Norfolk Ketamine and Synthetic Opioids Conference - Tuesday 24 March 2026

Giorgia Tevola - Opiate, Non-Dependent & Young Adult Team Leader – Change Grow Live

Giorgia has worked in substance use for over six years in various roles and is currently a team leader at Change Grow Live (CGL) based in Norwich. Two of the teams she manages are the non-dependent team and young adult team which case hold most of the service users CGL see for Ketamine use.

Giorgia was the Young Adult Recovery Coordinator during the period that CGL Norfolk started seeing an increase in Ketamine service users requiring support back in 2022; so during that time and since, she has worked within a team which has developed the local Ketamine pathway offering bespoke psychosocial interventions and continuation of development to how CGL can effectively support those using Ketamine. 

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Ruth Doherty - Consultant Urological Surgeon, Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital 

Ruth is a Consultant Urological Surgeon with over two decades of clinical experience and specialist expertise in female, functional, reconstructive, neurological and urodynamic urology. She has been a substantive Consultant since 2015 and has a particular clinical and academic interest in ketamine-associated urinary tract syndrome.

Ruth is closely involved in the delivery of the specialist ketamine bladder service at the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) and has contributed to multiple abstracts and national conferences, sharing outcomes and experience from this dedicated clinic. She regularly lecture on ketamine bladder syndrome at teaching events and meetings across the UK.

Ruth is an elected executive member of the British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) Female and Reconstructive Urology Committee and has contributed to several national consensus documents, including guidance on the management of ketamine bladder syndrome. She is also the author of the BAUS patient information leaflet for patients with ketamine bladder syndrome.

Alongside Ruth's clinical work, she holds an Honorary Senior Lecturer post at the University of East Anglia and am actively involved in undergraduate and postgraduate education. My academic interests include multicentre research, systematic reviews, simulation-based training, and the development of non-technical skills.

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Professor Robert Ralphs – Professor of Criminology & Social Policy, Deputy Director of Drugs, Policy & Social Change (DPSC) - Manchester Metropolitan University

Professor Rob Ralphs is Deputy Director of the Drugs, Policy and Social Change (DPSC) research centre at Manchester Metropolitan University. With over 28 years of experience in applied substance use research, Rob works extensively with service providers and commissioners to improve treatment design and delivery, ensuring strong service user engagement. He sits on several national and regional expert panels, including the Greater Manchester Drug Alert Panel, the ACMD sub-committee on Novel Benzodiazepines and New Psychoactive Substances, and the UK Drug Market Monitoring Network.

Rob leads GMTRENDS (Greater Manchester Testing and Research on Emergent and New DrugS), the UK’s only annual interdisciplinary project tracking emerging drug trends in Greater Manchester. His recent research has focused on ketamine use among young people, informing harm reduction strategies and shaping treatment pathways across the Northwest. This has included exploring motivations for use, identifying good practice, and highlighting remaining challenges and barriers to support.

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SIO Douglas Blackwood – Humberside Police

Doug Blackwood has over two decades of policing experience, beginning his career in 2001 with the City of London Police. He quickly moved into detective work, taking on both general and specialist roles within CID. His career has included leading complex investigations and working with international law enforcement partners. He has responded to major incidents, including the July 2005 London bombings, and has seen first-hand the strength of community resilience in the face of adversity. Since 2014, he has served as a trained police negotiator, supporting individuals in crisis and deploying internationally to share expertise and learn from other cultures.

In 2018, Doug transferred to Humberside Police, where he has held leadership roles in Intelligence, Investigations, and Neighbourhood Policing. As an accredited Senior Investigating Officer, he leads investigations into serious and major crimes. He holds a Master’s degree from the University of Cambridge and is passionate about innovation, collaboration, and early intervention in policing.

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Dr Caroline Copeland – Senior Lecturer in Pharmacology & Toxicology, Director of the National Programme on Substance Use Mortality - King’s College London

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.

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Marita Isaac – Advanced Nurse Practitioner (Substance Misuse) – Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital

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Jamie Barnes – Peer Research Coordinator, Service User & Lived Experience Engagement – Together UK

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Neave Watson – Change Grow Live