Confirmed speakers and sessions

The SSA’s Annual Conference is the UK’s foremost gathering of addiction researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and experts by experience. Read about the confirmed speakers and sessions for the 2025 conference, and book your ticket now to benefit from early-bird savings.

1. Keynote speaker

Professor Trevor Williams Robbins, will deliver the 2025 Society Lecture on ‘The neural and psychological basis of compulsive drug-seeking’. Trevor is Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, former Head of the Department of Psychology at the University of Cambridge, and one of the most cited neuroscientists in the world.

2. Symposia organised by members and associates

Reducing alcohol and substance use harms during pregnancy and motherhood

Substance use, including alcohol consumption, is a gendered behaviour and there are common life stages when women’s substance use – at clinical and subthreshold levels – is associated with unique and increased risk of harms. This symposium will present new evidence on substance use during pregnancy and the first five years of motherhood. It will: report on treatments and interventions tailored to reduce substance-related harms in this population, and barriers that women face in accessing appropriate support; outline what is needed to improve substance-related support and services for women during pregnancy and motherhood; and emphasise how we can reduce harm in a compassionate and non-stigmatising way.

The importance of frequent national monitoring of addictive behaviours: Evaluating the impact of societal events, policy changes, and new products

Smoking and drinking alcohol both contribute significantly to mortality and morbidity. The Smoking Toolkit and Alcohol Toolkit Studies are monthly cross-sectional household surveys of representative samples of adults in Great Britain. Three talks will show examples of the value of frequent national surveillance in understanding and rapidly responding to societal events, policy changes, and new products that affect addictive behaviours.

Alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks: Key questions for public health

Sales of alcohol-free and low-alcohol (no/lo) drinks are increasing rapidly in the UK and in most other high-income countries. This symposium aims to showcase key findings from the largest study internationally on the public health impact of no/lo drinks. It will focus on three areas: first, the impact of increased sales of no/lo drinks on sales of standard alcoholic drinks; second, whether and how people trying to reduce their alcohol consumption or recover from alcohol dependence incorporate no/lo drinks into their drinking and non-drinking practices; and third, how advertising of no/lo drinks supports different potential public health outcomes for these products.

3. Special sessions

Behavioural addictions plenary

More information to follow

Integrating substance use treatment into acute hospital settings

More information to follow

UK progress with the World Health Organization goal to eliminate hepatitis C

More information to follow