Faculty profile

Samantha Wells

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ProfessorClinical Public Health DivisionUniversity of Toronto

Samantha Wells

Professor

Clinical Public Health 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.
43 publications in the last five years, latest in 2026.
Senior (last) author on 10 recent papers, a sign of leading a research group.
Principal investigator on 8 research grants (8 CIHR), most recently in 2026.

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

Citations

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Collaborators

Grants

Publications by year

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

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Signals and details

Research

Mental Health Indigenous Health Community-Driven Care Pathways Cultural Safety Hospital Based Care Indigenous Methodologies Patient, Family And Staff Experiences

Latest papers

Nonmedical Use of Prescription Opioids: Use to Experience Subjective Effects Versus Other Nonmedical Use Among Adults in Ontario, Canada From 2020 to 2024.
Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs · 2026
Understanding opioid use within the substance use journeys of adults receiving treatment: a qualitative study protocol of the participant-led timeline mapping approach.
BMJ open · 2026
The Pathways Project: Exploring Substance Use Trajectories and Opioid-Related Outcomes in Adults Seeking Support for Substance Use Health.
Substance use & misuse · 2026

All 85 publications

Latest funding

Actioning Health Justice: Gathering Experiences to Enhance Indigenous Cultural Safety within a Mental Health Hospital
CIHR · 2026 · Nominated PI
$1,340,089
Extreme heat risks and resilience among women caregivers experiencing poverty - A participatory, mixed methods study in urban Canada
SSHRC · 2026 · Co-investigator
$99,586
"Bro, stop trying." Engaging youth to advance knowledge about the role of social status and peer dynamics in sexual aggression perpetration and bystander intervention in drinking venues
SSHRC · 2025 · Co-investigator
$103,059

All 24 grants and awards

85 publications.

Nonmedical Use of Prescription Opioids: Use to Experience Subjective Effects Versus Other Nonmedical Use Among Adults in Ontario, Canada From 2020 to 2024.

Nigatu YT, Wells S, Buckley L, Quilty LC, Bozinoff N, Ali F, Imtiaz S, Hamilton HA

Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs2026

DOI: 10.15288/jsad.25-00213 PMID: 41273246

Understanding opioid use within the substance use journeys of adults receiving treatment: a qualitative study protocol of the participant-led timeline mapping approach.

Estrella MJ, Wells S, Foy R, Quilty L, Bozinoff N, Buckley L, Lincoln S, Patenaude S, Ali F

BMJ open2026

DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-112442 PMID: 41611461

The Pathways Project: Exploring Substance Use Trajectories and Opioid-Related Outcomes in Adults Seeking Support for Substance Use Health.

Quilty LC, Otevwe O, Picco CZD, Sanches M, Ali F, Beyraghi N, Bozinoff N, Rehm J, Russell C, Wells S, Buckley L

Substance use & misuse2026

DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2026.2711400 PMID: 42760287

Climate change experiences among women with psychiatric illness - a qualitative exploration of lived experiences and service needs.

Xue S, Lacap LM, Hawke LD, Munro C, Husain MI, Wells S, Umer M, Pasricha S, Kidd SA

Social science & medicine (1982)2026

DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2026.119619 PMID: 42492186

Socio-economic factors associated with alcohol and cannabis use across waves of the COVID-19 pandemic: an intersectional analysis of a repeated cross-sectional survey.

Somé NH, Imtiaz S, Wells S, de Oliveira C, Hamilton HA, Ali S, Elton-Marshall T, Rehm J, Shield K

BMC public health2025

DOI: 10.1186/s12889-025-25423-z PMID: 41257732

Experiences and barriers to alcohol use disorder treatment among adults with and without self-reported executive functioning challenges: A mixed-methods study.

Russell C, Wiese JL, Ruocco AC, Bozinoff N, Gonzalez R, Jennings S, Leyton M, Nikolova YS, Orson J, Potenza MN, Quilty LC, Shield KD, Verdejo-Garcia A, Wells S, Lange S, CDiA Program Study Group

Alcohol, clinical & experimental research2025

DOI: 10.1111/acer.70154 PMID: 40890992

"I want to hear you talk with your heart": perspectives on receiving and providing mental wellness supports during the COVID-19 pandemic within a First Nation community in Canada.

Brubacher LJ, Tanner B, George N, Bernards S, Morton Ninomiya ME, Cornect-Benoit A, Linklater R, Wells S

BMC public health2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1186/s12889-025-23723-y PMID: 40814043

A clarion call to the addiction science community: It's time to resist the anti-scientific policies of the US Trump administration.

