Dennis Hore

Dennis Hore is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry within the Faculty of Science at the University of Victoria. His research bridges fundamental surface science with practical community health applications, particularly in the context of the opioid crisis. With a BSc from McMaster University and PhD from Queen's University followed by postdoctoral training at the University of Oregon, he has established a multidisciplinary research program that combines experimental and theoretical approaches.

His primary research interests include nonlinear optics, vibrational spectroscopy of surfaces, and community drug checking technologies. Dr. Hore's work spans two interconnected domains: biophysical chemistry (focusing on protein adsorption and membrane structure at interfaces) and materials science (examining polymer surface evolution from bulk structure). More recently, his group has developed critical technologies for community-based drug checking in response to North America's overdose crisis, operating through substance.uvic.ca.

His publication record shows strong activity through 2025 with over 100 papers, including high-impact journals like Journal of the American Chemical Society and Analytical Chemistry. The research demonstrates consistent evolution from fundamental interfacial studies toward applied harm reduction technologies, with increasing interdisciplinary collaboration across chemistry, computer science, and public health domains.

Dr. Hore actively supervises numerous graduate students and postdoctoral fellows across chemistry and physics disciplines, with current projects including spectral modeling of drug mixtures, surface structure analysis, and development of real-time drug-checking platforms. His teaching focuses on general, physical, and analytical chemistry, with emphasis on computational approaches for laboratory automation.