Researcher

Miss Emma Zahra

Biography

Emma Zahra is a Research Officer at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), Faculty of Medicine, UNSW. Her research focus is drug-related morbidity, mortality and mental health. She is passionate about improving health outcomes through evidence-based intervention, advocacy, support, empowerment and equality.

Emma is currently investigating the financial and social impacts of costs borne by people in Opioid Agonist Treatment...view more

Emma Zahra is a Research Officer at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), Faculty of Medicine, UNSW. Her research focus is drug-related morbidity, mortality and mental health. She is passionate about improving health outcomes through evidence-based intervention, advocacy, support, empowerment and equality.

Emma is currently investigating the financial and social impacts of costs borne by people in Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT). Recent research includes a large collaborative project that quantified the social costs of opioids and cannabis, and two case series investigating the characteristics of cannabis-related deaths and barbiturate-related deaths. Emma facilitated project commencement and completion of a feasibility study at Prince of Wales Hospital Emergency Department. This study investigated the prevalence of chronic pain in people presenting to the Emergency Department with self-harm or suicidal behaviors and the uptake of online interventions delivered by MindSpot post discharge.

As a Registered Nurse and Master of International Public Health, she has experience in acute care settings (emergency and surgical medicine), health promotion (Cancer Council), and global medical assistance. Emma coordinated medical evacuations and repatriations globally for International SOS. This involved medical care and logistical arrangements for a diverse range of individuals, including marginalized and at-risk populations. Her involvement with refugees and asylum seekers included clinical oversight, medical advice and case direction. In this role Emma also provided coverage for international assistance centres (London, Moscow, Johannesburg and Dubai), medical management of sea vessel and rig personnel, and facilitated specialized care for New Caledonia patients. Aviation and remote medical treatment management skills for complex and critical patients were implemented via telephone and in person during international medical escort missions.

Emma continues to collaborate with senior researchers in epidemiology and public health at NDARC, and other leading drug and alcohol research centres across Australia.

My Qualifications

Master of International Public Health, University of Sydney.

Bachelor of Nursing, University of Newcastle.

My Research Activities

Zahra, E., Darke, S., Degenhardt, L., Campbell, G. 2020. Rates, characteristics and manner of cannabis-related deaths in Australia 2000-2018. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108028

AD. Tran, R. Chen, S. Nielsen, E. Zahra, L. Degenhardt, T. Santo, M. Farrell, B. Larance. (2021),
Economic analysis of out-of-pocket costs among people in opioid agonist treatment: A cross-sectional survey in three Australian jurisdictions. International Journal of Drug Policy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103472.

Weatherburn, D., Darke, S., Zahra, E. and Farrell, M. (2021), Who would try (or use more) cannabis if it were legal?. Drug Alcohol Rev.. https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13360

Darke, S., Chrzanowska, A., Campbell, G., Zahra, E. and Lappin, J. (2021), Barbiturate-related hospitalisations, drug treatment episodes, and deaths in Australia, 2000‒2018. Med J Aust. https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.51306

G. Campbell, S. Darke, E. Zahra, J. Duflou, F. Shand & J. Lappin (2020) Trends and characteristics in barbiturate deaths Australia 2000–2019: a national retrospective study, Clinical Toxicology, DOI: 10.1080/15563650.2020.1789653

Whetton, S., Tait, R., J., Chrzanowska, A., Donnelly, N., McEntee, A., Mukhtar, A., Zahra, E., Campbell, G., Degenhardt, L., Dey, T., Abdul Halim, S., Hall, W., Makate, M., Norman, R., Peacock, A., Roche, A. and Allsop, S. (2020). Quantifying the Social Costs of Pharmaceutical Opioid Misuse and Illicit Opioid Use to Australia in 2015/16. National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia. ISBN: 978-0-6487367-0-7 [T277]

Whetton, S., Tait, R., J., Chrzanowska, A., Donnelly, N., McEntee, A., Mukhtar, A., Zahra, E., Campbell, G., Degenhardt, L., Dey, T., Abdul Halim, S., Hall, W., Makate, M., Norman, R., Peacock, A., Roche, A. and Allsop, S. (2020). Quantifying the Social Costs of Cannabis Use to Australia in 2015/16. National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia. ISBN: 978-0-6487367-4-5 [T287]

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