An international network connecting experts to advance research, education, and innovation in addiction science
What is ISAM Global Expert Network (ISAM-GEN)?
ISAM-GEN is an initiative of ISAM designed to extend the boundaries of addiction medicine by connecting experts worldwide within a structured international network for expert elicitation. Its foundations date back to the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when an initial international survey was launched as a rapid response to gather reliable, real-time insights from experts on how the field was adapting to the crisis. Building on this early effort, ISAM-GEN evolved into a global expert infrastructure anchored within ISAM, with the aim of enabling valid and reliable expert elicitation, as well as consensus-building, across diverse sub-disciplines of addiction science.
What are ISAM-GEN’s Missions and Objectives?
- Advance high-quality, collaborative addiction research
- Promote addiction knowledge translation and innovation
- Foster cross-regional and cross-disciplinary collaboration
- Enable valid and reliable expert elicitation and consensus-building on emerging and complex issues
- Support early-career and emerging experts globally
ISAM-GEN Leadership:
Secreteriats:
Officers:
Steering Committee:
- Shalini Arunogiri (Monash University, Australia)
- Marica Ferri (EUDA, Portugal)
- Atul Ambekar (All India Institute of Medical Sciences, India)
- Sophia Achab (University of Geneva, Switzerland)
- Dario Gigena Parker (Ministerio de Salud de Córdoba, Argentina)
- Hamad Al Ghaferi (National Rehabilitation Center Abu Dhabi, UAE)
- Vladimir Poznyak (Switzerland)
- Susumu Higuchi (Kurihama Medical and Addiction Center, Japan)
- Christos Kouimtsidis (National Office for Addressing Drugs, Greece)
- Anja Busse (WHO)
- Cor de Jong (Radboud University, Netherlands)
- Afarin Rahimi-Movaghar (Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies, Iran)
- Geert Dom (University of Antwerp, Belgium)
- Susanna Galea Singer (St Andrews University, UK)
- Mustafa Al’Absi (University of Minnesota, USA)
- Min Zhao (Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, China)
- Kathleen Brady (Medical University of South Carolina, USA)
- Solomon Tshimong Rataemanea (University of Limpopo, South Africa)
- Goodman Sibeko (University of Cape Town, South Africa)
- Roshan Bhad (All India Institute of Medical Sciences, India)
Assistant Officers:
- Mohsen Ebrahimi (Data Analytics Officer)
- Arshiya Sangchooli (Data Analytics Officer)
- Aldo Alberto Conti (Data Analytics Officer)
- Ali Fathi Jouzdani (Data Analytics Officer)
- Mehran Zare-Bidoky (Data Analytics Officer)
- Ahmad Danesh (Data Analytics Officer)
- Hossein Mohaddes Ardabili (Publication & Dissemination Officer)
- Preethy Kathiresan (Publication & Dissemination Officer)
Technical Support:
- Marilyn Dorozio (ISAM Office, Canada)
Why Is a Global Expert Network Needed in Addiction Science?
Expert opinion is a vital source of evidence in addiction science, particularly when empirical data are limited, the issues under consideration are complex, or rapid synthesis is required to inform timely interventions and policy responses. The evolving and multifaceted nature of substance use disorders and behavioral addictions underscores the need for global networks capable of identifying emerging challenges, integrating cross-national perspectives, and generating informed consensus in areas of uncertainty or disagreement.
In this context, and in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, an ISAM working group conducted a global survey in 2020 involving 185 experts in addiction science from 77 countries to assess changes in addiction patterns and national service provision. The strong engagement and informative outcomes of this initiative demonstrated the value of sustained international collaboration and led ISAM to establish a permanent global expert network.
The ISAM Global Expert Network (ISAM-GEN) builds on this foundation by developing a structured, ISAM-anchored global infrastructure that enables valid and reliable expert elicitation and consensus-building across the diverse sub-disciplines of addiction science.
ISAM-GEN Published Protocol Paper
Further details on the structure, governance, and procedures of ISAM-GEN are available in the network’s protocol paper, published in Frontiers in Psychiatry.
You can access the article here:
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1230318/abstract
How Is ISAM-GEN Growing Around the World?
Since early 2023, ISAM-GEN has steadily expanded as a global platform for collaboration among addiction experts. In 2023, the network included 354 experts from 76 countries. By 2024, this number had grown to 443 experts from 102 countries, and as of the end of 2025, ISAM-GEN comprises 514 experts from 110 countries worldwide.
The growth of the network is illustrated in three world maps below showing the distribution of experts across 2023-2025. Complementing this, the expert recruitment diagram depicts the structured process of invitations, selection, and onboarding, demonstrating how ISAM-GEN has expanded systematically while ensuring diverse and balanced representation across regions and sub-disciplines.
