Associate Professor Amanda Baker

Associate Professor Amanda Baker is a Clinical Psychologist who has practiced in both mental health and alcohol and other drug treatment settings in the United Kingdom and Australia and has specialized in the treatment of comorbidity. Since taking up her position at the University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia, in 1995, Associate  Professor Baker has successfully initiated and developed a Graduate Certificate, Master and Masters (Hons) of Health Science (Drug and Alcohol Studies), via distance learning mode. 

During the last few years significant committee work has involved: membership of: the Expert Committee of the National Comorbidity Workshop; the NSW Psychostimulant Strategy Steering Group; the Australian Methamphetamine Research Forum Technical Working Group; the NSW Allied Health Workers Advisory Committee and NSW Health Department Centre for Drug and Alcohol Research Advisory Committee.  Associate Professor Baker is a member of the Executive of the Australian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs (APSAD) and the Executive of the Editorial Board of the Society’s journal, Drug and Alcohol Review, and was its Book Review Editor for six years 2000-2006.

She has been a Chief Investigator on numerous competitive national grants, including four National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grants, and has published over 40 articles.  In 2003 Associate Professor Baker commenced a five year NHMRC Career Development Award to further develop evidence-based practice in clinical settings and to progress further randomised controlled trials.

She is the chief editor of National Drug Strategy Monograph 32: "Models of intervention and care for psychostimulant users, 2nd edition" (2004) and the chief author of the clinical manual published by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, "A brief cognitive behavioural intervention for regular amphetamine users" (2003).  Recently the book entitled "Clinical Handbook of Co-existing Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Problems", edited by Associate Professor Baker and Professor Richard Velleman was published by Routledge (January, 2007).

In 2006, she was appointed Convenor, Services and Intervention Division, Research Management Committee of the newly formed University of Newcastle Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health.

Top 4 Publications:
Baker, A. & Velleman, R. (Eds) (2007) Clinical Handbook of Co-existing Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Problems. London: Routledge

Baker, A., Richmond, R., Haile, M., Lewin, T.J., Carr, V.J., Taylor, R.L., Jansons, S., & Wilhelm, K. (2006). A randomized controlled trial of a smoking cessation intervention among people with a psychotic disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry, 163, 1934-1942. 

Baker, A., Bucci, S., Lewin, T.J., Kay-Lambkin, F., Carr, V.J. & Constable, P. (2006). Cognitive-behavioural therapy for substance use disorders among people with  psychotic disorders: Randomised controlled trial. British Journal of Psychiatry, 188, 439-448.

Baker, A., Lee, N.K., Claire, M., Lewin, T.J., Grant, T., Pohlman, S., Saunders, J., Kay-Lambkin, F., Constable, P., Jenner, L., & Carr, V.J. (2005). Brief cognitive behavioural interventions for regular amphetamine users: a step in the right direction.  Addiction, 100, 367-378.