Dr. Atul Ambekar
Associate Professor

National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre

MBBS, MD (Psychiatry)

atul.ambekar@gmail.com

Field of interest:

• Epidemiology of substance use

• Prevention of drug use related HIV / Harm Reduction

• Management of substance use in community settings and in diverse settings / population groups such as workplace, street children, community settings etc.
   

Publication from Year 2000 onwards:

Papers / Abstracts
• Anju Dhawan, K.A. Khurshid, Atul Ambekar, D.K. Gupta. ‘Female drug abuse in a treatment setting’. Indian Journal of Psychiatry. 2001; 43(Suppl).
• BM Tripathi, Atul Ambekar. Smokeless tobacco: Issues. In proceedings of National Workshop on assessment of role of tobacco as gateway drug. September 2002; AIIMS, New Delhi.
• Anju Dhawan, Atul Ambekar. Theories of progression of drug use: From alcohol, tobacco and cannabis to hard drugs. In proceedings of National Workshop on assessment of role of tobacco as gateway drug. September 2002; AIIMS, New Delhi.
• Atul Ambekar, Anju Dhawan, Hemraj Pal. ‘Choice of maintenance agent by opioid dependent patients’. Indian journal of Psychiatry.2003; 45 (Suppl).
• Atul Ambekar, Ravindra Rao. ‘In black and white (and grey!): reporting of drug abuse and risk behaviours in Indian print media’, Indian journal of Psychiatry.2005; 47 (Suppl).
• Ambekar A, Rao R, Chawla J, Dhawan A. “Covergae and Portrayal of HIV/AIDS in Indian Newspapers.” Abstract published in proceedings of International AIDS Conference, August 2006, Canada
• Vijieta Kushwaha, Rohit Verma, Sonali Jhanjee, Atul Ambekar “Amphetamine type stuimulants: "Forewarned is forearmed"(Abstract) Indian journal of Psychiatry.2007; 49 (Suppl)
• Atul Ambekar, Ravindra Rao. Book Review: Robert R. Perkinson, Chemical Dependency Counseling: A Practical Guide. NMJI, 21 : 2008
• Atul Ambekar, Vijeta Kushwaha, Book Review: James Whitney Hicks, 50 signs of mental illness. NMJI, 22: 2009
• Bradley M Mathers, Louisa Degenhardt, Hammad Ali, Lucas Wiessing, Matthew Hickman, Richard P Mattick, Bronwyn Myers, Atul Ambekar, Steffanie A Strathdee, HIV prevention, treatment, and care services for people who inject drugs: a systematic review of global, regional, and national coverage, Lancet, Published online March 1, 2010 DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(10)60232-2
• Prasad P, Ambekar A, Vaswani M, Dopamine D2 receptor polymorphisms and susceptibility to alcohol dependence in Indian males: a preliminary study, BMC Med Genet. 2010 Feb 11;11:24
• Ramdurg S, Ambekar A, Lal R, Sexual dysfunction among male patients receiving buprenorphine and naltrexone maintenance therapy for opioid dependence, Journal of Sexual Medicine 2011 Mar 2. doi: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2011.02219.x. [Epub ahead of print]