Beyond individual members, ISAM-GEN maintains a database of over 50 national addiction medicine societies, further strengthening its international reach.
Looking ahead, the network aims to expand by connecting treatment centers and addiction facilities worldwide, fostering collaborative research, knowledge exchange, and the translation of evidence into practice.
How Can You Join ISAM-GEN?
We welcome experts in addiction science from around the world to become part of ISAM-GEN. If you are interested in contributing to a global network that fosters collaboration, knowledge exchange, and consensus-building, please fill out our membership application form below:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe9WmWvkiPzs97GrsRKFNBdNnGpe0-sWDzY06yLllFosBocgw/viewform
What Are the Currently Running Projects Within ISAM-GEN?
ISAM-GEN currently hosts six active working groups, each focused on developing global surveys to explore a variety of topics, including comorbid psychiatric disorders, emerging addictive behaviors, and novel therapeutic approaches for patients with substance use disorders.
1. Problematic Use of Internet (PUI) Working Group
Established in October 2023, this group aims to capture global perspectives on Problematic Use of Internet (PUI). It is conducting a systematic review and a global survey, which covers PUI case scenarios; societal and organizational impact of PUI; country-level health responses; and severity assessment of distinct PUI domains (shopping, gaming, gambling, pornography, social media). The survey was distributed to ISAM-GEN societies and organizations, with data collected from mid-2024 to the end of 2024. Both the systematic review and the global survey are now under review. A preprint for the survey is available here: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.20.25327972v1
Co-Chairs: Alex Baldacchino (UK), Hamed Ekhtiari (USA)
Steering Committee: Marc Potenza (USA), Zsolt Demetrovics (Hungary), Sophia Achab (Switzerland), Arash Khojasteh Zonoozi (Iran), Joe Schofield (UK), Yasser Khazaal (Switzerland), Henrietta Bowden-Jones (UK), Dan Stein (South Africa), Naomi Fineberg (UK), Hae Kook Lee (South Korea), Kristiana Siste (Indonesia), Anise Wu (Macau)
2. Telemedicine for Medication-Assisted Treatment (TMOUD) Working Group
Formed in late 2023, this group develops international consensus on using telemedicine to deliver medication for opioid use disorder. The survey was completed by early 2025 and accepted for publication in Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare. Preprint available here: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5252672
Co-Chairs: Joseph Tay Wee Teck (UK, USA), Alex Baldacchino (UK), Joe Schofield (UK)
Steering Committee: Nathaniel Day (Canada), Dave Martell (Canada), Jiang Long (China), Anje Buse (Austria, WHO), Marica Ferri (Portugal, EUDA), Christos Kouimtsidis (UK), Brian Hurley (USA), Scott Staiger (USA), Afarin Rahimi-Movaghar (Iran), Atul Ambekar (India), Dan Lubman (Australia), Michael Bisch (France), Fatima Elomari (Morocco), Kristiana Siste (Indonesia), Honest Anaba (Nigeria), Hamed Ekhtiari (USA), Jonna Levola (Finland), Tessa Parkes (UK), Dario Gigena Parker (Argentina)
3. SUD-Psychosis (Dual Disorders) Working Group
Formed in 2023 to assess practices for diagnosing and treating psychotic disorders associated with substance use. Survey launched in mid-2025; results to be published soon. Ethical approval obtained from University of British Columbia (UBC).
Co-Chairs: Christian Schuetz (Canada), Marta Torrens (Spain)
Steering Committee: Linda Montanari (EUDA), Edyta Truszkowska (Ireland), Geert Dom (Belgium), Christos Kouimtsidis (Greece, UK), Shalini Arunogiri (Australia), Atul Ambekar (India), Dan Stein (South Africa), Jonna Levola (Finland), Ali Farhoudian (Iran), Dario Gigena (Argentina), Bernard LeFoll (Canada), Xiaojun Ziang (China), Mitsuru Kimura (Japan), Afzal Javed (Pakistan, UK, WPA)
4. SUD-PTSD Working Group
Established in 2023 to investigate assessment, treatment, and awareness of PTSD in individuals with substance use disorder. The survey includes six sections covering clinician demographics, trauma screening and assessment, familiarity with treatments, and country-specific service availability. Data collection occurred in late 2024–early 2025; results will be published soon.
Co-Chairs: Carol Weiss (USA), Shalini Arunogiri (Australia)
Steering Committee: Giedre Zlatkute (UK), Vanessa Cobham (Australia), Leanne Hides (Australia), Kathleen Brady (USA), Denise Hien (USA), Antonia Luond (Germany), Shelly Greenfield (USA), Fatima Elomari (Morocco), Olena Zhabenko (Ukraine), Tomohiro Shirasaka (Japan), Maree Teesson (Australia), Katherine Mills (Australia), Sudie Back (USA)
5. Opioid Use Disorder Treatments Working Group
Formed in mid-2025 to gather global perspectives on treatment approaches for opioid use disorder, with a focus on initiation methods for Buprenorphine. Survey development is ongoing.
