Faculty profile

Brian Rush

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ProfessorEpidemiology DivisionUniversity of Toronto

Brian Rush

Professor

Epidemiology Division

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

University of Toronto

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Supervision signals

Professors usually supervise graduate students in their department's programs.
30 publications in the last five years, latest in 2026.
Senior (last) author on 9 recent papers, a sign of leading a research group.
Principal investigator on 4 research grants (4 CIHR), most recently in 2011.
Supervised 2 trainees who won CIHR awards, most recently in 2009.

These signals come from public records, including CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions. Ask the professor or the graduate program whether they are taking new students.

Academic metrics

Publications

242

Citations

h-index

Collaborators

Grants

Publications by year

Counts cover the works listed on the university profile; citation counts come from Dimensions.

Profiles and links

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Signals and details

Research

Read how they describe their research on their University of Toronto profile.

Latest papers

Policy pathways and historical insights: Canada's evolving approach to psychedelic access for end-of-life distress.
The International journal on drug policy · 2026 · senior author
Making sense of desperation for treatment in decisions to use psychedelics for depression and anxiety: A qualitative Subreddit study anticipating clinical challenges.
General hospital psychiatry · 2026
Examining associations between patient experience and post-treatment recovery outcomes among individuals who completed an inpatient addiction treatment program.
Journal of substance use and addiction treatment · 2026 · first author

All 73 publications

Latest funding

Quality care for all: A system-level evaluation of performance and equity in addiction treatment
CIHR · 2012 · Co-investigator
$149,110
Five views on a journey: Developing a systems model of treatment and care for mental health, substance use and violence problems
CIHR · 2011 · Principal investigator
$349,998
Stigma and Discrimination of Indigenous Youth with Mental Health and/or Substance Use Problems
CIHR · 2009 · Nominated PI
$21,981

All 8 grants and awards

73 publications.

Policy pathways and historical insights: Canada's evolving approach to psychedelic access for end-of-life distress.

Kratina S, Schwartz R, Strike C, Lo C, Rush B

The International journal on drug policy2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2026.105414 PMID: 42407184

Making sense of desperation for treatment in decisions to use psychedelics for depression and anxiety: A qualitative Subreddit study anticipating clinical challenges.

Kryszajtys DT, Strike CJ, Rush B, Bender JL

General hospital psychiatry2026

DOI: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2026.02.002 PMID: 41691906

Examining associations between patient experience and post-treatment recovery outcomes among individuals who completed an inpatient addiction treatment program.

Rush B, Taisir R, Costello J

Journal of substance use and addiction treatment2026First author

DOI: 10.1016/j.josat.2026.209980 PMID: 42035891

A scoping review of variations in psychedelic interventions for psychological suffering associated with the end of life.

Kratina S, Strike C, Schwartz R, Nayfeh A, Jopling S, Lo C, Rush B

Social science & medicine (1982)2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118536 PMID: 41389648

Indigenous Knowledge Systems & Psychedelic Science: Towards Ethical and Reciprocal Collaboration.

Magar V, Robbins M, Fernández Lobo Blanco ÓML, Ali IL, Anderson B, Grob C, Henningfield JE, Kryskow P, Kuiper H, Loizaga-Velder A, Rush B, Volat M, Iron Rope S

Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)2026

DOI: 10.1177/02698811251387104 PMID: 41618525

Psychedelics for the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders: A Narrative Review of the Literature.

Marcus O, Rush B

Substance use & addiction journal2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1177/29767342251351123 PMID: 40882971

A protocol for a scoping review of variations among psychedelic interventions for psychological suffering associated with the end-of-life.

Kratina S, Strike C, Schwartz R, Nayfeh A, Jopling S, Lo C, Rush B

PloS one2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0318343 PMID: 40327705

Complex decision-making of people's use of opioid agonist therapy during pregnancy: Troubling the concept of 'non-compliance'.

Schmidt RA, Perez-Brumer A, Kaminski N, Smoke A, Gyan-Mante A, George N, Gomes T, Rush B, Strike C

Social science & medicine (1982)2025

DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118041 PMID: 40187074

Diagnostic validity of drinking behaviour for identifying alcohol use disorder: Findings from a representative sample of community adults and an inpatient clinical sample

Garber ML, Samokhvalov A, Chorny Y, LaBelle O, Rush B, Costello J, MacKillop J

Addiction20253 citations

DOI: 10.1111/add.70037

Rasch analysis of DSM‐5 alcohol use disorder in a large inpatient sample

Britton EM, Taisir R, Remers S, Chorny Y, Gendy M, Costello MJ, Rush B, MacKillop J

Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research20251 citations

DOI: 10.1111/acer.70029

Quality care for all: A system-level evaluation of performance and equity in addiction treatment

Co-investigatorCIHR2012Operating Grant

Principal investigators: Urbanoski, Karen A

Keywords: Addiction Treatment; Evaluation; Health Services Research; Longitudinal Analysis; Multilevel Modeling; Service Equity; Systems Research; Treatment Process

$149,110

Five views on a journey: Developing a systems model of treatment and care for mental health, substance use and violence problems

