100 public health professionals Sarah Callinan was interviewed on 3AW and members of the public from across After spending most of 2020 working breakfast radio and the Seven Network’s Australia joined the online event and from home, the team is looking forward to The Morning Show about CAPR’s research participated in an interactive discussion returning to our dedicated NR1 building on drinking under lockdown, where Sarah about what children know about drinking, at the North of the La Trobe campus near and team found some people drank more awareness of harms from drinking, Fetal the wildlife sanctuary in the new year. This alcohol but for a larger proportion of Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and will be particularly important for the three people, alcohol consumption fell. Heng much more. new staff members who have started at (Jason) Jiang also received significant CAPR in the last few months but have The second event, ‘Wine mums: Moral media coverage in 2020 for his work never stepped inside the building! panic or real risk?’, brought together on minimum unit pricing on alcohol, Sandra Kuntsche and Cassandra Wright In 2021, CAPR will continue to focus on interviewed on ABC Drive radio by Sami from CAPR and Shanna Whan, the founder fostering the next generation of alcohol Shah and Channel Seven in Cairns. Amy of Sober in the Country, with 60 attendees researchers and we look forward to Pennay appeared on 3AW radio with Tom tuning in from across Australia. welcoming two new research officers and Elliot on Dry July and was interviewed for five new PhD students to the team. Triple J’s Hack program on the decline in I would like to thank FARE and all our young people’s drinking. partners and collaborators for their support this year, with a particular thank you to outgoing FARE CEO Michael Thorn and a big welcome to incoming CEO of FARE Caterina Giorgi. 5 CAPR MESSAGES FROM KEY STAKEHOLDERS I am pleased to commend CAPR on La Trobe University has launched a another successful year at La Trobe new strategic plan (Strategic Plan University. CAPR’s contribution to 2020-2030), with a research focus the field of alcohol policy continues that states, “Our goal is to undertake to go from strength to strength high-quality research emerging from through high-quality publications in our areas of strength and to bring international scientific journals, great together discovery, applied and success with ARC grants and fostering translational research capability across links with academics and the broader the University to address important public health sector locally, nationally global problems.