News & events

Karen Urbanoski is the Faculty of Health’s inaugural Lansdowne Scholar in Public Health. A professor in the School of Public Health and Social Policy at the University of Victoria, Urbanoski held the tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Substance Use, Addictions and Health Services for two terms, ending in late 2025. She is also a scientist with the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at UVic and served as acting associate dean research for the Faculty of Human and Social Development during the transition to the Faculty of Health. Here, Urbanoski talks about what drew her to study substance use and how her research has evolved to inform policy in the context of a public health crisis that has killed more than 56,000 Canadians, including nearly 19,000 people in BC.

A leading scholar and influential voice in her field, Cecilia Benoit has made vital contributions to informed policy debates on sex work, maternal care and health equity. Her efforts to challenge stigma and elevate evidence-based research have helped move Canadian policymakers toward meaningful change. But Benoit’s legacy also goes beyond shaping policy in Canada for some of society’s most marginalized groups. She has been a lifelong mentor to many scholars over the years and has always lifted the voices of the communities she works with.

A new paper led by researchers at University of Victoria’s Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR) contributes to mounting evidence that alcohol use can cause pancreatic cancer.

The Office of the Provincial Health Officer on Wednesday released Living Well, Drinking Less: Reducing Alcohol Harms in BC, a report documenting alcohol’s impact on British Columbians that drew on research expertise and data from the University of Victoria’s (UVic) Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR).

CISUR scientists Tim Stockwell and Jinhui Zhao are authors of a new commentary that is skeptical of alcohol's heart health benefits.

CISUR post-doc James Clay is one of several UVic scientists participating in Science Meets Parliament at the BC Legislature.

The biggest declines in drug-related offences and charges in Victoria came well before BC implemented its decriminalization pilot, according to a new analysis from researchers at the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR).

Andrea Figueroa is completing a Master of Public Health at UVic with a focus on Indigenous health. They are originally from Chile and are currently based in Tiohtià:ke/Montreal. Figueroa works as a registered nurse in harm reduction services. Their graduate degree took them from working at supervised consumption sites in Montreal to collaborating with community-based harm reduction services in Mexicali, Mexico, and San Francisco, USA.

Read CISUR's annual report for 2024/25.

Dr. Hadland will review the landscape of substance use and overdose among adolescents and young adults, highlighting key epidemiologic trends and the unique risks youth face. The talk will provide practical guidance on safe opioid prescribing practices that balance effective pain management with safety considerations. Finally, Dr. Hadland will review evidence-based strategies for prevention, screening, treatment, and harm reduction tailored to young people.

A recent publication by researchers at the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research has shed light on alcohol industry lobbying of Canada’s federal government.

One or more scholarships are awarded to academically outstanding graduate students whose focus of research builds and supports community-wide knowledge that promotes wellbeing with reference to substance use and mental health.

A new study, published in Addiction, shines a light on how industries associated with health harms—such as tobacco, fossil fuels, and in this case, alcohol—can distort the evaluation of scientific research through industry-friendly commentary.

This year’s recipient of the Harold Johnson Award is Bryany Denning. Join us in presenting her with this award and hear more about her work on alcohol policy in the Northwest Territories at 10am Wednesday, June 4 on campus at UVic.

A new report from Sarah Littlechild uses auto-ethnographic and Indigenous approaches to consider how decolonial and Indigenous harm reduction could apply to drug checking.

British Columbians are consuming less alcohol than they have since the turn of the millennium.

Congrats to Drs. Bruce Wallace and Dennis Hore for winning the Confederation of University Faculty Associations of British Columbia (CUFA BC) Ehor Boyanowsky Academic of the Year Award for their work on the Substance drug checking project.

Learn more about Substance Drug Checking Project alumni.