Dr Mulka Nisic holds a PhD in Business, Law and Social Sciences specialising in Criminology and Social Justice, and an MSc in Desistance from Crime. Her work focuses on the intersection of substance use and drug related offending, with particular attention to the social and structural factors shaping vulnerability to substance use, crime involvement, as well as pathways toward resilience, recovery, and desistance.
She currently serves as Faith and Youth Project Coordinator at the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP), where she leads global activities under the Faith and Youth Workplan aimed at strengthening the workforce in delivering community and faith-based responses to substance use as well as supporting youth engagement, professional capacity building of early career professionals, and cross-regional and global knowledge exchange.
Over the course of her career, Dr Nisic has contributed to numerous international research and policy initiatives addressing community-based responses to substance use and crime. She has worked collaboratively with governments, universities, international and civil society organisations, and global networks to strengthen evidence-based prevention strategies and recovery-oriented systems of care. She has been working with governments across the Balkans and provided advisory support in relation to their engagement with the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs. Dr Nisic also led a seven-year regional Balkan project focused on addressing marginalisation and improving access to services for disadvantaged populations affected by substance use, including young people, women, people experiencing homelessness, those facing health challenges, and individuals in contact with the criminal justice system.
Dr Nisic was involved in the global consultation process leading up to the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on the World Drug Problem (UNGASS 2016) and has made a significant contribution to its Outcome Document. She has since contributed to international initiatives advocating for evidence-based prevention, treatment, and recovery.
In addition, Dr Nisic has served as Research Impact Officer at the Swedish Drug Policy Centre (NPC / Narkopolitisk Center), where she contributed to national-level research and policy dialogue on substance use, prevention, and recovery. Her recent work with Harvard Medical School’s Recovery Research Institute focused on research examining the experiences of young people in recovery and the factors shaping their recovery pathways. She is also one of the Directors of Inclusive Recovery Cities, an initiative focused on strengthening recovery-oriented ecosystems and community engagement at the city levels.
She is Secretary General of the Recovered Users Network (RUN) and a founding member of the Global Gender Committee within the World Federation Against Drugs, where she works to advance policies and practices that better support women and girls affected by substance use and related health, social and judicial consequences. She has also established women research network contributing to the growing body of research on women in recovery.
Dr Nisic has served on numerous committees and advisory boards and has contributed to policy development processes, including serving on the task force for the Drug Strategy of Bosnia and Herzegovina and on the local strategy for reducing youth involvement in crime.
Dr Nisic has authored and co-authored four books and numerous scientific papers and book chapters, and serves as a peer reviewer for several international academic journals.