Associate Professor Alan Gijsbers MBBS, FRACP, FAChAM, DTM&H, PGDip Epi.

Alan is a specialist physician in Addiction Medicine, and an honorary clinical associate at the University of Melbourne,Royal Melbourne Hospital Clinical School. He is the first Medical Director of the Addiction Medicine Service at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and Medical Director of the Substance Withdrawal Unit at the Melbourne Clinic Richmond. He is a foundation fellow in the chapter of Addiction Medicine of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. He is past chairman of the Victorian Addiction Inter-hospital Liaison Association (VAILA). He is a Fellow, National Board Member and incoming President of ISCAST National. He has lectured in Science and Faith at Ridley College and the Bible College of Victoria. Alan is a past chairman of the Christian Medical and Dental Fellowship of Australia. He is also national President of HealthServe Australia, an organization of health professionals who seek to provide health and development overseas in the name and spirit of Christ.

Alan is interested in spirituality, addiction, Evidence Based Medicine, scientific methodology and neuroscience. He has published in neuroscience and theology, including: models of mind-brain relationships; understanding self and anthropology; understanding consciousness; the nature of the will; the nature of soul and spirit; monism and dualism; and neurodevelopment and the relation of the emotions to human functioning. Each provides fruitful areas of interaction between science, philosophy and theology, especially as it applies practically in the field of Addiction Medicine.