Addiction World Conference 2024: Empowering Breakthroughs, Celebrating Success – San Francisco, CA
The Addiction World Conference (AWC 2024), held from 4 to 6 September 2024 in San Francisco, California, was a landmark event in addiction science. Under the theme of 'New Frontiers in Addiction Science and Treatment,' this pioneering conference hosted influential psychologists, addiction experts, and pioneers on an urgent global health issue: addiction.
Addiction-related and psychological disorders have been on a steep, upward trajectory for the past 25 years, spurred by contemporary stressors and shifts in society. AWC 2024 provided a venue to demonstrate their contributions to rising mortality, disability, and long-term health burdens. The conference crystallized the need for urgency in stimulating innovative research and collaborative solutions to reverse these shocking trends.
The sessions covered new prevention modalities and updated therapies, creating a focused environment for in-depth intellectual discussions and hands-on learning. The depth of shared expertise and professional networks created the magic behind AWC 2024’s success. AWC event reinforced a shared commitment to addressing addiction challenges and improving standards of addiction care globally.
Get the AWC 2024 Book of Abstracts here: Abstract Book.
Get the AWC 2024 Scientific Program here: Scientific Program.
Visit AWC 2024 Gallery here: Gallery.
Organizing Committee AWC 2024
Sam Vaknin is a former visiting professor of psychology at Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don, Russia, and is on the faculty of CIAPS (Commonwealth Institute for Advanced Professional Studies).
AWC 2024: Speakers
Day 1 - In-Person Presentations
Title: Expressive Arts Tools for Neurologists to Combat Burnout
Juliana Fort – Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at Louisiana State University Health Shreveport, USA
Title 1: Multimodal Protocol For Phantom Limb Pain Prophylaxis In Amputation Surgery
Title 2: Epidural Analgesia And Tattoos – A Modified Technique To Minimise Risks And
Improve Safety
Carla Retroz Marques – Coimbra University Hospitals Centre, Portugal
Title: A Cross-Sectional Study of Plasma Aβ42/40 Ratio, ALZpath pTau217, pTau181, GFAP and Nf-L in an Alzheimer’s Disease Clinical Cohort Characterized by Amyloid PET Imaging
Ahmed Chenna – LabCorp-Monogram Biosciences Inc, USA
Title: Increased Drug and Physical Activity Addiction among Nurses in Burnout. Exploratory Study on an Italian Nurse’s Sample
Rosaria Ferrara – Legal Medicine and Orthopaedics, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
Title: Holistic Rehabilitation at its Best
Peter P Lyndon-James – West Australian Shalom Group INC, Australia
Title: Autotaxin as Novel Biomarker of Migraine
Tomás Sobrino – Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Spain
Title: Family Centered Addiction Program
Patti Petrucka – Ranch Ehrlo Society, Canada
Title: Neurogenesis Hypothesis and NA-901 for the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder
Lloyd L. Tran – Chief Scientific Officer of Biomed Industries, Inc., USA
Title: Neuropsychiatric Consequences of Endocrine Dysfunctions
Hassan M Heshmati – Endocrinology Metabolism Consulting, LLC, USA
Title: Co Occurring Substance Use Disorders and Eating Disorders Experiences of Individuals in Recovery
Diana Lynn Monsour – Compassionate & Empowering Counseling, USA
Title: Assessing risky behavior among PWID in the country of Georgia– results from simplified bio-behavioural survey methodology, the BBS-Lite
Gogia M, Kiladze T – Georgian Harm Reduction Network, Georgia
Title: The Psychosocial Impact of COVID-19 on Healthcare Workers in North India
Vinita Elizabeth Mani – Department of Neurology SGPGIMS, India
Title: Influence of Loss of Autonomy and Marital Status on the Worsening of Depression and Anxiety and Consequent Impact on Mortality in Cancer Patients
Inês Alexandra Carvalho Retroz Moreira Marques – Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Coimbra (FMUC), Portugal
Title: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Childhood Trauma: Machine Learning and Biomedical Monitoring in Predicting Domestic Violence Trends
Yu-Chun Lin – Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
Title: The Effectiveness of Mobile Application STROKE HELP in Post-Stroke Rehabilitation
Rasulova Dilbar – Department of Neurology and Medical Psychology, Tashkent Medical Academy, Uzbekistan
Title: Machine Learning-Based Papilledema Detection Leveraging the Quantification of Optic Disc Margin Clarity
Robert W. Enzenauer – University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, USA
Title: Understanding the Toxic Effects of Polystyrene Nanoparticles in Primary Astrocytes and Neurons: Oxidative Stress
Kamil Adamiak – Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
Title: Bridging Thrombolysis is Associated with Better Outcomes Compared to Direct Mechanical Thrombectomy in Stroke Due to Internal Carotid Artery Occlusion
Isabel Siow – Ministry of Health Singapore
