Press Release

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EXPERT BIOGRAPHIES Keith Humphreys, Ph.D. Murray Kopelow, MD, MS, FRCPC Mike Lowther, MA

(Washington, D.C.)—The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has engaged experts to help formulate and address long-term policy goals for increasing the Nation's focus on preventing and treating substance abuse. With backgrounds in continuing medical education, state and local substance abuse prevention systems, and academia, these specialists bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to ONDCP, which is working to develop the Administration's first National Drug Control Strategy.

Currently there are three experts on detail to ONDCP: Dr. Keith Humphreys, Professor of Psychiatry, Stanford University; Dr. Murray Kopelow, Chief Executive, Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education; and Mike Lowther, Director of the Division of State Programs at Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration/Center for Substance Abuse Prevention.

Gil Kerlikowske, Director of National Drug Control Policy, said, “We welcome their achievements and dedication to ONDCP's efforts to reduce the demand for drugs in the United States. We recognize the importance of engaging with the public health community and others to reduce drug use and address the drug problem from both a public health and public safety perspective.

Under the Obama Administration, ONDCP has been taking steps to develop more robust public health responses to prevent and treat substance abuse, part of its commitment to provide national drug control policies that improve both public health and public safety.

These efforts include convening the Interagency Working Group on Demand Reduction. Under the guidance of ONDCP Deputy Director Thomas McLellan, who was confirmed unanimously in his position by the United States Senate in August 7, 2009, more than 36 Federal agencies participate in the IWG, which meets regularly to provide guidance on prevention, treatment, and recovery issues. Integrating substance abuse services into mainstream healthcare systems, improving prevention systems, and developing science-based drug control policies are among the priorities emerging from the IWG.

Information about the visiting experts is available below and here.

Visiting Experts

Dr. Keith Humphreys, Ph.D
Professor of Psychiatry, Stanford University
Dr. Humphreys currently serves as the Senior Policy Advisor to the Deputy Director. In this role, he focuses on integrating scientific information into the policy development process and is a liaison with the drug policy research community.  He is also working to better integrate treatment for substance use disorders into healthcare reform efforts and to develop scientifically grounded positions on a range of drug policy issues. Dr. Humphreys is experienced in formulating Federal policy, having served as a member of the White House Commission on Drug Free Communities, the Veterans Administration National Mental Health Task Force, and the National Advisory Council of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Dr. Humphreys is currently on leave from Stanford University, where he is a Professor of Psychiatry.

Dr. Murray Kopelow, MD
Chief Executive, Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education
As a special advisor in the Office of Demand Reduction, Dr. Kopelow brings his considerable experience in the continuing medical education field to promote screening and brief intervention (SBI) to prevent and address the continuum of substance use disorders. Working with relevant health and medical professional organizations, he encourages integration of screening and brief intervention into mainstream healthcare settings and is working to ensure practicing healthcare professionals have the knowledge and skills to conduct SBI. Dr. Kopelow will also help develop Federal interagency initiatives that leverage opportunities and resources within the healthcare delivery system and continuing healthcare education systems to advance national drug control policy. Information about screening and brief intervention is available here.

Mike Lowther, MA
Director of the Division of State Programs at Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration/Center for Substance Abuse Prevention
Mike Lowther brings more than 25 years of experience in the field of substance abuse prevention at the state and community level to his work as senior policy analyst in the Office of Demand Reduction. During his detail at ONDCP, Mr. Lowther represents ONDCP at a number of Federal interagency working groups focused on preventing and reducing the illegal consumption of drugs in the United States, and supports the development of a national drug control strategy. Information about the interagency working groups on demand reduction issues is available here.