Jason Connor

Jason Connor is a Professor of Clinical and Health Psychology in the Discipline of Psychiatry and Founding Director of the National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research (2008 - 2014, 2017+) at The University of Queensland.

Professor Connor is a clinical psychologist by training and a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society (APS). He has specialist membership in the APS Health and Clinical Colleges. Jason commenced his academic career after being awarded a National Health and Medical Research Council (NH&MRC) doctoral scholarship (PhD, 2002) for research into substance use disorders.

Since moving from full-time clinical practice to academia, he has successfully combined teaching responsibilities with research.

Professor Connor has won an Australian award for excellence in university teaching.

He has published over 290 peer reviewed journal papers, books and book chapters. Professor Connor has received $23 million in research funding as Chief Investigator and currently leads $2.3 million in Catergor 1 external research grants.

Professor Connor's main research focus is substance use disorders. Research areas include substance use assessment and treatment, genetic markers of alcohol and nicotine dependence, measurement of alcohol craving, novel psychological models of problem drinking and the prevention of youth substance abuse. He is a consultant for the World Health Organisation (substance use) and member of the Federal Government’s Alcohol & Drug Centres of Excellence Strategic Reference Group, which is tasked with guiding the evidenced based policy for substance use in Australia.

Professor Connor has received awards for his research (NH&MRC Career Development Fellow; Australian Psychological Society Early Career Research Award) and service to the profession of psychology (Australian Psychological Society Health College Award of Distinction).

In addition to his academic roles, he has an appointment with Queensland Health and continues to offer clinical services.

Examples of recent publications:

Connor, J.P., Stjepanović, D., Le Foll, B., Hoch, E., Budney A., Hall, W.D. (2021) Cannabis use and cannabis use disorders. NATURE REVIEWS: DISEASE PRIMERS, 25;7(1) 16.

Ahmed, F., Boogaerts, T., Bowes, D.A., van Nuijs, A.L.N., Covaci, A., Hall, W., Connor, J.P., Thomas, K.V. (2024). Enhanced estimation of the prevalence of treated mental health disorders by wastewater-based epidemiology, NATURE MENTAL HEALTH 2, 345–347.

Connor, J.P., Stjepanović, D., Budney A., Le Foll, B., Hall, W.D. (2022) Clinical Management of Cannabis Withdrawal. ADDICTION,117(7):2075-2095.

Symons, M., Feeney, G.F.X., Gallagher, M.R., Young, R.M., Connor, J.P. (2020). Predicting alcohol dependence treatment outcomes: a prospective comparative study of clinical psychologists versus 'trained' machine learning models. ADDICTION, 115(11) 2164-2175

Connor, J.P., Hall, W.D. (2018). Thresholds for safer alcohol use might need lowering. LANCET, 391(10129), 1460-1461.

Connor, J.P., Haber, P.S., Hall, W.D. (2016). Alcohol Use Disorders. LANCET, 387(10022), 988-98.

Connor, J. P. Hall, W.D. (2015). Alcohol burden in low-income and middle-income countries. LANCET, 386(10007), 1922-4.