Title:Effect of Sex on Outcomes of Mechanical Thrombectomy in Internal Carotid Artery Occlusion: A Multicentre Cohort Study
Noorul Naseema – Ministry of Health Singapore
Title: The Positive Effect of Spermidine in the Older Adults Suffering from Dementia
Jarisch Reinhart – FAZ, Floridsdorf Allergy Center, Vienna, Austria
Title:Deciphering CNS demyelination- Insights from a sole Tertiary care Centre in Southern India
Mandara Ganganakudige Manjappaiah – NIMHANS, India
Title: Subcutaneous Pellet Implant of Naltrexone and Disulfiram Experience in Patients Who Consume Cocaine and Alcohol in 5 Years
Matias Ibanez Diaz – Clinica Pellet, Chile
Day 2 - In-Person Presentations
Title: Holistic Rehabilitation at its best
Peter P Lyndon-James – West Australian Shalom Group INC, Australia
Title: Cross the Street and Step into Their Shoes: Connect, Interact, and Communicate with
Older Adults
Nancy Brown – PhD Candidate, University of Edinburgh, Deputy Director for Communications & Certified Validation Teacher, Validation Training Institute, Israel
Title: On the Evidence of Things Not Seen A Systems-Driven Analysis of Life Skills Training, University and Tobacco Industry Efforts in School-Based Drug Prevention
Joel Brown – University of California San Diego, Center for Educational Research and Development (CERD), USA
Title: Pharmacogenetics of Drug Addiction: Recent Perspectives and Therapeutic Promises
Shawqi H Alawdi – Associate Professor of pharmacology and therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, Thamar University, Yemen
Title: 3-Point Decline in the MMSE: What Does it Mean in Patients with Verified Alzheimer’s Disease and Verified Depressive Disorder
Matthias Riepe – Department of Psychiatry II, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
Title: Expressive Arts Therapy and Quality of Life in Those Living with Dementia
John Mondanaro – Assistant Professor and Director of Expressive Arts Therapy, USA
Title: Current Trends in the Development of Alcoholism in Kyrgyzstan
Shakeeva Chynara Asanovna – Doctor of Psychological Sciences, Kyrgyzstan
Title: Antidepressants and Memory Effects of Ketamine under the Neuromolecular View: A Literature Review
Da Silva GP Felipe – School of Medicine and Life Sciences, Pontificia Catholic University of Paraná – PUCPR, Brazil
Title: The Role of NRF2 in Cerebrovascular Protection: A Potential Therapeutic Target for Vascular Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (VCID)
Yizhou Hu – Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) McKeesport, USA
Title: Post-infectious Spermidine Levels Remain Reduced Over a Prolonged Time Period After Viral Infections
Jarisch Reinhart – FAZ, Floridsdorf Allergy Center, Vienna, Austria
Title: Preclinical Efficacy Studies on the Multi-target Candidate DL0410 for Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment
Ailin Liu – Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, China
Title: Exploring the Lived Experiences of Individuals with Dementia and Care Partners’ Perceptions of Sensory Gardens
Anita Rutendo Chonzi – Department of Health, Wellbeing & Life Sciences, University of Sheffield Hallam, UK
Title: Developed a Textile Based Program as Art Therapy for Patients of Mental Health
Nouf Abdullah Alsuwaida – The University of Ha‘il, Saudi Arabia
Title: Recent Advances in Gene Therapies- Changing the Trajectory of Neuromuscular Disorders
Geetanjali Rathore – Department of Pediatrics and Neurosciences, University of Nebraska Medical Centre, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Title: Quantitative Measurement of Nutritive Sucking in Infants: A New Approach to Neurological Assessment
Neil Buist – Oregon Health & Science University, USA
Day 2 – Virtual Presentations
Title: Noninvasive Brain Stimulation Via Transcranial Pulse Stimulation: Principles and Perspectives
Ali Riza Gunes – Center for Neurostimulation, Alexius/Josef Hospital, Neuss, Germany
Title: An Answered Call for Aid? Cannabinoid Clinical Framework for the Opioid Epidemic
Krista Hammaker – College of Medicine, Northeast Ohio Medical University, USA
Title: Art Therapy in Addiction Treatment as A Means of Facilitating the Therapeutic Process and Enhancing the Patient’s Well-Being
Katerina Zachova – Charles University, First Faculty of Medicine, Department of Addictology, USA
Title: Negative Emotions Activate Game-Related Semantic Concepts in Individuals with Gaming Disorder: An fMRI Study
Xuemei Gao – Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China
Title: Assessing the Knowledge of Oral Nicotine Pouches Among Medical Students in Bangladesh
Oishi Barua – Children’s National Hospital, USA
Title: Opioid Overdose Harm Minimisation – Patient’s Perspective
Shakeel Ahmed Jameel Ahmed – Essex Partnership NHS University Foundation Trust, UK
Title: Cannabinol (CBN) as a Novel Therapeutic Tool in Geriatric Brain Health: Implications for Addiction Management
Luiza Spiru – Ana Aslan International Foundation & Geneva College of Longevity Science, Romania
Title: Pure Sensory Guillain Barre Syndrome Associated with Campylobacter Infection A Case Report
