This is U-FOLD's program at Almedalen Week 2023

Farm sales of alcohol, Gambling addiction during recession and the role of Artificial Intelligence in facing the challenges of drug dependence are some of the topics in focus for U-FOLD’s seminars at Almedalen Week 2023. "We are traveling to Visby to higlight a number of crcuial challenges," states Mathias Hallberg, Dean at the Faculty of Pharmacy and chair of U-FOLD.

(Image removed) Almedal Week is a natural arena for U-FOLD, says chair Mathias Hallberg.

U-FOLD has presented its program at Almedalen Week 2023. With a total of five seminars, Uppsala University's Forum for Research on Drug and Pharmaceutical Addiction will highlight a number of current challenges in the field, as usual topped with presentations and contributions from several distinguished panels. This summer's involvement in Visby will be the ninth consecutive Almedalen week for U-FOLD.

“Our forum has experienced an intense season with several well-attended meeting places. Our winter seminar was fully booked within 24 hours, and the follow-up seminar in the Uppsala University Main Auditorium generated many good conversations that we are now ready to lift to a national level. In this context, Almedal Week is a natural arena for us to operate at,” says Mathias Hallberg, Professor and chair of U-FOLD.

U-FOLD will kick off its engagement in Visby on Tuesday 27 June by focusing on farm sales of alcohol: An effective way to benefit tourism and create jobs – or a legal impossibility if Sweden is to retain the retail monopoly on alcohol? The question is arousing an increasingly intense political debate, and the panel will include, among others, Håkan Leifman, researcher at Karolinska Institutet and Malin Sandquist, Systembolaget's head of Sustainability and Communication. On Wednesday, U-FOLD highlights drugs, mental illness, violence and gang crime, a dangerous cocktail that has in a short time established itself among our nation’s greatest challenges.

(Image removed) Fred Nyberg, Senior Professor, U-FOLD

“Violence and organized crime have become an unwelcome part of our Swedish everyday life. Last year, a terrifying record was reported when 63 people were shot to death, and we know that weapons, violence and drug trafficking are often closely linked. This is a recurring theme at U-FOLD's meeting places and likely something we will have to face for a long time to come,” says Fred Nyberg, Senior professor and Advisor at U-FOLD.

On Friday 30 June, the forum addresses one of the hottest scientific topics of our time: Artificial Intelligence. Used correctly, the self-learning machines can strengthen society's capacity to quickly identify and classify newly designed drugs. There are also examples of how the new technology improves the contact between patient and caregiver during dependence treatment.

“The development offers fantastic opportunities, but is not entirely without challenges. For example, how can we know for sure that care recommendations performed by self-learning systems are based on representative data? And how do we maintain trust between patient and physician when both technology and treatments become increasingly complex? In Visby, we will gather experts and policy makers from different areas of the fields of addiction in order to provide new inspiration in our future work,” says Mathias Hallberg.

FACTS U-FOLD

  • Is Uppsala University's Forum for Research on Drug and Pharmaceutical Addiction.
  • Was inaugurated in Uppsala in 2011 as a regional gathering of expertise against the challenges of addiction.
  • Currently gathers about twenty organisations that work together for a better society.

U-FOLD AT ALMEDALEN WEEK 2023

27 juni, 14.30–15.30 Risker eller möjligheter med gårdsförsäljning?
28 juni, 09.30–10.30 Droger, psykisk ohälsa och våld
28 juni, 16.00–17.00 Droger och gängkriminalitet
29 juni, 09.30–10.30 Spelberoende under tider med lågkonjunktur
30 juni, 14.30–15.30 Kan AI bidra till minskad droganvändning och bättre behandling?

CONTACT

(Image removed) Mathias Hallberg, Chair, U-FOLD
Professor & Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy
Mathias.Hallberg@farmbio.uu.se

(Image removed) Fred Nyberg, Senior advisor, U-FOLD
Senior Professor, Faculty of Pharmacy
Fred.Nyberg@farmbio.uu.se

text: Magnus Alsne, photo: Mikael Wallerstedt m fl

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