The OAD Clinic
Professor Paul Griffiths
Professor Paul Griffiths is an expert contributor sharing his research insights and expertise with The OAD Clinic which relates to his publications on drug addiction. Professor Griffiths has been Director of the National Drug Research Institute (NDRI) in Perth, Australia, since February 2025. With almost 40 years of experience in the fields of drug addiction and alcohol addiction research, policy and public health, he is internationally recognised for his contributions to addiction science and evidence-based drug policy.
​Professor Griffiths built an extensive career across leading national and international organisations. Prior to 1999, he worked at the National Addiction Centre (NAC) in London, where his academic research focused on drug addiction related risk behaviours. During this period, he also represented the UK on the Council of Europe's Pompidou Group Expert Committee on Drug Epidemiology and contributed to European Union capacity-building initiatives supporting countries preparing for EU membership.
​In 1999, Professor Griffiths joined the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna, where he was responsible for developing a global programme to strengthen international capacity in drug monitoring and policy.
​He moved to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) in 2002 as Head of the Epidemiology Unit before being appointed Scientific Director in 2005. In this role, he oversaw the agency's scientific strategy and led the scientific development required for the transition to the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA), which officially launched in 2024.
​Professor Griffiths has also played a significant role within the European Union Agencies Network for Scientific Advice (EU-ANSA), serving as an active member and, until recently, chairing the network's Foresight and Future Studies Cluster.
​In recognition of his leadership within the addiction field, he received the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA, USA) International Award for Excellence in Leadership in 2012.
​Beyond his organisational leadership, Professor Griffiths has made substantial contributions to the international drug addiction community. He has co-chaired the programme committee for every edition of the Lisbon Addictions Conference and was instrumental in establishing the conference as one of the sector's leading international events. Since 2013, he has also held an Honorary Senior Lectureship in Addictions within the Department of Psychiatry at King's College London.
