Claire Zagorski

Claire Zagorski earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from The University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree in medical sciences from University of North Texas Health Science Center. She is currently a PhD student in translational science at The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy, and is completing a master of science in public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She has been a paramedic and a harm reductionist since 2013, and has worked both in emergency departments and in street outreach for people who use drugs in Austin. In her harm reduction work, she focuses on non-overdose medical harms of drug use, chiefly skin and soft tissue infections, endocarditis, and vein health. As a researcher, Claire focuses on utilizing gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for surveillance of the drug supply, as well as characterizing and elucidating the synthetic pathways of novel additions to the illegal drug supply, and how this in turn impacts people who use drugs and their medical needs. Claire has written extensively for popular media such as Filter Magazine and Healthline, breaking down common drug myths for a lay audience.