A/Prof Thileepan Naren is an Addiction Medicine Specialist and General Practitioner with a demonstrated history of working with disadvantaged and marginalised groups. He has special interests in addiction medicine, Aboriginal health, custodial health, public health policy, and medical governance.

A/Prof Naren works at Western Health and cohealth. Through Western Health, he provides clinical services in Addiction Medicine at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre (Victoria’s largest prison for women) and the Hamilton Centre (the Victorian statewide service for people living with mental illness and substance use or addiction). He also works at cohealth Health Works, a primary care service for people who use drugs.

In recognition of the systemic issues relating to the care of people who use drugs in custodial settings, A/Prof Naren led the formation of the National Prison Addiction Medicine Network in August 2023. The network brings together stakeholders across the sector to develop consensus guidelines for the management of addiction in custodial settings and promote evidence-based best-practice healthcare for people in prison through a coordinated national approach.