The Kingfisher Project is Sheila P. Vakharia, Ph.D.  Dr. Vakharia received her Ph.D. in Social Welfare from Florida International University, a Master’s in Social Work from Binghamton University, and a Post-Master’s Certificate in Addictions from New York University. 

She is a nationally recognized harm reduction expert with over 15 years of combined experience in addiction treatment, harm reduction, higher education, research, and drug policy reform.  She currently works at the Drug Policy Alliance, a national advocacy organization fighting to end the war on drugs.  

At the DPA Sheila is the Deputy Director of Research and Academic Engagement. In this role, she helps DPA staff and others understand a range of drug policy issues. Dr. Vakharia builds relationships with drug researchers and helps to advance policy-relevant research. She also mobilizes researchers in support of DPA policy campaigns and organizes conferences on key issues in drug policy. She is also the author of the newly released book The Harm Reduction Gap – Helping Individuals Left Behind by Conventional Drug Prevention and Abstinence-only Addiction Treatment.