We are pleased to announce that the 4th Asian Pacific Problem Gambling and Addiction Conference will be held on 8th to 9th May, 2015 in Hong Kong SAR, China. Following the success of previous conferences held in 2005, 2008 and 2011 that were attended by over 1,000 local and overseas practitioners in area of problem gambling and addiction prevention and treatment, the 4th APPGAC will extend the objective to bring collaborative effort in combating the spread of problem gambling and addiction in our communities.
There is a growing number of biochemical, neuroimaging and clinical studies suggesting a strong neurobiological link between behavioral addictions and substance use disorders. Given the substantial co-occurrence of behavioral addictions and substance use disorders, together with comorbid mental health disorders, advancing our understanding in both the neurobiological and psychosocial aspects of these disorders will improve the development of effective prevention and treatment strategies.
With this in mind, we have chosen the conference theme of "Neurological and Psychosocial Aspects of Gambling Disorder and Addiction" this year. The aims of this conference include advancing the knowledge on disordered gambling and addiction as well as creating a platform for interdisciplinary collaborations across the fields of addiction treatment professional.
We look forward to seeing you at the 4th APPGAC. With your participation and commitment, we will surely have another successful and meaningful conference.
Prof. Daniel Tan-lei Shek, BSSc, PhD, FHKPS, BBS, SBS, JP
Chairman, Organizing Committee, 4th APPGAC 2015
Associate Vice President (Undergraduate Programme),
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University