Rebecca Haines-Saah, PhD

I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. I am a public health sociologist, with a PhD (2008) in Behavioural Health Sciences and Addiction Studies from the University of Toronto.

My research interests are in public health and harm reduction approaches to substance use and drug policy reform. My recent projects have focused on youth and young adult cannabis use and opioid use, the family contexts of substance use, and parent advocacy for action on Canada’s overdose death emergency.

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Co-Chair

Thea Sheridan-Jonah (she/her)

Thea is a student at the University of British Columbia studying Political Science and First Nations and Indigenous Studies. Thea has been on the board of CSSDP for about 5 years first as a general member, then the treasurer and has served as chair or co-chair for the past 3 years. Thea is also part of the Vancouver chapter and has served as president or co-president for the past four years. Thea is an organizer in so called Vancouver working in broad collectives for justice and abolition for and beyond drug user liberation. Thea also serves on the board of the Pivot Legal Society and a founding member of the Devil’s Club Medic Collective.

Co-Chapter Liaison

Xiaoying Zhang (she/her)

Xiaoying is a Master of Public Health student at the University of British Columbia, specializing in mental health and substance use. Her harm reduction work spans across the academic, public, and nonprofit sectors. In her free time, Xiaoying enjoys reading, running, traveling, and spending time with her cat Sera (for serotonin).

Co-Chair

Azra Panjwani (she/her)

Azra is an MSc student at the University of Alberta’s School of Public Health. Her research focuses on how covid-19 impacted supervised consumption site operations. She is also co-chair of CSSDP’s Edmonton chapter. In her time off, Azra is bouldering, crafting, and working her way through a never-ending list of restaurants to try in Edmonton.

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