Grant: Foundation Grant

<html> <body> <p>In Canada, untreated alcohol and drug addiction contributes to substantial morbidity, mortality and community concerns (e.g., drug crime). Despite the enormous burden of disease attributable to harmful drug use, there remain major challenges in implementing evidence-based prevention and treatment modalities for substance use disorders. This proposal aims to address these urgent concerns by building upon an internationally recognized track record of research involving street-involved youth, people living with HIV/AIDS and people struggling with addiction, which has translated into major health care savings and public health gains for vulnerable populations. Through observational and interventional research investigating novel approaches to substance abuse prevention and treatment for street-involved populations, my research also seeks to continue to serve as a major platform for education and knowledge translation into improved health policies, services and outcomes. The specific objectives of this program are:<br> </p> <ol> <li>To investigate and address health-related harms (e.g., HIV infection) among street-involved youth, and to develop novel strategies to prevent and treat drug addiction among this population;</li> <li>To develop and test novel strategies for improving HIV prevention and treatment programs for HIV-positive and HIV-negative people who use drugs, with the goal of reducing morbidity, mortality and HIV incidence;</li> <li>To conduct addiction clinical trials as part of national and international clinical trial networks in order to identify new therapeutic approaches and interventions for substance misuse, as well as scale up the use of proven interventions in various community settings;</li> <li>To integrate graduate student and clinician research training and fill a research void by training the next generation of scientists in addiction medicine research. &#x2028;</li> </ol> <p>In addition to well established collaborations with an international network of researchers, educators, service providers, policy makers and advocacy groups, the Program Experts for this proposal include interdisciplinary scientists and knowledge users (e.g., Provincial Medical Health Officer, senior staff in the BC Ministry of Health) who are committed to integrating research, treatment, education and knowledge translation toward improving the lives of populations affected by substance use. As Professor of Medicine at the University of British Columbia, where I hold a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Inner City Medicine, I am well positioned to lead this program of research.<br> <br> This research program will continue to build on its track record of excellence in knowledge creation and translation, having already contributed to more than 400 peer-reviewed manuscripts, including publications in top-ranking journals (e.g., <em>JAMA</em>, <em>Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine</em>); presentations to Canadian House of Commons committees; and more than 600 media quotations in high profile lay media (e.g., <em>LA Times, CNN, Globe and Mail</em>). Continuing my commitment to mentorship and career development for more than 100 trainees to date, this program will also seamlessly integrate training for graduate and undergraduate students and clinician researchers in order to fill Canada&rsquo;s void in addiction research. Ultimately, this program&mdash;which scored in the 95th percentile in Phase 1&mdash;will reduce health and social costs by improving health policies, systems and outcomes for populations affected by substance use and related harms.</p> </body> </html>