UBC experts on 10 years of the toxic drug crisis

Mar 31, 2026

On April 14, it will be 10 years since B.C.’s provincial health officer declared the toxic drug crisis to be a public health emergency. UBC experts are available to comment.

Dr. Paxton Bach

(He/Him/His)

Clinical Assistant Professor, Dept. of Medicine

Phone: 604-652-9979

Email: paxton.bach@bccsu.ubc.ca

Interview languages: English

Expertise:

opioid use disorder and treatment
harm reduction and overdose prevention efforts
toxic drug supply
epidemiology of the toxic drug crisis

Michael Curry, LLB/JD, MD, CCFP(EM), FCLM, FCFP

Clinical Associate Professor, Dept. of Emergency Medicine

Phone: 780-965-2220

Email: michael.curry@ubc.ca

Interview languages: English

Expertise:

front line emergency physician who has managed many drug overdoses including some mass overdoses

*Intermittent availability depending on clinical duties

Dr. Danya Fast

(She/Her/Hers)

Associate Professor, Dept. of Medicine

Phone: 604-317-5976 (text first)

Email: danya.fast@ubc.ca

Interview languages: English

Expertise:

youth, homelessness/housing
harm reduction
treatment (beds, medications)
recovery/healing
how youth move through systems and services across time

Dr. Trevor Goodyear, RN, MSN, MPH, PhD

(He/Him/His)

Assistant Professor, School of Nursing

phone: 613-513-5531

Email: trevor.goodyear@ubc.ca

Interview languages: English

Expertise:

youth substance use
2S/LGBTQ+ people and substance use
harm reduction
involuntary treatment
homelessness

*Reduced availability April 3-10

Emily Jenkins, PhD, MPH, RN

Associate Professor, School of Nursing

Phone: 604-822-4980

Email: emily.jenkins@ubc.ca

Interview languages: English

Expertise:

youth mental health
youth substance use

Dr. Eugenia Oviedo-Joekes

(She/Her/Hers)

Professor, School of Population and Public Health

Email: eugenia.joekes@ubc.ca (email in advance to arrange interviews)

Interview languages: English, Spanish

Expertise:

person-centred care in addiction and public health
alternative treatment options including injectable opioid agonist treatment (iOAT)

*unavailable in late afternoons

Dr. Anthony Phillips, CM

Professor, Dept. of Psychiatry

Phone: 778-822-4624

Email: aphillips@psych.ubc.ca

Interview languages: English

Expertise:

translational medicine for the development of new medications for treatment of substance use disorders, including synthetic opioids such as fentanyl
brain mechanisms involved in addiction

*unavailable April 1-8