Samantha Young, University of Toronto

Research

Opioid Agonist Therapy Developmental Disabilities Homelessness Intersectionality Marginalization Program Evaluation Realist Analysis Substance Use Services

Latest papers

An application of hospital at home for precariously housed people who use drugs in a community-based harm reduction setting in Vancouver, Canada.
Addiction science & clinical practice · 2026
Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on initiations of opioid agonist therapy in Ontario: A population-based interrupted time series analysis.
The International journal on drug policy · 2026 · first author
Safer opioid supply and health outcomes - Authors' reply.
The Lancet. Public health · 2025

All 16 publications

Latest funding

Embedding Indigenous research evaluation and governance within British Columbia's Road to Recovery substance use care program.
CIHR · 2026 · Co-investigator
$948,600
Alternatives to Criminalization of Drugs: Community-based Systems Mapping of Social and Health effects (ACDC SMASH)
CIHR · 2023 · Co-investigator
$401,625
Decriminalization of Drugs: A Community-Based Systems Approach to Planning for Evaluation
CIHR · 2022 · Co-investigator
$20,000

All 6 grants and awards

16 publications.

01

An application of hospital at home for precariously housed people who use drugs in a community-based harm reduction setting in Vancouver, Canada.

Bai P, Fairbairn N, Young S, Dick J, Drake B, Phillips J, Partridge S, Ryan A, Brooks O

Addiction science & clinical practice2026

DOI: 10.1186/s13722-026-00708-9 PMID: 42533354

02

Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on initiations of opioid agonist therapy in Ontario: A population-based interrupted time series analysis.

Young S, Raboud J, Dodd Z, Barnett-Tapia C, Gomes T, Fairbairn N, Bayoumi AM

The International journal on drug policy2026First author

DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2026.105275 PMID: 42030790

03

Safer opioid supply and health outcomes - Authors' reply.

Gomes T, Kolla G, Young S, Bayoumi A, Antoniou T

The Lancet. Public health2025

DOI: 10.1016/s2468-2667(25)00119-7 PMID: 40441811

04

Association between prescribed stimulant medications and overdose among individuals receiving opioid agonist therapy: A retrospective cohort study from British Columbia, Canada.

Young S, Fairbairn N, Cui Z, Bach P, Mok WY, Budau J, Slaunwhite A, Ti L, Hayashi K, Nolan S

Addiction (Abingdon, England)2025First author

DOI: 10.1111/add.16760 PMID: 39871812

05

Comparing the effects of prescribed safer opioid supply and methadone in Ontario, Canada: a population-based matched cohort study.

Gomes T, McCormack D, Kolla G, Young S, Bayoumi AM, Smoke A, Li P, Antoniou T

The Lancet. Public health2025

DOI: 10.1016/s2468-2667(25)00070-2 PMID: 40280140

06

Examining the association between fentanyl use and perceived adequacy of methadone dose: A retrospective cohort study.

Young S, Raboud J, Dodd Z, DeBeck K, Milloy MJ, Wilson D, Hayashi K, Bayoumi AM, Fairbairn N

Drug and alcohol dependence2025First author

DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2024.112547 PMID: 39793366

07

Initiations of safer supply hydromorphone increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario: An interrupted time series analysis.

Young S, Gomes T, Kolla G, McCormack D, Dodd Z, Raboud J, Bayoumi AM

PloS one2023First author

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295145 PMID: 38113220

08

"They have their security, we have our community": Mutual support among people experiencing homelessness in encampments in Toronto during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Boucher LM, Dodd Z, Young S, Shahid A, Bayoumi A, Firestone M, Kendall CE

SSM. Qualitative research in health2022

DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmqr.2022.100163 PMID: 36060310

09

Harm reduction in the hospital: An overdose prevention site (OPS) at a Canadian hospital.

Nolan S, Kelian S, Kerr T, Young S, Malmgren I, Ghafari C, Harrison S, Wood E, Lysyshyn M, Holliday E

Drug and alcohol dependence2022

DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109608 PMID: 36063622

10

Trends in Hospitalizations for Serious Infections Among People With Opioid Use Disorder in Ontario, Canada.

