In each Connections we ask someone from the alcohol and other drugs sector to share a little about their work and life. Let us introduce you to Dr Kirrilly Thompson, NCETA’s Senior Research Fellow.
Conversation with... Kirrilly Thompson
March 2026
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I'd originally planned to work... It’s a mixed bag! I remember doing sit ups in the loungeroom while my parents watched ABC news when I wanted to join the army and needed to see if I would pass the initial fitness check. Before I fixed my PhD research (cultural anthropology) on mounted bullfighting in Southern Spain, I was considering studying rave culture in Australia.
I'm really terrible at... cooking meals for myself.
I wish I’d never… dwell on things I can’t change.
I’ll never forget… collecting my dog and finding out that she was born on the same day as me.
I can’t get enough of… my Tenterfield Terrier, Angel.
If I had more time, I'd... spend it with my family.
This weekend I will… ride my horse, visit family and march to demand an end to native forest logging and forest mining nationwide.
My goal for 2025 is... to keep smelling every rose bush I pass and to keep watching birds enjoying their lives.
For my next holiday…. I haven’t been back to Southern Spain since my PhD fieldwork and the nag of nostalgia gest stronger and stronger – especially when I watch Spanish movies. Maybe for my next significant birthday…
Career wise, I’m most proud of... the impact of my DECRA project looking at how we can motivate natural disaster preparedness by leveraging people’s desire to save their pets (involving fellow AOD researcher Josh Trigg). It reconfigured what had traditionally been seen as a risk factor for preparedness and survival (animal ownership) to a protective factor. I worked with ideas of the irrelevant motivator (at least what seems irrelevant to others) and things that are extensions of human selves (children, pets, homes, possessions,). I think we can achieve a lot in behaviour change by paying attention to what matters to people most - and not assuming it is their own health and safety.
The qualities I most value in my colleagues are… curiosity and believing in one another.
The sector's biggest challenge going forward is… Stigma is always front and centre. But also making meaningful gains in prevention and harm reduction when funding, evaluation and success metrics prioritise treatment.
My big hope for the drug and alcohol sector is… that we create a strong sense of community and belonging across the entire workforce.