Co-Chairs: Arnt Schellekens (The Netherlands), Stijn Veldman (The Netherlands)
Steering Committee: Niki Lijftogt (The Netherlands), Honest Anaba (Nigeria, USA), Thomas Knuijver (The Netherlands), Christos Kouimtsidis (UK), Atul Ambekar (India), Jenna Butner (USA), Hugo González (Mexico), Kristiana Siste (Indonesia), Anna Maria Vella (Malta), Joseph T.W. Teck (Canada, UK), Hamed Ekhtiari (USA), Akhil Anand (USA)
6. ADHD-SUD Working Group
Established in mid-2024, this group is developing a global survey to study co-occurring substance use disorder and ADHD. Steering committee formation and survey design are underway.
Co-Chairs: Ayana Gibbs (UK), Rabia Bilici (Turkiye)
Steering Committee: To be formed
How Can You Join ISAM-GEN?
If you are interested in developing a global survey within the ISAM-GEN network, the process flowchart below provides an overview of the steps involved, from initial proposal to expert engagement and data collection. This roadmap is designed to help researchers navigate the network’s procedures efficiently while ensuring methodological rigor and broad international participation.
For detailed guidance, you can refer to the full checklist here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/15Iy89u5Odq-ttxVIH3QFY4G6sXYU2xC4PafTi_VmOrg/edit?tab=t.0
What are the Previous Key Activities of ISAM-GEN?
November 2021: Expert Elicitation Workshop
ISAM-GEN hosted its first workshop and webinar, bringing together 20 experts from diverse disciplines to introduce the network, expert elicitation methods, and plans for a global survey and the “World Addiction Medicine Report.” This event laid the foundation for forming working groups and engaging international experts.
Watch the recording
February 2022: First General Assembly of Addiction Medicine Societies
The inaugural assembly featured over 150 attendees and 50 speakers from 40 countries. Representatives introduced their societies, shared experiences, and learned about ISAM-GEN’s upcoming surveys and opportunities for collaboration.
Watch the recording | Slides | Speakers info
October 2022: Second General Assembly & ISAM2022 Malta Panel
The second General Assembly was held in-person as a pre-conference program for ISAM2022, featuring panels on the formation and development of addiction medicine societies. On October 5, ISAM-GEN held a symposium in Malta with around 100 participants, presenting updates and advances in the network.
Watch the recording | Slides
November 2022: Lisbon Addictions 2022 Panel
ISAM-GEN presented a panel on global surveys, consensus projects, and guidelines in addiction research, with around 50 attendees discussing innovations during the pandemic era.
Session details | Video
February 2023: Third General Assembly of Addiction Medicine Societies
The third assembly continued to bring together global society representatives to share updates and collaborate on network initiatives.
Watch the recording
November 2023: Fourth General Assembly (ISAM2023, Morocco)
At ISAM2023, ISAM-GEN hosted a pre-conference session updating members on network progress and infrastructure, alongside informal gatherings to discuss milestones and working group support.
February 2024: Fifth General Assembly of Addiction Medicine Societies
This assembly emphasized establishing working groups within ISAM-GEN and conducting global and regional surveys on topics such as PUI, dual disorders, PTSD-SUD, ADHD-SUD, and TMOUD. Updates on the ISAM portal were also shared to support communication and collaboration within the network.
Watch ISAM Global Assembly videos
September 2024: ISAM2024 (Istanbul, Turkiye) – Panel of ISAM-GEN Working Group Chairs and Assistant Officers
During this ISAM-GEN panel, working group chairs and assistant officers reported their global survey results and discussed further milestones with the group of attending ISAM experts.
Watch recordings of the ISAM-GEN Panel at ISAM2024
October 2024: Lisbon Addictions 2024 Panel
ISAM-GEN’s activities and specific survey on global report on opioid use disorder, treatment services, and harm reduction programs were presented and also promoting the Addiction Global Therapeutic Innovation Day.
May 2025: ISAM2025 (Hamburg, Germany) – Panel of ISAM-GEN Working Group Chairs and Assistant Officers & the 8th General Assembly of Addiction Medicine Societies
During this ISAM-GEN panel, working group chairs and assistant officers reported their global survey results and discussed further milestones with the group of attending ISAM experts. The 8th General Assembly was held in-person as a pre-conference program for ISAM2025.
Contact Us
For any enquiries about the ISAM-GEN or past or current projects, please contact us at isamgen@isamweb.org or Dr. Hamed Ekhtiari at hamed.ekhtiari@utsouthwestern.edu.