Professor Norbert Scherbaum is the Director of the Department of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine as well as of the Department for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the LVR-Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen.

His research focuses in the field of opiate dependence include evaluation of opiate detoxification treatments, novel interventions, the assessment and treatment of comorbid disorders and diseases, improvement of opioid maintenance treatment, and evaluation of drug consumption rooms.

He participated in several EU-funded projects regarding New Psychoactive Substances, e.g. PSYCHONAUT, ReDNet and EU-MADNESS. He also is a member of the Committee for Drugs and Narcotics (Ausschuss für Betäubungsmittel) at the Federal Ministry of Health (Bundesministerium für Gesundheit) and of the Committee for Addiction and Drugs (Ausschuss für Sucht und Drogen) at the German Medical Association (Bundesärztekammer)