Professor Fabrizio Schifano; MD, FRCPsych, Dip Psychiatry, Dip Clin Pharmacology

Current commitments
Chair in Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics; Head of the ‘Psychopharmacology, Drugs of Misuse and Novel Psychoactive Substances’ research Unit School of Clinical and Phramaceutical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire (UK)
European Medicines Agency (EMA); Member of the Specialist Advisory Group (Psychiatry)

Consultant Psychiatrist; Addictions (CGL Drug and Alcohol Hertfordshire Recovery Services; UK)
Hon Consultant Psychiatrist (Camden and Islington NHS Trust, London, UK)

Contributions to knowledge
I am one of the very few physicians in Europe with training and specialist qualifications in both psychiatry and clinical pharmacology. Outstanding contribution has been made to several areas, including: Novel psychoactive substances/NPS; Internet and drugs. These are new areas of research and I have been the Principal Investigator of 6 consecutive EU Commission-funded, multi-centre (i.e.: 12 EU countries), NPS-based, research programme (since 2002).

Awards:
June 2006: ‘START’ prize; given by the Italian Cabinet Ministers’ Presidency for my addiction research;
April 2009-ongoing: Bronze Award (9 national points) from the Clinical Excellence Awards NHS Consultants’ scheme
October 2013: European Commission/EC; European Health Award to the ReDNet (Schifano as PI) for best EC-funded project
June 2015: University of Hertfordshire ‘Excellence in Research’ category winner

In summary
All through my specialist training in Psychiatry and Clinical Pharmacology I focussed my interest on the understanding of issues related to both use and misuse of psychotropic drugs and psychiatric comorbidities. I believe that I made substantial contribution to knowledge in the clinical psychopharmacology/addiction field both in the UK and in Europe.