Nyanda McBride

Nyanda McBride is a Senior Research Fellow and Project Leader at the National Drug Research Institute. Nyanda has worked in the drug and alcohol field for over 15 years and has professional interest is the practical application of research. Her most significant research contributions stem directly from this focus with the award winning School Health and Alcohol Education Project (SHAHRP) studies. The longitudinal SHAHRP study was the first to assess a harm reduction approach to alcohol education. Uptake of the behaviourally effective SHAHRP program by international and national policy makers, health and education practitioners and researcher is widespread resulting in the incorporation of SHAHRP in education and youth programs worldwide. Recently, the SHAHRP behavioural findings were supported in a replication in Northern Ireland resulting in 16000 students participating in the program annually. Three additional research replications of the program are currently in progress. During 2006, McBride initiated a new research area at NDRI looking at alcohol and drug use during pregnancy particularly aimed at the reduction of alcohol exposed pregnancies.