Shyam Bhagat – Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra, Northwell, USA
Johanna Salazar Nassar – Hospital Calderon Guardia, Costa Rica
Title: Vibrotactile Coordinated Reset Fingertip Stimulation for the Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease
Peter A Tass – Stanford University School of Medicine, USA
Title: Light Exercise Intensity and Minimal Supervision Improve Cognitive Function in Amphetamine Patients
Vimolmas Tansathitaya – College of Sports Science and Technology, Mahidol University, Thailand
Title: Neural Nanomedicine: Fighting Stroke, Improving Stem Cell Delivery, Healing Nerves and Using Artificial Intelligence
Thomas J Webster – Hebei University of Technology, China
Day 3 - Virtual Presentations
Title: Brain Connectivity in Multi-Level Language Systems Before and After Specialized Instruction for Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, and OWL LD
Virginia Wise Berninger – University of Washington, USA
Title: Effect of Noradrenaline in the Ventrolateral Preoptic Area
Roberto De Luca – Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center – Harvard Medical School, USA
Title: Immediate Healing for Leadership Personality Development from Distance
Mohamed Hadi Eltonsi – Cairo University Medical College M B.BCH, Egypt
Title: The Future of Neuroscience Education, from Active Learning to the Metaverse
Stefano Sandrone – Imperial College London, UK
Title: Perspective Strategies for Interventions in Parkinsonism: Remedying the Neglected Role of TPPP
Judit Magdolna Ovádi – Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungary
Title: Takotsubo of the brain? A case of acute stress-induced SAH
Stephanie Arens – Emory University, USA
Title: The Subcritical Brain and Motion Control
Yoram Baram – Technion, Israel Institute of Technology Haifa, Israel
Title: Whether Is Living Longer a Benefit?
Osman Kucu – President of the Organizing Committee of iCoDem, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Title: Standards of Quality Education in Prevention
Helena Horálek – Department of Addictology, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Czech Republic
Title: An Alternative to Collodion
Esperanza Esguerra Wagner – Epilepsy Foundation of Arizona, USA
Title: Prospective Qualitative Survey of Video Appointments in 2 Canadian Community Neurology Practices
John Maher – Canada
Title: Neurological Pathology in Tick-Borne Borreliosis in Kazakhstan
Alibek Adil – Kazakh-Russian Medical University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Title: Sickle Cell Anemia Induced Psychosis: A Case Report
Tharidu Gunawardena – Eastern Virginia Medical School, USA
Title: Exploring the Efficacy of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) in Fibromyalgia Management
Pranav Reddy – Rowan-Virtua SOM, USA
Title: Recurrent Thunderclap Headache after Endovascular Embolization of Pial AV Malformation by Onyx Material
Bharath M M – Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India
Title: Intracranial Vein of Galen Malformation and its Management
Zenia Aadil Elavia – Dr. DY Patil Medical College, Pune, India
Title: Revealing Glial Diversity and Molecular Clocks across Human Hippocampal Postnatal Lifespan and in Alzheimer’s Disease using Single-Cell RNA-Seq Technology
Yijing Su – Department of Oral Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Title: Neurophysiological Grading Tool of Ulnar Nerve Entrapment Across Wrist and Across Elbow with Case Presentation
Salim Hirani – Neurophysiology Department, Ysbyty Gwynedd Hospital, UK
Title: Sheltered Environments for Womxn who Use Drugs and Who Survive Multiple Situations of Vulnerability and Violence
Aura Roig Forteza – Metzineres Director, Spain
Title: Putting an End to Chronic Opioid Use for Chronic Back Pain with the CMECD Procedure
Roger H Coletti – Interventional Health, USA
Title: Dementia, Sexuality and the Law- Is the Law Striking the Right Balance?
Oluwatoyin Sorinmade – Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust, UK
Title: Melatonin in Neurodegenerative Disease: Review of Benefits in Alzheimer’s Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)
Constantine Kaniklidis – Research Director, No Surrender Breast Cancer Foundation (NSBCF), Brooklyn, NY, USA
Title: Novel Five Target Microsurgical Approach in Psychosurgery for Refractory Complex Multipsychiatric Disorders
Mehmet Erkan Ustun – Neurosurgery, Turkey
Title: Lipoprotein Receptors in Neuronal Cholesterol Homeostasis and Function
Maria Borrell – Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Spain
Tittle: Some Practical Hints on Climate Change and Control Towards Sustainable Neurological and Addiction Development
Vijayan Gurumurthy Iyer – Faculty, Bihar Institute of Public Administration & Rural Development (BIPARD), India
Title: Succinic Acid Derivatives Prevent Oxidative Damage of Rat Brain Mitochondria in the Huntington’s Disease Model
Olena M. Klyuchko – National Aviation University, Kyiv, Ukraine
We thank all participants for their valuable involvement and contributions, which were essential to the success of this event.