Principal investigatorCIHR2011Partnerships for Health System Improvement (PHSI)

Principal investigators: Graham, Kathryn (Kate) M; George, Diane; Medulun Burke, Norma; Moore, Robert; O'Shea, Mike A; Phinney, Marshall; Rehm, Jürgen T; Rush, Brian R; Wells, Samantha L

Keywords: Addiction; Health System; Mental Health; Violence

$349,998

Stigma and Discrimination of Indigenous Youth with Mental Health and/or Substance Use Problems

Nominated PICIHR2009Meetings, Planning and Dissemination Grant: Aboriginal Peoples' Health

Principal investigators: Rush, Brian R; Dell, Colleen A; Kakuma, Ritsuko

Keywords: Indigenous Youth; Mental Illness; Stigma And Discrimination; Substance Abuse (Solvent); Treatment

$21,981

Developing and Testing a Model to Evaluate Collaborative Mental Health Services in Primary Care Systems in Latin America.

SupervisorCIHR2009Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

Principal investigators: Sapag Muñoz De La Peña, Jaime Camilo

Keywords: Collaborative Mental Health; Evaluation Framework; Latin America; Mental Health And Addiction; Mix Methods; Primary Health Care

$105,000

Developing and Testing a Model to Evaluate Collaborative Mental Health Services in Primary Care Systems in Latin America.

SupervisorCIHR2009Doctoral Research Award - Prize: Knowledge Translation Supplement

Principal investigators: Sapag Muñoz De La Peña, Jaime Camilo

Keywords: Collaborative Mental Health; Evaluation Framework; Latin America; Mental Health And Addiction; Mix Methods; Primary Health Care

$5,000

CIHR Team in Innovations in Child and Youth Concurrent Disorders

Principal investigatorCIHR2009Emerging Team Grant: Co-morb of brain disorders & other health problems-full

Principal investigators: Beitchman, Joseph H; Henderson, Jo; McMain, Shelley F; Rush, Brian R; Wolfe, David A

Keywords: Children; Co-Morbidities: Psychiatric & Substance Use Disorders; Developmental Trajectories & Longitudinal Studies; Effective Treatments; Innovative Models Of Service Delivery; Knowledge Translation & Exchange; Youth & Families

$1,094,706

Mitigating risk and creating effective treatments: Improving services to children and youth with co-morbidities through discovery, collaboration, innovation, and integration

Principal investigatorCIHR2008Emerging Team Grant: Co-morbidity of brain disorders & other health problems-LOI

Principal investigators: Beitchman, Joseph H; Henderson, Jo; McMain, Shelley F; Rush, Brian R; Wolfe, David A

Keywords: Children; Co-Morbidities: Psychiatric & Substance Use Disorders; Developmental Trajectories; Effective Treatments; Innovative Models Of Service Delivery; Knowledge Translation & Exchange; Youth & Families

$5,000

CIHR Emerging Team Grant in Concurrent Mental Health and Addictive Disorders

Co-investigatorCIHR2008Emerging Team Grant: Co-morbidity of brain disorders & other health problems-LOI

Principal investigators: George, Tony P

Keywords: Biobehavioural Mechanisms; Concurrent Disorders; Knowledge Translation; Psychosis; Transdisciplinary

$5,000

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Profile data last refreshed on September 25, 2026 from the university directory, publication records and CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding.

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Brian Rush

Research

Latest papers

Latest funding

Policy pathways and historical insights: Canada's evolving approach to psychedelic access for end-of-life distress.

Making sense of desperation for treatment in decisions to use psychedelics for depression and anxiety: A qualitative Subreddit study anticipating clinical challenges.

Examining associations between patient experience and post-treatment recovery outcomes among individuals who completed an inpatient addiction treatment program.

A scoping review of variations in psychedelic interventions for psychological suffering associated with the end of life.

Indigenous Knowledge Systems & Psychedelic Science: Towards Ethical and Reciprocal Collaboration.

Psychedelics for the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders: A Narrative Review of the Literature.

A protocol for a scoping review of variations among psychedelic interventions for psychological suffering associated with the end-of-life.

Complex decision-making of people's use of opioid agonist therapy during pregnancy: Troubling the concept of 'non-compliance'.

Diagnostic validity of drinking behaviour for identifying alcohol use disorder: Findings from a representative sample of community adults and an inpatient clinical sample

Rasch analysis of DSM‐5 alcohol use disorder in a large inpatient sample

Frequent collaborators

James MacKillop

Carol Strike

Shannon Remers

Karen Urbanoski

Karen Urbanoski

Daniel Vigo

Christopher Mushquash

Lakshmi Yatham

Karen Urbanoski

Andriy Samokhvalov

Robert Schwartz

Anne Gadermann

Tara Gomes

Scott Veldhuizen

Dominique Morisano

Ayah Nayfeh

Sabrina Syan

Amaya Perez-Brumer

Nikki Bozinoff

Gloria Chaim

Norman Giesbrecht

Jaime Sapag

Sheryl Spithoff

Bonnie Kirsh

Samantha Wells