Gomes T, Kitchen SA, Tailor L, Men S, Murray R, Bayoumi AM, Campbell T, Young S, Kolla G

Journal of addiction medicine2022

DOI: 10.1097/adm.0000000000000928 PMID: 34711742

Embedding Indigenous research evaluation and governance within British Columbia's Road to Recovery substance use care program.

Co-investigatorCIHR2026Project Grant

Principal investigators: Nolan, Seonaid; Johnson, Harmony

Keywords: Addiction; Health Systems; Indigenous Cultural Supports; Indigenous Health; Substance Use

$948,600

Alternatives to Criminalization of Drugs: Community-based Systems Mapping of Social and Health effects (ACDC SMASH)

Co-investigatorCIHR2023Project Grant

Principal investigators: Bayoumi, Ahmed M; Dashwood, Thomas; Dodd, Zoe; Firestone, Michelle

Keywords: Decriminalization Of Drugs; Health Policy; Incarceration; Substance Use

$401,625

Decriminalization of Drugs: A Community-Based Systems Approach to Planning for Evaluation

Co-investigatorCIHR2022Planning and Dissemination Grant - Institute Community Support

Principal investigators: Bayoumi, Ahmed M; Dodd, Zoe; Firestone, Michelle

Keywords: Community-Based Research; Criminalization; Decriminalization; Policy Evaluation; Substance Use; System Dynamics; Systems Mapping

$20,000

MARCO:POLO Marginalization & COVID-19: Promoting Opportunities for Learning & Outreach

Principal investigatorCIHR2021Op. Gr.:Emerging COVID-19 Res. Gaps & Priorities (July 2021) - Urban Populations

Principal investigators: Bayoumi, Ahmed M; Boucher, Lisa M; Dodd, Zoe; Durbin, Anna; Firestone, Michelle; Hayman, Kate; Isaacs, Barry J; Kolla, Gillian; Matheson, Flora I; Steer, Lorie A; Yakubovich, Alexa R; Young, Samantha V

Keywords: Developmental Disabilities; Homelessness; Intersectionality; Marginalization; Opioid Agonist Therapy; Program Evaluation; Realist Analysis; Substance Use Services; Systems Theory; Violence Against Women

$313,804

Alterations in Prescribing of Opioid Agonist Therapy due to the Pandemic (ALT-POP) Study

Principal investigatorCIHR2020Op Gr: COVID-19 MH & Substance Use - Understanding Rapid System Transformations

Principal investigators: Bayoumi, Ahmed M; Wyman, Jennifer; Young, Samantha V

Keywords: Community-Based; Evaluation; Implementation Science; Multimethod; Opioid Agonist Therapy; Overdose; Treatment Access

$93,723

Supervised Consumption and COVID-19 in ON: an Evaluation (SCCONE)

Co-investigatorCIHR2020Op Gr: Eval of Harm Reduct. Appro. Address the Opioid Crisis - SCS Eval. Ontario

Principal investigators: Bayoumi, Ahmed M

Keywords: Administrative Data Analysis; Cost-Effectiveness Analysis; Harm Reduction; Implementation Science; Mathematical Optimization; Multi-Methods Research; Program Evaluation; Qualitative Research; Simulation Modelling; Supervised Consumption

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

Clinical Public Health Division

1 shared papers, latest 2022

Mark Lysyshyn

Emergency Medicine

1 shared papers, latest 2022

Paxton Bach

Faculty

1 shared papers, latest 2025

Write to this professor

A short, specific email works best. This draft uses one of their recent papers; replace the parts in brackets with your own details before sending.

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their CIHR grant from 2021

Subject: Prospective PhD student: Opioid Agonist Therapy Dear Professor Young, 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 "An application of hospital at home for precariously housed people who use drugs in a community-based harm reduction setting in Vancouver, Canada." (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 "MARCO:POLO Marginalization & COVID-19: Promoting Opportunities for Learning & Outreach" (2021), 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]