Babor TF, Adinoff B, Clark L, Crockford D, Demetrovics Z, Dietze P, Fallu JS, Gainsbury S, Gilchrist G, Gorelick DA, Graham K, Grebely J, Heim D, Hellman M, Laslett AM, McCuistian C, Miovsky M, Morojele NK, Moskalewicz J, Obot IS, Pates R, Room R, Rychert M, Sultan A, Treloar C, Turner NE, Wells S, Williams EC, Witkiewitz K

Journal of behavioral addictions2025

DOI: 10.1556/2006.2025.00033 PMID: 40392616

Cognitive Dysfunction in the Addictions (CDiA): protocol for a neuron-to-neighbourhood collaborative research program.

Nikolova YS, Ruocco AC, Felsky D, Lange S, Prevot TD, Vieira E, Voineskos D, Wardell JD, Blumberger DM, Clifford K, Naik Dharavath R, Gerretsen P, Hassan AN, Hope IM, Irwin SH, Jennings SK, Le Foll B, Melamed O, Orson J, Pangarov P, Quigley L, Russell C, Shield K, Sloan ME, Smoke A, Tang V, Valdes Cabrera D, Wang W, Wells S, Wickramatunga R, Sibille E, Quilty LC

Frontiers in psychiatry2025

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1455968 PMID: 40462873

A clarion call to the addiction science community: It's time to resist the anti-scientific policies of the US Trump administration.

Babor TF, Adinoff B, Clark L, Crockford D, Demetrovics Z, Dietze P, Fallu JS, Gainsbury S, Gilchrist G, Gorelick DA, Graham K, Heim D, Hellman M, Laslett AM, McCuistian C, Miovsky M, Morojele NK, Moskalewicz J, Obot IS, Pates R, Room R, Rychert M, Sultan A, Treloar C, Turner NE, Wells S, Williams EC, Witkiewitz K, Grebely J

Nordisk alkohol- & narkotikatidskrift : NAT2025

DOI: 10.1177/14550725251325970 PMID: 40190408

Actioning Health Justice: Gathering Experiences to Enhance Indigenous Cultural Safety within a Mental Health Hospital

Nominated PICIHR2026Project Grant

Principal investigators: Wells, Samantha L; Linklater, Renee

Keywords: Care Pathways; Cultural Safety; Hospital Based Care; Indigenous Methodologies; Mental Health; Patient, Family And Staff Experiences

$1,340,089

Extreme heat risks and resilience among women caregivers experiencing poverty - A participatory, mixed methods study in urban Canada

Co-investigatorSSHRC2026Insight Development Grants

Principal investigators: Xue, Siqi

$99,586

"Bro, stop trying." Engaging youth to advance knowledge about the role of social status and peer dynamics in sexual aggression perpetration and bystander intervention in drinking venues

Co-investigatorSSHRC2025Insight Grants

Principal investigators: Dumas, Tara M.

$103,059

International Network on the Prevention of Harms from the Consumption of Community and Home-Brewed Alcohol among Indigenous Peoples and Communities with Tribal Organization

Co-investigatorCIHR2024Planning and Dissemination Grant - Institute Community Support

Principal investigators: Shield, Kevin D; Crépault, Jean-François

Keywords: Alcohol Harm Reduction; Communities With Tribal Organization; Community-Led Alcohol Research And Policy; Indigenous Peoples; Public Health; Sex And/Or Gender; Unrecorded Alcohol Consumption

$9,600

International Network on the Formulation and Communication of Guidance on Alcohol Use and Health

Co-investigatorCIHR2024Planning and Dissemination Grant - Institute Community Support

Principal investigators: Shield, Kevin D; Agic, Branka

Keywords: Alcohol; Guidelines; Public Health

$18,035

Facing Climate Change in Poverty: Generating a Complex Systems Model at the Climate Change-Poverty-Health Nexus

Co-investigatorCIHR2023Catalyst Grant: CPHO Report - General Pool

Principal investigators: Kidd, Sean A

Keywords: Climate Change; Health Equity; Lived Experience; Poverty; Systems

$125,000

The First Nations Wellness Initiative (FNWI): Strengthening, Expanding and Sharing Community-Driven Approaches

Nominated PICIHR2022Project Grant

Principal investigators: Wells, Samantha L; Linklater, Renee

Keywords: Community-Driven; Indigenous Health; Mental Health; Participatory Action Research; Substance Use And Addiction; Wellness Strategies

