University of Guelph-Humber appointed as adjunct staff member of the Regional Alcohol and Drug Abuse Resources (RADAR) Center, Ben-Gurion University, Israel

Dr. Richard Isralowitz, Professor and Director of the Regional Alcohol and Drug Abuse Resources (RADAR) Center at Ben-Gurion University (BGU) in Israel, describes his motivation in founding the Center 18 years ago:

“Addictions and substance abuse are far-reaching. They affect children, families, communities, and countries – all people, regardless of orientation or politics. Whether in Toronto or in Los Angeles or in Be'er Sheva, Israel or in the Middle East – there’s a common need. And it’s our goal to address these needs.”

This is the simple explanation behind years of international cooperation that has led to “bottom-up” initiatives affecting politics, policies, and most importantly people around the world.

 

Dr. Richard Isralowitz, Professor and Director, Regional Alcohol and Drug Abuse Resources Center, Ben-Gurion University

The Center is recognized as an international resource addressing substance abuse. It promotes international networking of scientists, experts and policy makers from the addiction field; it focuses on vulnerable populations such as children, immigrants and the elderly through research, education and training.

It has worked in cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the US National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and other major European and American universities including University of California, Los Angeles and New York University.

The appointment of University of Guelph-Humber Psychology Professor, Dr. Masood Zangeneh, as adjunct staff member of the RADAR Center marks its first partnership in Canada.

 “Masood is an international expert whose work in the field of resilience brings a valuable asset to our Center,” says Dr. Isralowitz.

“This is an exciting beginning – a relationship that I look forward to growing,” he says. “It relies on the ability of certain people with mutual interests to think out of a box for the benefit of our universities and our countries.”

“Our work has multiple implications for vulnerable populations all over the world. What’s most exciting is that our work is transferrable – and that’s where Masood comes in,” he says.

 

Dr. Masood Zangeneh, Psychology Professor, University of Guelph-HumberDr. Masood Zangeneh, Psychology Professor, University of Guelph-Humber

Dr. Zangeneh: “This is at the heart of knowledge translation, and at the heart of my area of focus of multicultural mental health and addiction.”

He continues: “Cultural language deals with stigma, with perceptions – once we understand these factors, we can tailor tools to specific population needs. It’s about addressing needs based on what we call cultural differences; it’s about translating tools and research-informed policies into something practical that can be used across cultures – in any cultural language.”    “Canada is a multicultural society, and there’s so much to learn from the society we have here.”