Heather Palis

Dr. Heather Palis is a Senior Scientist at the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) and Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC) School of Population and Public Health. Her work focuses on harm reduction strategies, substance use services, and pharmacological treatments for opioid and stimulant use disorders.

• MSc and PhD in Population and Public Health from UBC
• Postdoctoral Fellowships: UBC Institute of Mental Health Marshall Fellowship, Health Research BC, CIHR

Dr. Palis specializes in:

• Overdose prevention during public health emergencies
• Implementation of harm reduction interventions
• Pharmacological treatment effectiveness analysis
• Administrative health data linkage for population studies
• Substance use patterns among marginalized populations

Her recent publications examine:

• Trends in opioid/stimulant co-prescribing
• Impact of decriminalization policies
• Injectable opioid agonist treatment preferences
• Toxic drug supply effects on health outcomes

Scientific Awards:

• UBC Institute of Mental Health Marshall Fellowship
• Health Research BC Trainee Award
• CIHR Postdoctoral Fellowship

Dr. Palis collaborates with multidisciplinary teams at BCCDC and UBC, focusing on:

• Overdose public health emergency response
• Safe supply program evaluation
• Post-incarceration substance use support
• Equity-focused harm reduction implementation