Future Events: 2025
USA Upcoming Conferences:
3rd Edition of Addiction World Conference AWC 2025
Event Date: September 5 to 7, 2025
Venue: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Website: https://www.addictionworldconference.com/
4th Edition of Neurology World Conference NWC 2025
Event Date: September 05 to 07, 2025
Venue: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Website: https://www.neurologyworldconference.com/
2nd Edition of Dementia World Conference DWC 2025
Event Date: September 5 to 7, 2025
Venue: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Website: https://www.dementiaworldconference.com/
4th Edition of World Nursing Science Conference WNSC 2025
Event Date: September 7 to 9, 2025
Venue: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Website: https://www.globalnursingconference.com/
Cancer R&D World Conference 2025 CRDWC 2025
Event Date: September 10 to 12, 2025
Venue: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Website: https://www.cancerglobalconference.com/
Cell & Gene Therapy World Conference CGTWC 2025
Event Date: September 10 to 12, 2025
Venue: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Website: https://www.cellgenetherapyconference.com/
Public Health and Midwifery World Conference PHMWC 2025
Event Date: September 7 to 9, 2025
Venue: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Website: https://www.publichealthmidwifery.com/
Singapore Upcoming Conferences:
2nd Edition of Public Health World Conference (PHWC 2026)
Event Date: 17 to 19 July, 2026
Venue: Singapore
Link: https://www.publichealthworldconference.com/
2nd Edition of International Obesity and Metabolism Conference (IOMC) 2026
Event Date: 17 to 19 July, 2026
Venue: Singapore
Link: https://www.internationalobesityconference.com/
2nd Edition of Diabetes and Endocrinology World Conference (DEWC) 2026
Event Date: 17 to 19 July, 2026
Venue: Singapore.
Link: https://www.diabetesworldconference.com/
5th Edition of World Nursing Research Conference (WNRC 2026)
Event Date: 17 to 19 July, 2026
Venue: Singapore
Link: https://www.worldnursingresearchconference.com/
Gynecology World Conference (GWC 2026)
Event Date: 20 to 22 July, 2026
Venue: Singapore
Link: https://www.gynecologyworldconference.com/
Women’s Health World Conference (WHWC) 2026
Event Date: 20 to 22 July, 2026
Venue: Singapore
Link: https://www.womenshealthconferences.com/
Spain Healthcare Future Events: 2026
4th Edition of Psychiatry and Addiction World Conference (PAWC 2026)
Event Date: 2 to 4 October
Venue: Spain
Link: https://www.psychiatryworldconference.com/
5th Edition of International Neurology Conference (INC 2026)
Event Date: 2 to 4 October
Venue: Spain
Link: https://www.internationalneurologyconference.com/
Europe/France Future Events:
2nd Edition of Plant Science and Molecular Biology World Conference 2025
Event Date: October 19-21, 2025
Venue: Paris, France
Website: https://www.plantandmolecularconference.com/
Agriculture, Forestry, and Horticulture World Conference (AFHWC) 2025
Event Date: October 19-21, 2025
Venue: Paris, France
Website: https://www.agricultureworldconference.com/
Europe/France Healthcare Future Events:
World Vaccines R&D Conference (WVRDC 2025)
Event Date: October 17-19, 2025
Venue: Paris, France
Link: https://www.vaccine-rnd.com/
2nd Edition of Infectious Disease World Conference (IDWC 2025)
Event Date: October 17-19, 2025
Venue: Paris, France
Link: https://www.infectiousworldconference.com/
Dermatology and Plastic Surgery World Conference (DPSWC 2025)
Event Date: October 19-21, 2025
Venue: Paris, France
Link: https://www.plasticsurgeryworldconference.com/
Cosmetology Aging and Rejuvenation World Conference (CARWC 2025)
Event Date: October 19-21, 2025
Venue: Paris, France
Link: https://www.cosmetologyworldconference.com/
Preventive Medicine World Conference (PRMWC 2025)
Event Date: October 17-19, 2025
Venue: Paris, France
Link: https://www.preventivemedicineconference.com/
Pharma R&D and Drug Discovery World Conference (PRDWC 2025)
Event Date: October 17-19, 2025
Venue: Paris, France
Link: https://www.pharmadrugresearchconference.com/