Dr. Thomas Santo Jr., BA, MPH, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) at UNSW Sydney, focused on the epidemiology and treatment of drug dependence in prison and community settings. His research aims to reduce health and social harm related to drug dependence, particularly those in the criminal justice system, by supporting evidence-based policy and improving treatment access.

Dr. Santo is currently leading the Global Reviews of Injecting Drug Use in Prisons as part of the Global Consortium to Advance Data on the Epidemiology and Health Impacts of Illicit Drug Use, in collaboration with the United Nations Office of Drugs & Crime, World Health Organization, and other international partners. This work aims to estimate the prevalence and treatment coverage of injecting-related harms, including blood-borne viruses, in carceral settings. Additionally, he plays a leading role in the Prison Outcomes Study (POST), which uses routinely collected data to examine health and recidivism outcomes for over 200,000 formerly incarcerated individuals in NSW, focusing on enhancing treatment options during and after incarceration. Dr. Santo also leads the NSW Opioid Dependence Survey, which gathered data from 400 participants in 2024 to assess and improve access to treatment and harm reduction services for people with opioid dependence. He has secured over $5.7 million in research funding as a co-investigator and has published in JAMA Psychiatry and The Lancet Psychiatry, with findings informing international policies and recommendations for expanded access to treatment and harm reduction.

Dr. Santo is committed to working with community stakeholders to support and advocate for policy reforms in drug treatment and harm reduction across both prison and community settings.