Dr Mark Tyndall
MD, ScD, FRCPC

Dr. Mark Tyndall is a Professor of Medicine at the School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia. His distinguished career includes serving as Executive Director of the BC Center for Disease Control (2014-2018), Deputy Provincial Health Officer for British Columbia (2014-2018), Head of Infectious Diseases at St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver (2004-2010) and the University of Ottawa (2010-2014), and Program Director for Epidemiology at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (1999-2010).

With training in internal medicine (McMaster University), infectious diseases (University of Manitoba), and public health (Harvard University), Dr. Tyndall has worked internationally as a clinician, researcher, teacher, and advocate. His research focuses on HIV care and prevention, harm reduction, and public health interventions. He has been at the forefront of implementing needle/syringe programs, methadone maintenance therapy, supervised injection sites, and safe supply projects to reduce risks associated with illegal drug use.

Dr. Tyndall is the author of over 250 peer-reviewed academic publications and presented a 2017 TED Talk on harm reduction. His career awards include the Medical Research Council Research Fellowship, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Senior Scholar Award, and the Ontario HIV Treatment Network Applied Research Chair.

In his recent book, “Vaping Behind the Smoke and Fears,” Dr. Tyndall advocates for vaping as a harm reduction approach to nicotine addiction, arguing that it offers smokers a significantly less harmful alternative to combustible cigarettes. The book challenges prevailing narratives around vaping and makes the case for its recognition as a public health breakthrough with the potential to save millions of lives.