Dr. Colman’s research expertise focuses on drug policy evaluation, illicit drug production and supply and the interplay between recovery and desistance, including but not limited to, recovery-oriented practices within the criminal justice system. Her Ph.D as well as her postdoctoral research (FWO Flanders) focused on the role of recovery capital in the desistance process of drug-using offenders.

Charlotte has been involved as a coordinator, senior researcher and expert in several (inter)national multidisciplinary research projects in the area of drug demand and supply and she has published a wide variety of peer-reviewed publications. Charlotte also strives to create an added value to academic research outside the realm of science, aimed at a diversity of external stakeholders including policy makers, professionals and the general public. In 2018, for example, she was a TEDx speaker on the role of community in recovery.

Charlotte has also gained significant (inter)national policy experience, being invited as a plenary speaker and having worked as an expert consultant or a policy expert group member in the area of drug policy (evaluation), recovery and desistance for organisations such as UNODC, OAS/CICAD, EMCDDA.

Dr. Colman teaches several courses related to drug policy, criminal policy and research methods to Bachelor and Master students Criminology and Law at Ghent University.
In 2022, Charlotte has been appointed Belgium’s national drug coordinator and president of the General Drugs Cell.