Remembering Dan Reist

Dan Reist, longtime CISUR scientist and head of our Knowledge Exchange division, passed away September 12 after a battle with cancer.

Dan joined as Director of what was then CARBC’s Communication and Resource Unit in the early days of the research centre nearly 20 years ago. A bit about Dan’s work:

“Dan is quick to acknowledge that evidence is far more than statistics about patterns of use and harm and includes attention to the ways we experience and talk about drugs and drug use in our cultures and communities. Dan has, for over two decades, contributed to policy dialogues in British Columbia related to substance use and addictive behaviours and has participated in many national and international discussions. He is deeply committed to a health promotion approach to substance use. He champions the careful use of language to describe substance use and the related risks and problems and seeks to bridge the ideological divides and professional barriers that have too often undermined effective responses.”

Beyond his work, many of us at CISUR remember Dan as a kind, thoughtful presence. He will be dearly missed.