Biography
Dr. Fischer is a leading scholar in the areas of psychoactive substance use, mental health, chronic disease, public health and policy. His interdisciplinary work primarily focuses on the epidemiology, and health and social correlates and outcomes of psychoactive substance use, as well as evidence-based (prevention and treatment) interventions and public policy, and he has led major research teams and projects in these areas.
Dr. Fischer has made major scientific contributions specifically in the areas of cannabis, opioids and psychostimulants use and harms. He is the lead investigator of the ‘Lower-Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines’ (LRCUG) project, as well as a co-author of the book ‘Drug Policy and the Public Good’ (Babor et al. 2018/OUP). Dr. Fischer has in excess of 400 scientific publications in his name. He has held leading (e.g., CIHR/PHAC-funded) research chairs in the above thematic areas, and is a former director of CARMHA. He has current academic affiliations with the School of Population Health, University of Auckland (New Zealand), the Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto (Canada) and the Department of Psychiatry, Federal University of Sao Paulo (Brazil). He regularly consults with governments and related entities in different countries on issues of his scientific expertise.
Featured Project
The ‘Lower-Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines’ (LRCUG) is an evidence-based, targeted prevention tool aiming to reduce the risks for health harm among individuals using cannabis. The project was originally conceived in 2010; the most recently updated version of the LRCUG was developed by a multi-national team of scientific experts and published in 2020. The LRCUG have produced multiple ‘knowledge translation’ products for consumers and professionals, and have been utilized by leading substance use, health and governmental entities in Canada and abroad. Link:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395921002863