Associate Professor Caitlin Hughes
Associate Professor Caitlin Hughes is a Matthew Flinders Fellow and a leading expert in criminology and drug policy, with nearly two decades of research experience, including over a decade at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (UNSW) as part of the renowned Drug Policy Modelling Program. Her work aims to inform and advance drug policy both in Australia and internationally by evaluating the effects of various legislative and law enforcement approaches on drug use, drug supply, and related health, social, and criminal justice outcomes.
Associate Professor Hughes’s research specializes in examining the impacts of drug laws and potential reforms—such as depenalization, decriminalization, and legalization—as well as the role of policing, alternatives to arrest, and the functioning of drug markets. By identifying more effective policy responses, her work seeks to reduce drug-related harms and guide evidence-based decision-making by policymakers and practitioners.
In addition to her role at Flinders, she serves as a Visiting Fellow at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (UNSW), is President of the International Society for the Study of Drug Policy, and holds editorial board positions on the International Journal of Drug Policy and the Journal of Illicit Economies and Development.