$2,076,976

Addressing the Wider Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health and Substance Use in Canada

Co-investigatorCIHR2021Op. Gr.: Addr. Wider Impacts of COVID-Imp. on social/econ/pop iss/pbl outcomes

Principal investigators: Chaiton, Michael O; Hamilton, Hayley A; Shield, Kevin D

Keywords: Cost-Effectiveness; Covid-19; Digital Interventions; Intersectionality; Mental Health; Population-Based; Substance Use

$497,822

Digital Human-Based Brief Interventions for Harmful Alcohol Use: The PAHOLA project

Co-investigatorCIHR2021Catalyst Grant: Quadruple Aim and Equity

Principal investigators: Rehm, Jürgen T; Agic, Branka

Keywords: Alcohol; Cognitive Behavioural Therapy; Digital Health; Interventions; Mental Health; Motivational Interviewing

$99,538

Effectiveness of digital interventions in improving mental health during COVID-19: Evaluation of Wellness Together Canada

Co-investigatorCIHR2021Op. Gr:Emerg. COVID Res. Gaps/Priorities- Social/Behavioural Science Approaches

Principal investigators: Chaiton, Michael O

Keywords: Cost-Effectiveness; Digital Interventions; Mental Health; Population Health; Randomized Trial

$310,200

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

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Paper to mentionMention their CIHR grant from 2026

Subject: Prospective PhD student: Mental Health Dear Professor Wells, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "Nonmedical Use of Prescription Opioids: Use to Experience Subjective Effects Versus Other Nonmedical Use Among Adults in Ontario, Canada From 2020 to 2024." (2026), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your CIHR-funded project "Actioning Health Justice: Gathering Experiences to Enhance Indigenous Cultural Safety within a Mental Health Hospital" (2026), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]

Profile data last refreshed on July 30, 2025 from the university directory, publication records and CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding.

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Samantha Wells

Research

Latest papers

Latest funding

Nonmedical Use of Prescription Opioids: Use to Experience Subjective Effects Versus Other Nonmedical Use Among Adults in Ontario, Canada From 2020 to 2024.

Understanding opioid use within the substance use journeys of adults receiving treatment: a qualitative study protocol of the participant-led timeline mapping approach.

The Pathways Project: Exploring Substance Use Trajectories and Opioid-Related Outcomes in Adults Seeking Support for Substance Use Health.

Climate change experiences among women with psychiatric illness - a qualitative exploration of lived experiences and service needs.

Socio-economic factors associated with alcohol and cannabis use across waves of the COVID-19 pandemic: an intersectional analysis of a repeated cross-sectional survey.

Experiences and barriers to alcohol use disorder treatment among adults with and without self-reported executive functioning challenges: A mixed-methods study.

"I want to hear you talk with your heart": perspectives on receiving and providing mental wellness supports during the COVID-19 pandemic within a First Nation community in Canada.

A clarion call to the addiction science community: It's time to resist the anti-scientific policies of the US Trump administration.

Cognitive Dysfunction in the Addictions (CDiA): protocol for a neuron-to-neighbourhood collaborative research program.

A clarion call to the addiction science community: It's time to resist the anti-scientific policies of the US Trump administration.

Extreme heat risks and resilience among women caregivers experiencing poverty - A participatory, mixed methods study in urban Canada

"Bro, stop trying." Engaging youth to advance knowledge about the role of social status and peer dynamics in sexual aggression perpetration and bystander intervention in drinking venues

Frequent collaborators

Samantha Wells

Kathryn Graham

Tara Elton-Marshall

Tara Elton-Marshall

Farihah Ali

Branka Agic

Branka Agic

Philip Gerretsen

Renee Linklater

Daniel Felsky

Nikki Bozinoff

Lena Quilty

Shehzad Ali

Kevin Shield

Sergio Rueda

Ariel Graff-Guerrero

Erin Hobin

Shannon Lange

Hayley Hamilton

Leslie Buckley

Julie George

Etienne Sibille

Vicky Stergiopoulos

Charlene Senn

Vicky Stergiopoulos

Bernard Le Foll

Anthony Nazarov

Mark Asbridge

Kwame Mckenzie

Elaine Hyshka

Shaun Hopkins

Kwame Mckenzie

Marco Leyton

Sophie Soklaridis

Peter Butt

Claire de Oliveira

Christopher Mushquash