Welcome

Welcome to IDEAS in Addiction Medicine, a multi-disciplinary innovation hub that draws on expertise and resources across the University of St Andrews and connects with partners from the NHS, local government, academia, industry, funding and philanthropy across the UK and globally.

We are a dynamic centre dedicated to tackling addiction-related harms by integrating cutting-edge research with practical, real-world solutions. Our approach is built on deep community engagement, bringing together a diverse partnership of clinicians, researchers, and individuals with lived experience. By fostering these collaborations, we identify crucial gaps in knowledge and develop effective, evidence-informed programmes that deliver meaningful societal impact.

Our unique strength lies in our ‘twin engines of innovation’. This approach is powered by a multidisciplinary team with expertise spanning neuroscience, systems thinking, and digital transformation. The first engine, Research Excellence, generates rigorous evidence. The second, Innovation Methods, acts as a catalyst to translate those findings into actionable, sustainable solutions. This is not a linear process but a continuous feedback loop: research informs action, and real-world implementation inspires new research questions, ensuring our work is always co-created around real community needs.