Addiction Neuroscience: Interpretation and Implications for public policy, legal practice, ethics, treatment, and user identity and belief in self-efficacy

Where: MGSM, 99 Talavera Road, Macquarie Park  NSW  2113, Room 101
When: Monday 23 July: 10.00 – 4.00
How to join: attendance is free, if you register by sending an email to anke.snoek@mq.edu.au

Conference outline
A central focus of the workshop will be Adrian Carter and Wayne Hall’s new book Addiction Neuroethics: The Promises and Perils of Neuroscience Research on Addiction (Cambridge University Press 2012). The book examines the social, ethical and public policy issues raised by neuroscience research and its potential applications in the treatment and prevention of addiction and the formulation of social policies towards drug use.

Commentors on the book will be Nita Farahany (Professor of Law and Philosophy, Vanderbilt Law School), Antony Duff (Professor of Criminal Law, University of Stirling and University of Minnesota), and Neil Levy (Deputy Director, Oxford Centre for Neuroethics; Head of Neuroethics, Florey Neuroscience Institutes, University of Melbourne).

After lunch, a panel of experts from a range of fields (policy, treatment, users associations) will discuss perspectives on the issues as raised from their own practice and experience. Panel members include among others: David McGrath (NSW Health Mental Health and Drug & Alcohol Office), Nicky Bath (NUAA), Jon Currie(ANCD/SVHM), Bernard Balleine (neuroscientist at Sydney University) and Andrew Baillie (psychologist at Macquarie University).

Further insight into the issues raised will also be provided by a sneak preview of some preliminary findings from our own team’s ARC-funded empirical research on substance dependence, identity and moral agency. (http://www.radar.org.au/viewproject.aspx?projectid=1844&index=0&search=yes)

Also interesting
You might also be interested in the “neurolaw” stream at the Australian Society of Legal Philosophy (ASLP) conference hosted at Macquarie University from 20th-22nd July: http://aslp.eventbrite.com/