Will Eger (he/him)

I am so excited (and grateful) to share that I have been awarded an R36 dissertation award from @NIDAnews! Could not have done it without my wonderful mentors, @angiebazzi, @chngin_the_wrld, @erikacrable, @TSBartholomew1, Heather Pines, Eileen Pitpitan, Tom Patterson, and others!

Happy to be a part of this great work by the one and only @KTBailara! Congratulations on another great paper from your #dissertation 🙌🏼🥳

📑New pub in #HarmReduction Journal harmreductionjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.11… about #xylazine identification & responses - guided by the voices of PWUD & syringe service providers. Very proud of @will_eger for leading this work w/ our team incl @angiebazzi @TSBartholomew1 & co. Results in 🧵⬇️

@MPlesons @TSBartholomew1 @angiebazzi @erikacrable (6/6)

We must adapt harm reduction strategies and expand policies (repeal paraphernalia laws that prohibit drug checking and safer smoking supplies) to meet these evolving challenges in the drug supply. Read more about our findings & recommendations in the full paper. (5/6)

However, a lack of formal guidance left many PWUD relying on peer knowledge & improvised methods to identify/respond to xylazine. This highlights the urgent need for better (patient-facing) educational resources & drug-checking services to mitigate risks. #drugchecking (4/6)

Conducted at a Miami-based SSP, we interviewed 8 staff and 17 clients. We found that PWUD were the first to notice changes in their supply. Many PWUD changed their drug consumption behaviors in response to xylazine, trying to protect themselves from potential harm. (3/6)

Our study explores how xylazine was identified & how syringe services program (SSP) staff and clients (i.e., PWUD) responded in Miami. #HarmReduction (2/6)

More exciting news! Our paper, "Syringe services program staff and participant perspectives on changing drug consumption behaviors in response to xylazine adulteration" is now online: link.springer.com/article/10.118… #TheHarmReductionJournal @SpringerNature (1/6)

@erikacrable @NIDAnews @angiebazzi @chngin_the_wrld @TSBartholomew1 Thanks, Erika 😭🥲 that means so much coming from you!

@will_eger @NIDAnews @angiebazzi @chngin_the_wrld @TSBartholomew1 Congratulations @will_eger!!! Your present and future are shinning bright! Your hard work and innovation are going to make this world a better place! 😊

I am so excited (and grateful) to share that I have been awarded an R36 dissertation award from @NIDAnews! Could not have done it without my wonderful mentors, @angiebazzi, @chngin_the_wrld, @erikacrable, @TSBartholomew1, Heather Pines, Eileen Pitpitan, Tom Patterson, and others!

The title of my proposal is "Determinants of transitioning from injecting to smoking fentanyl and methamphetamine and implications for harm reduction implementation". I'm passionate about exploring novel ways to address S/U esp. w/#harmreduction at the forefront.

‼️🚨 Are you working on your materials for graduate school in #psychology? Check out our Google Drive which has example personal & diversity statements for a range of PhD & PsyD programs! **If you’d like to share your statements as examples, get in touch! drive.google.com/drive/folders/…

@angiebazzi @erikacrable @MPlesons

Read our #preprint on @researchsquare: Protective or potentially harmful? Altering drug consumption behaviors in response to xylazine adulteration researchsquare.com/article/rs-481…. We discuss how PWUD and SSP staff first experienced and responded to xylazine in Miami, FL!

🆕 #NIDA-supported research in @CIDJournal: Illicit fentanyl use and hepatitis c virus seroconversion among people who inject drugs in Tijuana and San Diego: Results from a binational cohort study. @UCSanDiego loom.ly/NdoDlNw

New evidence that the transition to illicit fentanyl may be behind rising HCV rates in the US. In a longitudinal cohort of people who inject drugs, those using fentanyl were much more likely to contract HCV Published today @CIDJournal w/ @chngin_the_wrld academic.oup.com/cid/advance-ar…

Grateful to be involved in this amazing work! Amazing work, @JosephRFriedman

We at @DrugPolicyNerds have always said that our personal experiences enrich drug research; it is an asset, not a liability. Check out our latest co-authored study about drug use among researchers. sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

@romanshre Congratulations, Roman! So well deserved 🙌🏼