Cornelis Rijneveld leads Release’s research and policy work around harm reduction and housing support. Before joining the charity he worked in the HIV and homelessness sectors. Cornelis also holds a PhD in medical anthropology from SOAS, where he focused on chemsex and HIV stigma in India. His thesis foregrounded improvised forms of harm reduction and considered the lack of specialised services for gay men using drugs in relation to a decline in community-based HIV/AIDS programming.
Cornelis is passionate about co-producing evidence-based policy alternatives to health and justice systems that are failing the most stigmatised and vulnerable segments of society, including people who use drugs, homeless people, and migrants.