Books / chapters
• Tripathi BM, Ambekar A. Management of anxiety associated with general medical conditions. In : Continuing Medical Education for General Practitioners, 2002, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi.
• Tripathi, B.M, Ambekar, A. (2001). Principles of Management of Substance Use Disorder and Outcome following treatment. In: Proceedings of Symposium on Treatment of Opiate Dependence Disorder with special focus on Maintenance Programme. Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi
• Shekhar Saxena, Hemraj Pal, Atul Ambekar. Alcohol and Drug Abuse. New Age Publishers and National Book Trust, New Delhi, 2003
• H.S. Sethi, Atul Ambekar, S. Pant, and R. Ray. Reducing Risk Taking Behaviour among young drug users: Bridging the gap between drug users and service providers – Peer-Led Intervention Toolkit – Field manual, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Regional Office for South Asia, New Delhi, 2005
• Atul Ambekar, Gary Lewis, P.V. Subba Rao and H. S. Sethi. South Asia: Regional Profile (Drugs and Crime), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Regional Office for South Asia, New Delhi, 2005
• Gary Lewis, Ashita Mittal, Atul Ambekar, P.V. Subba Rao and H. S. Sethi. Strategic Programme Framework, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Regional Office for South Asia, New Delhi, 2005
• Atul Ambekar, H.S. Sethi and S. Pant. Reducing Risk Taking Behaviour among young drug users: Report of a Peer-Led Intervention, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Regional Office for South Asia, New Delhi, (under publication)
• R. Ray and Atul Ambekar. Drug Abuse and HIV/AIDS in South Asia: Vulnerabilities and Responses, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Regional Office for South Asia, New Delhi, (submitted to UNODC ROSA)
• Atul Ambekar, S. Kattimani, Anti-craving medications for long-term treatment of alcohol dependence, in Dhawan A, Jhanjhi S (eds) Manual for Long-term pharmacotherapy of alcohol and opiate dependence (2007), National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi
• Atul Ambekar, YPS Balhara, Harm Reduction, in Lal A, Sandhya (eds) Substance Abuse: A Manual for Nurses, National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, (2007)
• Ambekar A. Yadav D, Agrawal A (2007) Improving Extra-treatment support (including Peer-led Groups), in Murthy P (ed), Manual on Psycho-Social Interventions for Persons with Substance Abuse, NIMHANS, Bangalore
• Tripathi BM, Ambekar A (2008) Drug Related HIV in India, in Tripathi BM, Ambekar A (eds), Drug Abuse: News-n-Views, National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, March 2008
• Ambekar A, Agrawal A, Tripathi BM (2008) Harm Reduction: An overview, in Tripathi BM, Ambekar A (eds), Drug Abuse: News-n-Views, National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, March 2008
• Tripathi BM, Ambekar A (2008) Sexual Behaviour and Sexually Transmitted Diseases. In: Sexually Transmitted Diseases and AIDS. ed. Sharma VK, New Delhi
• Tripathi BM, Ambekar A, Tripathi S, “The Substance Use-related HIV-1/AIDS Epidemic in India: An Emerging Concern” Proceedings of the International Conference on Biotechnological Approaches to Neuroimmunomodulation and Infectious Diseases, Mohali India, December 2008
• Atul Ambekar, B M Tripathi, “Reducing harms related to alcohol use”, in B M Tripathi, Atul Ambekar (eds) “Drug Abuse: News and Views”, (December 2008, Alcohol Use and Harm Reduction)
• Koushik Sinha Deb, Atul Ambekar, B M Tripathi, “Substance Use among Street Children: An Overview” in B M Tripathi, Atul Ambekar (eds) “Drug Abuse: News and Views”, (March 2009, Substance Use among Street Children).
• Atul Ambekar, Meera Vaswani, “Drug Abuse-related HIV/AIDS Epidemic in India: Situation and Responses” in, Browne-Miller A. (Ed) The Praeger International Collection on Addictions, Vol II, 2009: Praeger Publishers: Westport, CT
• Meera Vaswani, Atul Ambekar, Ramandeep Patnayak “Historical aspects of Alcohol Use in India: Role of Culture and Gender” in, Browne-Miller A. (Ed) The Praeger International Collection on Addictions, Vol I, 2009: Praeger Publishers: Westport, CT
• Ambekar A., Tripathi B M, Dzuvichu Bernice (2009), “HIV Vulnerability among IDUs, their Spouses and Children” Society for Promotion of Youth & Masses, New Delhi and Plan International, India
• Lal R. Ambekar A (Eds), (2010), Substance Use Disorders: A Manual for paramedical professionals, (Under publication, for WHO-India and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare)
• Tripathi B. M., Ambekar A (Eds), (2010), Minimum Standards of Care for Government De-addiction Centres, (Under publication, for WHO-India and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare)
• Atul Ambekar (2011), Reaching out to female partners of Injecting Drug Users: A Training manual for service providers, Developed for United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and National AIDS Control Organisation, India (under publication)
• Rajat Ray, Anju Dhawan, Atul Ambekar (2011), Training on OST with Buprenorphine: A Training manual for service providers, Developed for National AIDS Control Organisation, India (under publication)




