The COBRE on Opioids and Overdose is thrilled to welcome its newest Pilot Awardees, Dr. David Sobel and Dr. Brendan Jacka.

Brendan Jacka, PhD, is an Investigator in Epidemiology at the Centers for Epidemiology and Environmental Health at Brown University. His pilot project, titled, “Trauma and stressor-related disorders among layperson opioid overdose responders”, seeks to understand the traumatic effects of responding to a drug overdose on community member responders in Rhode Island. This study is one of the first in the United States to examine and characterize stressor-related disorders related to overdose exposure in community members.

David Sobel, PhD, is a board-certified urologist at the Minimally Invasive Urology Institute and Kidney Stone Center at The Miriam Hospital.  He is also an assistant professor of surgical urology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. His pilot project, titled, “Evaluation of a nonopioid recovery pathway after percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL)”, will examine the feasibility and acceptability of a nonopioid recovery pathway after PCNL, a minimally invasive procedure performed by urologists for larger stone burden in the kidney. His hypothesis is that a novel nonopioid pathway after PCNL is both feasible and safe and will reduce postoperative prescriptions for opioids without impacting clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction or outpatient resources.

Brendan and David’s pilot projects will aid the COBRE’s mission by helping to understand the mechanisms underlying opioid use disorder and by developing innovative solutions to help combat the opioid crisis.

For more information about Brendan’s project, click here.

For more information about David’s project, click here.