Researcher profile

Alvaro Castillo-Carniglia

I am a social epidemiologist interested in the intersection of substance abuse, mental health, and public policy. My research focuses mainly on the epidemiology of substance use in Chile and abroad (e.g., Latin America, the US), including analyses of its causes, consequences, and social determinants. I specialize in survey methodology, policy evaluation, and quasi-experimental methods. I have authored over 75 peer-reviewed publications and more than 20 book chapters, monographs, and government reports. I have been the principal investigator of multiple studies to characterize and measure trends of substance use and related problems in Chile, including the National Drug Surveys in schools and the general population. My current research uses advanced statistical methods to model the effects of population-level strategies for preventing and treating substance use and its related consequences. I am a Full Professor at the Department of Public Health at Universidad San Sebastián in Chile and director of the Millennium Nucleus for the Evaluation and Analysis of Drug Policies (nDP), a government-funded research center. I am also an associate editor of the journals Addiction and International Journal of Drug Policy.