Scientific Presentations
• Opioid Dependence: Principles of treatment and outcome following treatment. B.M. Tripathi, Atul Ambekar. Paper presented at National Workshop on Treatment of Opioid Dependence Disorder with focus on maintenance treatment. April 2000, AIIMS, New Delhi.
• Use and abuse of psychotropic drugs in psychiatric patients. Rajesh Sagar, Atul Ambekar. Paper presented at Workshop on use and abuse of psychotropic drugs. March 2001, AIIMS, New Delhi.
• Use and abuse of psychotropic drugs in drug dependent patients. Rakesh Lal, Atul Ambekar. Paper presented at Workshop on use and abuse of psychotropic drugs. March 2001, AIIMS, New Delhi.
• Theories of progression of drug use: From alcohol, tobacco and cannabis to hard drugs. Anju Dhawan, Atul Ambekar. Paper presented at National Workshop on assessment of role of tobacco as gateway drug. September 2002; AIIMS, New Delhi.
• Smokeless tobacco: Issues. BM Tripathi, Atul Ambekar. Paper presented at National Workshop on assessment of role of tobacco as gateway drug. September 2002; AIIMS, New Delhi.
• Harm reduction: The Indian Experience. Rajat Ray, Atul Ambekar, Paper presented at National Conference of AIDS Societu of India, April 2005, New Delhi.
• Substance Use Situation in India Atul Ambekar, presented at 1st International Workshop on drug abuse, Valencia, Spain, November, 2007
• Outreach and DIC: Status in India’, , presented at the workshop on outreach/DIC in Asia Pacific region, Hanoi, Vietnam, September 2008
• ‘Pharmacological treatment of substance use in community’ , Symposium presented at the Annual conference of Indian Association of Social Psychiatry, November, 2008
• Alcohol Research in India, Meera Vawani, Atul Ambekar, Paper presented as a part of the Symposium “Alcohol Research in Asia Pacific” , in the Annual meeting of Japan Society of Psychiatric Research on Alcoholism, May 2007 Shiga, Japan
• Pattern of alcohol consumption and management in India: Role of gender and culture, Meera Vawani, Atul Ambekar, Paper presented as a part of the Symposium on Addiction Psychiatry in the Annual meeting of World Psychiatric Association (WPA), Melbourne, Australia, November 2007
• Drug Abuse and HIV/AIDS in South Asia, B M Tripathi, Atul Ambekar, Paper presented in SAARC Conference on Opportunistic Infections, AIIMS, New Delhi, January 2008
• Substance Use related HIV/AIDS in India: An emerging concern, B M Tripathi, Atul Ambekar, Paper presented in International Conference on Biotechnological Approaches to Neuroimmunomodulation and Infectious Diseases, Mohali India, December 2008
• Need for a coordinated response to Drug control in India: Is ‘three-ones’ the answer?, Ravindra Rao, Atul Ambekar, paper presented at the annual conference of International Harm Reduction Association, Bangkok, Thailand, 2009

Research projects, completed / ongoing:
• Reducing risk behaviour among out-of-treatment drug users through Peer led interventions. The project was implemented by the Society for Promotion of Youth and Masses, New Delhi. Dr. Atul Ambekar was involved in the capacity of scientific consultant.
• Size Estimation of Injecting Drug Users at 300 sites in India. The project was implemented by the Society for Promotion of Youth and Masses, New Delhi. Dr. Atul Ambekar was involved in the capacity of scientific consultant.
• Size Estimation of Injecting Drug Users at Punjab and Haryana. The project was implemented by the Society for Promotion of Youth and Masses, New Delhi. Dr. Atul Ambekar was involved in the capacity of scientific consultant.
• Molecular genetics of Alcohol Dependence (ICMR)
• HIV Vulnerability of IDUs, their spouses and children (Plan International and SPYM)
• Situation Assessment of inhalant using street-children in Delhi(WHO, India)
• Development of intervention for inhalant using street-children in Delhi(WHO, India)
• Rapid Situation Assessment (RSA) of substance Use in Meerut, UP (MOHFW, India)
• Rapid Situation Assessment (RSA) of substance Use in Morigaon, Assam(MOHFW, India)
• Mapping of High Risk Groups in Jammu and Kashmir and Tripura(SPYM and NACO, India)
• ‘Developing a Web-portal and internet based intervention for problematic alcohol use’, a multi-country project initiated by the WHO (Geneva), 2010-ongoing,
• Workplace Substance Use Intervention at Indian Oil Corporation,(AOD), Digboi, Assam

Thesis supervised as co-guide: Seven


Significant events:
Was awarded Vidyasagar Gold Medal for best P.G. student in Psychiatry, AIIMS, December 1999


Others:

• Has worked for United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Regional Office for South Asia as Research Officer (September 2003 to December 2005)

• A resource person for training programmes and designing interventions for substance use disorders in various government and NGO institutions such as United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Joint UN programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), National Institute of Criminology and Forensic sciences, Regional Resource Training Centre (SPYM, Delhi), National AIDS Control Organisation, India

• Member of the prestigious global Reference Group for the United Nations on Injecting Drug Use and HIV

• Member of the Technical Resource Group (TRG) on Injecting Drug Use and HIV, National AIDS Control Organisation, India

• Member: Delhi IDU Forum, Government of NCT of Delhi

• Associate Editor of NDDTC Newsletter, Drug Abuse: News and Views