Research areas
My main research interest lies in improving the lives of individuals with a history of substance misuse problems. My research portofolios have a common thread of understanding the comorbid conditions (physical and psychological) arising as a result of chronic abuse of pharmacological agents with dependence potential especially opioids and alcohol. I am interested in utilising informatic systems, clinical outcome data, neuropsychological and neuroimaging processes amongst many other possibilities in order to identify and minimise risks present in this patient population
I graduated as a doctor in Malta in 1987 gaining my MD in the process. I eventually decided to study psychiatry as my clinical specialisation following a period of internal medicine jobs. I therefore joined the basic and higher psychiatric schemes in the UK (Cambridge, Edinburgh, Fife and London) in order to fulfil my requirements as a general psychiatrist and as a specialist in addiction medicine. I was awarded my MRCPsych in 1994, FRCPsych in 2007 and FRCPE in 2016. Always interested in research and teaching I pursued a clinical academic career along side my basic medical and higher psychiatric training. I joined as a lecturer and senior lecturer with St George's Hospital Medical School in London and then with Ninewells Hospital Medical School in Dundee. I was awarded my MPhil in Psychiatry from the University of Edinburgh in 1996 and a PhD in Medicine from the University of Dundee in 2012.
Currently I am chair for the World Psychiatrc Association (WPA) Addiction Psychiatry Section and Past Immediate President and Distinguished Fellow of the International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM) I am also founding member for the European Network for Training, Education and Research (ENTER)-Mental Health. Other previous positions include Associate Director for the Social Dimensions of Health Institute (SDHI), NHS Fife Research and Development (R&D) Director, Clinical Director in Addiction Medicine with NHS Fife and President for ISAMDundee2015 World Congress.
Last but certainly not least I am honoured to have spent 40 years of my professional time with patients who needed the best of clinical care and compassion which, I hope I made a difference in their and their families' quality of life.
My hobbies include hill walking, swimming and gardening
PhD supervision
- Sophie Given
- Nina MacKenzie
- Joe Schofield
Selected publications
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Open access
Baldacchino, A., Schofield, J. & Mitka, G., 8 May 2026, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Current Opinion in Psychiatry. Ahead of Print
Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
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Open access
Schofield, J., Baldacchino, A. M., Ambekar, A., Anaba, H., Butner, J., Day, N., Ekhtiari, H., Elomari, F., Ferri, M., Kokkolis, K., Kouimtsidis, C., Levola, J., Long, J., Martell, D., Parker, D. G., Rahimi-Movaghar, A., Siste, K., Steiger, S., Zonoozi, A. K. & Tay Wee Teck, J., 21 Jan 2026, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare. OnlineFirst, p. 1-11 11 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Khojasteh Zonoozi, A., Schofield, J., Abolghasemi, F. S., Achab, S., Ambekar, A., Bowden-Jones, H., Demetrovics, Z., Ebrahimi, M., Fineberg, N. A., Khazaal, Y., Lee, H. K., Siste, K., Stein, D. J., Wu, A. M. S., Zare-Bidoky, M., ISAM-GEN Societies' Experts, Potenza, M. N., Baldacchino, A. M. & Ekhtiari, H., 21 Feb 2026, In: Journal of Behavioral Addictions. Online First, p. 1-14 14 p., 2006.2025.00106.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Mitka, G., Petzinger, J., Schofield, J., Mackenzie, M., Dyson , S., Romenska, S., Halliday, R., Donnelly, P. & Baldacchino, A., 28 May 2026, 13 p.
Research output: Other contribution
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Open access
Gibson, M., Hemmati, Z., Conti, A., Dritschel, B. & Baldacchino, A., 19 Feb 2026, In: Frontiers in Psychiatry. 17, p. 1-24 24 p., 1715085.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Borghi, E. N., Tay Wee Teck, J., Roe, L., Zlatkute, G. & Baldacchino, A. M., 1 Mar 2026, In: International Journal of Social Psychiatry. 72, 2, p. 387-397 11 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Adams, T. J., Teck, J. T. W., Baldacchino, A. & Forget, P., Dec 2025, In: Health Policy and Technology. 14, 6, p. 1-7 7 p., 101072.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Williams, F., Kouimtsidis, C. & Baldacchino, A., 21 Sept 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: British Journal of Learning Disabilities. Early View, p. 1-10 10 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Amer, M., Gittins, R., Millana, A. M., Scheibein, F., Ferri, M., Tofighi, B., Sullivan, F., Handley, M., Ghosh, M., Baldacchino, A. & Tay Wee Teck, J., 28 Apr 2025, In: Journal of Medical Internet Research. 27, p. 1-15 15 p., e58723.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Schofield, J., Conti, A. A., Khan, F. & Baldacchino, A. M., 9 Aug 2025, In: European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. 10.1093/eurjpc/zwaf500.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review