UBC PhD candidate in the School of Population and Public Health, Stephanie Lake, is one of two recipients of the prestigious 2017 Pierre Elliott Trudeau Doctoral Scholarship. To date, there are 23 recipients of the scholarship since its inception.
Each year, up to 15 Trudeau Scholarships are awarded by the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation to support doctoral students pursuing research in one or more of the four themes: Human Rights and Dignity, Responsible Citizenship, Canada in the World and People, and their Natural Environment. Trudeau Scholars are highly gifted individuals who are actively engaged in their fields and expected to become leading national and international figures.
Stephanie Lake is pursuing her doctoral degree to focus on the implications the impending legalization of cannabis in Canada may have on the growing opioid crisis. Her research explores the links between the access to and use of cannabis, the use opioids, health service utilization, and drug-related morbidity among drug users in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Stephanie’s supervisor, Dr. Jane Buxton, Associate Professor, SPPH says that “Stephanie is an outstanding student who combines her exceptional academic ability with a commitment for mentoring and advocacy. She is an independent young scientist who will influence future drug policy.”
“I am thrilled to see Stephanie honoured by the Trudeau Foundation, not only because her research tackles a difficult scientific question but also because it holds the potential to directly impact government policy and contribute to the public health response to the overdose crisis.” Dr. M-J Milloy, Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine