The Unconference Report: A Community-Led Conversation about Substance Use, Harm Reduction, and Recovery Research in Rhode Island

COBRE investigators joined researchers and community members on Thursday, March 7, 2024 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM for an “Unconference: A Community-Led Conversation about Substance Use, Harm Reduction and Recovery Research in Rhode Island.” The “Unconference” was the culmination of years of work on the part of advocates to bring together people who use drugs (PWUD), recovery advocates, community organizations, researchers, and academic administrators in an ongoing dialogue to chart a path forward for the community’s rightful co-ownership of the research agenda. The report from this effort can be found here.

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The Center for Health and Justice Transformation (CHJT) and COBRE investigator, Justin Berk, were featured in The Providence Journal’s Sunday Edition

The Center for Health and Justice Transformation (CHJT) and COBRE investigator, Justin Berk, were featured in The Providence Journal’s Sunday Edition on June 19th. To read more about the Center and read the article, please visit this link

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COBRE investigator, Dr. Ju Park, was featured in Filter magazine’s article on Xylazine test strips

Dr. Ju Park was recently featured in Filter, a harm reduction magazine, for her study published in the Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine. The research assesses the reliability of xylazine test strips and highlights the need for a centralized, trustworthy source to identify accurate brands.

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COBRE investigator, Dr. Jaclyn White Hughto, Receives Dean’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring in Public Health

The Brown School of Public Health has honored Dr. Jaclyn White Hughto, Associate Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Epidemiology, with the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring in Public Health. The annual award recognizes faculty who demonstrate an extraordinary commitment to mentoring students and fostering excellence in the field of public health.

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COBRE investigator, Dr. Justin Berk, receives prestigious award

Dr. Justin Berk was selected for the ASCI’s 2025 Young Physician-Scientist Awards (YPSAs). The YPSAs recognize physician-scientists who are early in their first faculty appointment and have made notable achievements in their research.

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COBRE Investigators, Dr. Josiah Rich and Dr. Brandon del Pozo, are quoted in STAT’s Part 6 of The War on Recovery, a yearlong investigation into how the U.S. denies lifesaving medications to people with opioid addiction.

The War on Recovery
‘I want help’: Behind bars, pleas for addiction medications often go nowhere
By Lev Facher

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‘I want help’: Behind bars, pleas for addiction medications often go nowhere

 

COBRE poster presentations at The Rhode Island IDeA Symposium

The Rhode Island IDeA Symposium was held on October 22, 2024 and featured a poster session and lunchtime panel discussions. COBRE investigators Elijah McCray and Juan Turbidez (pictured)  presented a poster titled: Survey Results from Rhode Islanders Who Use Harm Reduction Services (2021-2024), and Leo Druart presented a poster titled: Dismantling Open-Label Placebos and their Rationales: A 4-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol.

Community Design Workshop

The Community Design Workshop, hosted by the COBRE, brought together community members, researchers, and public health experts to tackle the opioid crisis through innovation and design. Over four sessions, participants engaged in a collaborative exploration of the complexities surrounding the opioid epidemic. The workshop focused on developing practical solutions to improve the accessibility and port ability of naloxone, an essential opioid overdose antidote. By the end of the program, participants presented their innovative designs, contributing to ongoing research and intervention efforts. This workshop aimed to inspire community-driven solutions and highlight the impact of interdisciplinary collaboration.

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Trailblazing RI opioid research center wins millions to study addiction. What they hope to learn.

By Katie Mulvaney, Providence Journal

“PROVIDENCE – The opioid crisis is proving to be a moving target. It’s morphed through the years from people becoming ensnared by the prescription painkiller Oxycontin to users seeking heroin and fentanyl. New adulterants added to the mix, including xylazine, an animal tranquilizer that leaves human users knocked out for hours and with ugly raw lesions creeping across their skin.

More recently, stimulants, including cocaine and amphetamines, are being contaminated by fentanyl, catching users unaware and unprepared. It sometimes leads to overdose deaths.

For the past five years, the Center of Biomedical Research Excellence on Opioids and Overdose at Rhode Island Hospital has nimbly chronicled these trends and shape strategies to help people combat opioid-use disorder and keep Rhode Islanders alive.”

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