The ISSUP Exchange

In this final episode, Professor Goodman Sibeko and Dr David Patton look ahead to the future of addiction science and explore what it would take for lived experience to become a recognised and embedded part of the global evidence base. David reflects on the structural changes needed to create more inclusive approaches to knowledge production, challenging long-standing assumptions about evidence, a...

In episode three , Professor Goodman Sibeko and Dr David Patton move from theory to practice, exploring how lived experience can be meaningfully embedded throughout the research process. Drawing on examples from participatory projects, David explains how approaches such as PhotoVoice create space for communities to shape research questions, generate knowledge, and influence how findings are unders...

In this episode, Professor Goodman Sibeko and Dr David Patton examine how knowledge is created, valued, and used within addiction science. Drawing on his experience as a researcher and advocate for participatory approaches, David challenges traditional assumptions about who gets to produce evidence and whose voices are recognised as experts. The conversation explores the historical foundations of...

Professor Goodman Sibeko speaks with Dr David Patton about the experiences that shaped his journey into criminology, recovery research, and the movement to centre lived experience in knowledge production. David reflects on growing up in a community marked by inequality, the people who helped shape his path, and the turning points that led him into academia. He discusses how these experiences influ...

In the final episode of Prevention Unpacked with Dr. Zili Sloboda: Vision, Legacy & The Future of Prevention , the conversation looks ahead and brings the series full circle. Drawing on decades of global experience, Dr. Zili Sloboda shares her vision for where prevention must go over the next 10 to 20 years. She reflects on what it would mean for prevention to be fully recognised as a professi...

In this third episode of Prevention Unpacked with Dr. Zili Sloboda , the focus shifts from science to the people who make prevention possible. Dr. Sloboda reflects on why workforce development has become central to the future of prevention, and why evidence alone is never enough without skilled, supported professionals to put it into practice. She speaks candidly about the competencies that matter...

In this episode of Prevention Unpacked with Dr. Zili Sloboda , the conversation turns to how prevention science actually became a field. Dr. Sloboda reflects on the early days, when prevention was often dismissed as vague or unmeasurable, and traces how theory, rigorous research, and cross-disciplinary work helped give the field credibility. She explains why prevention is more than information sha...

In this first episode of Prevention Unpacked , Associate Professor Goodman Sibeko speaks with Dr. Zili Sloboda about the early experiences that shaped her life and career. The conversation traces her childhood in New York, her exposure to international cultures, and the personal influences that sparked her interest in people, behaviour, and social systems. Dr. Sloboda reflects on her academic path...

In this final episode, Associate Professors Goodman Sibeko and Nadine Harker shift the focus from individual-level responses to the organisational systems that shape wellbeing at work. The conversation looks at how workplaces can create environments that reduce stressors and promote healthier behaviours before problems escalate. Prof. Harker highlights the role of leadership commitment, ongoing we...

In this episode, Associate Professors Goodman Sibeko and Nadine Harker unpack how workplaces can uphold legal and ethical standards while promoting mental health and preventing substance use. Prof. Harker discusses what makes a workplace policy both lawful and humane, stressing that alignment with national legislation must go hand in hand with fairness and inclusion. She also underscores the value...

In this third episode, Associate Professor Goodman Sibeko and Associate Professor Nadine Harker discuss how workplaces can identify early signs of substance use and mental health challenges among employees, and respond appropriately before issues escalate. Prof. Harker explains the occupational factors that increase risk, the visible and behavioural cues supervisors should look out for, and the im...

In this first episode, Associate Professor Goodman Sibeko sits down with Associate Professor Nadine Harker to unpack what it really means for a workplace to take prevention seriously. Together, they explore how organisations can move beyond awareness campaigns to build genuine, prevention-oriented cultures. Prof. Harker reflects on the shift from traditional workplace wellness models to a broader...

Before exploring how workplaces can promote prevention and wellbeing, Associate Professor Goodman Sibeko introduces Associate Professor Nadine Harker, the voice and perspective behind much of this work. In this opening conversation, Prof. Harker shares the path that led her into public health, what draws her to issues of mental health and substance use, and how her academic and professional experi...

Building the Future Together: Joanna Travis-Roberts on 10 Years of ISSUP In the final episode of the series, Associate Professor Goodman Sibeko sits down once again with ISSUP Chief Executive Joanna Travis-Roberts to look back on a decade of growth and forward to what’s next. Joanna reflects on how ISSUP has evolved through moments of change, from a small idea to a global network, and what it take...

Building the Future Together: Joanna Travis-Roberts on 10 Years of ISSUP A special three-part series celebrating 10 years of of the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP).   In this second episode, host Associate Professor Goodman Sibeko speaks with Chief Executive Joanna Travis-Roberts about the remarkable journey of ISSUP itself. From its official launch in Bangkok in...

Building the Future Together: Joanna Travis-Roberts on 10 Years of ISSUP A special three-part series celebrating 10 years of of the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP).   In this first episode, host Associate Professor Goodman Sibeko speaks with Joanna Travis-Roberts, ISSUP’s Chief Executive. Joanna shares how an unexpected opportunity shifted her path from literature...

What does the evidence tell us about Motivational Interviewing (MI), and what might the future of research hold? In the final episode of the ISSUP Exchange series, A/Prof. Goodman Sibeko and Professor Stephen Rollnick explore the research behind MI, discussing why it remains effective across so many settings. With over 2,500 randomised trials, MI is one of the most studied approaches in behavioura...

What does it take to truly learn Motivational Interviewing, and how do we build the kind of environments where that learning can stick? In this third episode of the ISSUP Exchange series, A/Prof. Goodman Sibeko continues the conversation with Professor Stephen Rollnick, this time turning the focus to MI training: what works, what doesn’t, and why developing competence is more about mindset than ma...

What does it really mean to “step back” in a helping conversation? And how can practitioners cultivate genuine curiosity and empathy while still focusing on change? In this second episode of our four-part ISSUP Exchange series, A/Prof. Goodman Sibeko continues his conversation with Professor Stephen Rollnick, clinical psychologist and co-founder of Motivational Interviewing (MI). Together, they un...

If you've ever wondered how Motivational Interviewing (MI) came to be and why it remains essential across so many fields today, join Associate Professor Goodman Sibeko in a compelling four-part conversation with Professor Stephen Rollnick, clinical psychologist and co-founder of MI.  Together, they explore the personal and professional journey behind MI, from early experiences in Cape Town an...