Rate My Professor Doug Sellman

Emeritus Professor J. Douglas Sellman, commonly known as Doug Sellman, served the University of Otago in the Faculty of Medicine, Christchurch, for 34 years until his retirement in December 2022. He holds the degrees of MB ChB and PhD from the University of Otago, and is a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (FRANZCP) and the Australasian Chapter of Addiction Medicine (FAChAM). Sellman began practicing as a psychiatrist in 1987, combining clinical work with an academic career at the University of Otago, Christchurch. He directed the National Addiction Centre from 1996 to 2017 and was appointed Professor of Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine in the Department of Psychological Medicine from 2006 to 2022, holding a personal chair in the field.

Sellman's research specializations lie in psychiatry and addiction medicine, focusing on addiction treatments, outcomes, and particularly alcohol-related harms and policy reform. Key publications include 'The 10 most important things known about addiction' (2010, Addiction), 'DSM-5 alcoholism: A 60-year perspective' (2014, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry), 'Ten things the alcohol industry won't tell you about alcohol' (2010), 'Alcohol is more harmful than cannabis' (2020, New Zealand Medical Journal), and 'A citizens’ wānanga on alcohol policy in Aotearoa New Zealand' (2024, Contemporary Drug Problems). He received the New Zealand Medical Association's Robinson Award in 2018 for his paper 'Psychosocial enhancement of the Green Prescription for obesity recovery,' recognizing excellence in clinically relevant medical writing. Sellman has influenced New Zealand's academic and public spheres through advocacy as a medical spokesperson for Alcohol Action New Zealand, contributions to alcohol law reform discussions, public lectures, panel discussions such as at the Science Communicators Association of New Zealand conference in 2022, and editorial roles in medical journals. Post-retirement, he maintains a small private clinical practice emphasizing Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples and individuals.