Drugs in Focus: Exploring Substance Use in Society and Sport

Join us for an evening of thought-provoking discussion on the complex and evolving landscape of substance use in both society and sport. This Drugs in Focus session will bring together leading experts to explore how drug use impacts public health, policy, and professional sport; from emerging trends in illicit drug markets to the science behind anti-doping detection.

Chaired by Professor Pasquale Maffia, Professor of Cardiovascular Immunology at the University of Glasgow, the session will highlight the intersection of pharmacology, toxicology, and policy, encouraging a deeper understanding of the societal and scientific challenges that define substance use today.

Time	Session	Speaker / Chair
7:30 – 7:40 PM	Welcome and Introductions	Professor Pasquale Maffia University of Glasgow
7:40 – 8:10 PM	Drugs Across the UK: What’s Happening — and Why Northern Ireland Matters A deep dive into recent trends in substance use and drug-related mortality, with insights on public health responses and policy impacts.	Dr Caroline Copeland King’s College London
8:10 – 8:40 PM	Inside the World of Anti-Doping Research An exploration of current anti-doping research, challenges in detecting new substances, and innovations shaping fair play in sport.	Dr Shobha Ahi King’s College London
8:40 – 8:55 PM	Audience Q&A Open discussion with both speakers.	Moderated by Professor Pasquale Maffia
8:55 – 9:00 PM	Closing Remarks	Professor Pasquale Maffia

Professor Pasquale Maffia

Professor of Cardiovascular Immunology, University of Glasgow

Session Chair

Biography: Prof. Pasquale Maffia is a Professor of Cardiovascular Immunology at the University of Glasgow and co-lead of the ARUA/Guild Africa-Europe CoRE in Non-Communicable Diseases & Multimorbidity. His research bridges translational and clinical studies, focusing on the intersections of inflammation, infection, and cardiovascular diseases, with a special emphasis on Africa. (Lancet Glob Health, 2025; Circ Res, 2024; Cardiovasc Res, 2024)

Dr Caroline Copeland

Senior Lecturer in Pharmacology & Toxicology, King's College London

Drugs Across the UK: What’s Happening—and Why Northern Ireland Matters
Biography: Dr Caroline Copeland leads a research group at King’s College London in the field of drug-related mortality and harm reduction. As Director of the National Programme on Substance Use Mortality (NPSUM), she has led extensive analyses of coroner-reported drug deaths to identify emerging trends and inform public health responses. Dr Copeland’s research integrates toxicology, epidemiology, and public policy, with a goal of understanding the pharmacological and societal drivers of drug-related mortality. She has published over 35 peer-reviewed papers since 2020, advancing knowledge on the role of prescription medications, novel psychoactive substances, and drug–drug interactions in overdose deaths. Alongside her research, she serves on the UK’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs and is an expert consultant on novel psychoactive substances for the European Union Drug Agency, providing crucial evidence to shape national and international strategies on drug harm prevention

Dr. Shobha Ahi

Deputy Director, Drug Control Centre, King's College London

Inside the world of anti-doping research
Biography: Dr. Shobha Ahi is a biochemist and senior anti-doping scientist with over 18 years of experience in WADA-accredited laboratories. She is currently Deputy Director at the Drug Control Centre, King’s College London, where she leads research in anti-doping science with a focus on drug metabolism, pharmacology, and analytical toxicology.
She holds a PhD in Biochemistry and has supervised PhD and postgraduate research in drug detection and metabolism. Dr. Ahi has served as adjunct faculty for postgraduate programs in toxicology, forensic science, and instrumentation, and contributes regularly to scientific panels and technical working groups in anti-doping.
She is the author/co-author of over 35 peer-reviewed publications in pharmacology, sports medicine, and analytical chemistry, and serves on editorial boards and as a peer reviewer for leading journals. Her current research interests include dried blood spot testing, in-vitro metabolite characterization, and analytical method development in sports pharmacology.