27 April 2026
INHSU is fortunate to have a strong network of past Board Members who are internationally recognised leaders in the health and wellbeing of people who use drugs, spanning research, clinical practice, and policy. We asked some of our Board Alumni to identify research from 2025 that they feel has had the greatest impact.
This curated bibliography brings together papers on advancing hepatitis C elimination, HIV care, improving OAT, and health equity. It reflects informed, real-world judgement shaped by experience across the field.
Philip Bruggmann
Global, regional, and national estimates of hepatitis C virus incidence among people who inject drugs and progress toward WHO elimination targets: A multi‑stage analysis. Artenie, A., et al. (2025). The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology.
Provides robust global and regional estimates of HCV incidence among people who inject drugs (PWID), directly linking epidemiological trends to progress toward WHO elimination targets. Offers a strong evidence base for policy development, planning, and micro‑elimination strategies.
Hospital Addiction Consultation Service and opioid use disorder treatment: The START randomised clinical trial. Ober, A. J., et al. (2025).JAMA Internal Medicine.
A pragmatic, multi‑site randomised controlled trial demonstrating that hospital‑based addiction consultation services significantly improve initiation of opioid agonist treatment (OAT) and linkage to ongoing care after discharge. Highly relevant at the intersection of inpatient and outpatient care for people who inject drugs.
Seun Falade‑Nwulia
Peer‑assisted telemedicine for hepatitis C in people who use drugs: A randomised controlled trial. Seaman, A., et al. (2025), Clinical Infectious Diseases
Demonstrates the effectiveness of a peer‑enabled telehealth model in addressing rural access barriers to HCV care, improving navigation and treatment initiation.
Integrating HIV and stimulant‑use disorder treatment: A pilot implementation‑effectiveness trial of contingency management in HIV care. Appa, A., et al. (2026).Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Shows feasibility and acceptability of integrating contingency management—an evidence‑based intervention for substance use disorders—into routine HIV care settings.
Matt Hickman
Impact and cost‑effectiveness of scaling up HCV testing and treatment strategies for achieving elimination among people who inject drugs in England: A mathematical modelling study. Hickman, M., et al. (2024/2025), The Lancet Regional Health – Europe.
Uses public health surveillance data to model HCV incidence trends, providing strong empirical evidence for treatment‑as‑prevention. Demonstrates that community‑based scale‑up of HCV treatment among PWID is highly cost‑effective and potentially cost‑saving.
The natural history of DSM‑5 alcohol‑use disorder from late adolescence to middle adulthood in Australia: A prospective cohort study. Vassallo, A., et al. (2025), The Lancet Public Health.
Highlights the importance of long‑term natural history studies and shows that many individuals remit from alcohol use disorder—an insight often missed in cross‑sectional surveys and critical for public health planning.
Greg Dore
Trends in cause‑specific mortality among people with hepatitis C virus in New South Wales, Australia. Tillakeratne, S., et al. (2025), International Journal of Drug Policy, 139, 104790.
Population‑level data linkage study (2002–2021) demonstrating declines in both liver‑related and drug‑related mortality during the HCV elimination era, suggesting direct and indirect benefits of DAA therapy.
Monitoring hepatitis C elimination among people who inject drugs: A broader approach is required. Dore, G. J. (2025), International Journal of Drug Policy, 137, 104712.
Editorial calling for expanded elimination indicators beyond virology, including drug‑related harm, excess mortality, stigma, and discrimination.
Erika Castro Bataenjer
Characteristics and comorbidities of patients on opioid agonist therapy in Switzerland: A descriptive analysis of the nationwide SAMMSU cohort. Castro Bataenjer, E., et al. (2026), Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports
Ten‑year follow‑up of a national cohort of people receiving opioid agonist therapy, offering rare insights into comorbidities and health priorities among ageing populations of people who use drugs.
Healthcare challenges and interventions in pre‑trial detention centres in Venezuela. Castro Bataenjer, E., et al. (2024), Poster presentation, IAS Conference 2024
Summarises infectious disease surveillance and intervention outcomes in Venezuelan pre‑trial detention centres (2021–2023), showcasing an NGO‑led care model operating under severe political and public health constraints.
