Dr. Geoff Bardwell

Biography

Geoff Bardwell is an Assistant Professor in the School of Public Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo. He specializes in drug policy research, focusing on community drug strategies and public health interventions. His work predominantly takes place in smaller urban, rural, remote, Northern, and Indigenous communities. Bardwell has a social scientist background, with expertise in qualitative, mixed methods, and community-based research. He examines the harms associated with drug use, such as blood-borne infections and overdose, but is also interested in the pleasure and culture surrounding drug use. Bardwell critiques the often negative perspective that public health research takes regarding drug use and seeks to explore alternative viewpoints that highlight the experiences and benefits of drugs. With years of direct service and policy experience in substance use, addictions, housing, homelessness, and HIV/AIDS, he has gained valuable insights into the lives of people who use drugs, further inspiring his focus on drug policy research. He currently accepts graduate students whose research aligns with drug policy and community strategies.

Research Interests