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1 in 10 Adults with Substance Use Disorder Are Hospitalized, Suggesting Potential Benefits of Hospital-Based SUD Screening and Treatment Programs

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Healing Circle Gives Voice to Patients Striving for Sobriety

Original post: Newswise - Substance Abuse Healing Circle Gives Voice to Patients Striving for Sobriety

Newswise — The road to sobriety is jagged and unpaved, with potholes and craters that can make it hard for those traveling on it to move forward.

The Substance Use Prevention and Treatment Program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, a part of the hospital’s Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, recently offered its teen and young adult patients a unique treatment method as they try to steer straight.

The patients, ages 15-25, joined in an Indigenous healing circle, a practice performed for generations by Indigenous cultures that draws people together to talk about their experiences struggling with a shared trauma—such as addiction. The ritual provides an empathetic, open-hearted atmosphere where talking about one’s personal story while hearing the stories of others sets healing in motion.

The event was funded through a federal PYO (Preventing Youth Overdose) grant that the program received in support of Indigenous youth, who make up about 25% of the program’s patient population.

The program had held healing circles before, but not like this one. The earlier gatherings invited parents and caregivers. This was for patients only. The appeal of having a safe space all to themselves was indicated by the event’s attendance.

“Typically, whenever we host events, maybe four or five youths show up,” Program Administrator Blanca Tinoco-Rodriguez says, noting that recovery services naturally sees a lot of attrition, which can hurt attendance. “However, at this event we saw 12 youths. That in itself was already a big, big success for us.”

Tales from the talking stick

To conduct the event, the Substance Use Prevention and Treatment team brought in a local consultant, herself of Indigenous ancestry. The patients sat in chairs, arranged in a modified circle—it leaned more toward a rectangle to suit another activity, which required the participants to be seated at long tables.

At the center of it, the facilitator set up a kind of shrine to Indigenous culture. Included were items that represented the four elements of matter—earth, air, fire, and water. “She explained that each element represents part of our own well-being,” CHLA substance use counselor Alejandra Huerta says.

For the next hour, a talking stick was passed around the circle, and whoever was in possession of it had the opportunity to speak. No rules or preselected topics restricted the conversation—nor were participants obligated to speak. They could merely pass the stick forward.

“We never gave them a prompt,” Tinoco-Rodriguez says. “We never said, ‘Your topic must be substance use recovery.’”

But as the talking stick traveled around the circle, a theme grew organically. One young woman said that she wanted to work toward her sobriety in 2025. “It was kind of a chain effect after her,” Tinoco-Rodriguez says. “They all started to say, ‘I also want to be sober.’”

The narratives also began to reveal common ground among the patients, Huerta says. “To hear how other people have also experienced barriers in life,” she says, “from relationships to even the systems in play that make it difficult for some people to achieve recovery—it was a very supportive space.”

Huerta says those who spoke felt freed by the absence of a parental presence, not having to weigh their words, or face any judgment or consequences.

“A parent can be intimidating. The youth were more expressive about their own lives. There was a lot of reflection and a lot of providing affirmations to one another. It was just an overall great energy.”

The three-hour event also included the making of vision boards, an arts-and-crafts translation of the personal narratives revealed in the healing circle. Each participant assembled a collage of pictures that gave a visual representation of their thoughts, their own history, and their goals.

“They put their story into existence with images,” Huerta says. “It was neat to see them tell it on paper.”

Engaged and rejuvenated

The central feature of the healing circle is connectedness—to one another, to the natural world, and, critically, to one’s heritage. Tinoco-Rodriguez says that even those who do not identify as Indigenous are impacted by the Indigenous use of culture and ritual as a tool for healing. As most of the program’s patients are of Latin American descent, they’re familiar with the bonds of a minority culture.

“Culture is a protective factor of its own,” Tinoco-Rodriguez says. “It makes you part of a community.” And it puts the participants’ recovery in a larger context, which the host demonstrated by recounting her own struggle for sobriety.

“She became a mom at an early age,” Huerta says, “and it was the turning point for her because she knew that her substance use wasn’t just going to affect her.”

Culture is a protective factor of its own. It makes you part of a community.

Program Administrator Blanca Tinoco-Rodriguez

The event left a deep impression on Huerta. She says she had never seen such active engagement from the program’s patients. “In the five years I’ve been a treatment provider, this was the first time that every voice there was heard.”

She was also taken by the healing circle’s rejuvenating effect on the attendees. “It’s very rare that people leave with such a second wind,” she says.

It’s also uncommon to get such powerful feedback from the participants. “A lot of them were asking their clinical providers when the next event was going to be,” Tinoco-Rodriguez says. “After we heard that, we started to think about having something similar in the future.”

Ultimately, the “healing” effect of the healing circle, Huerta says, was to show the group that their journey wasn’t finished, that they were not stuck in their circumstances.

“They were made aware that their substance use doesn’t define them. The activities were a way for them to envision something that’s not the life they have now, to envision a better future for themselves.”

 

Read more about the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine.

TIPSHEET: Counseling Experts Present Latest Research at the 2025 ACA Conference & Expo, March 27-29 in Orlando, Florida

SELECT RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: 

Newswise — Navigating Cyber Risks: Prevalence and Prevention of Impulsivity, Disinhibition and Cyberbullying among College Freshmen, March 28, 11–11:30 a.m. ET

With increased internet accessibility on college campuses, dysfunctional online behaviors among college freshmen have become a growing concern. The presentation will offer prevention strategies aimed at fostering safer online environments for college students, equipping attendees with tools to address these pressing issues in their institutions.

Poster presented by Nicholas Monahan, master’s student, Marymount University and Bilal Kalkan, PhD, LPC, NCC, assistant professor, Marymount University.

Nicotine Dependence and Cognitive Function among Young Adults: An Exploration of Lifestyle, Social and Psychological Mechanisms, March 28, 11–11:30 a.m. ET

The findings of this study provide new insights into how smoking behavior impacts cognitive function and highlights the role of lifestyle, social and psychological factors in mediating the relationship between smoking behavior and memory performance among young adults.

Poster presented by Sang Qin, PhD, assistant professor, University of Wisconsin–Madison and Yongsu Song, doctoral student, University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Increasing School-Based Mental Health Support Through Community Partnerships, 

March 28, 12–12:30 p.m. ET

School counselors are on the front lines of providing mental health services to support the emotional and social development of youth; however, there is a national shortage of these providers. This presentation will introduce attendees to a community partnership program designed to increase the number of mental health service providers in high-need schools.

Poster presented by Alexandra Robertson, doctoral student, University of Central Florida and Melissa Zeligman, PhD, associate professor, University of Central Florida.

The Double-Edged Sword of Social Media: Impacts on Social Disconnection, Isolation and Mental Health among Gen Z, March 28, 12–12:30 p.m. ET

This presentation will examine the impact of social media on social disconnection, feelings of isolation, and mental health challenges among Gen Z, exploring both the potential harms and benefits of these platforms in shaping their social and psychological well-being.

Poster presented by Anah Sinkfield, master’s student, Marymount University and Bilal Kalkan, PhD, LPC, NCC, assistant professor, Marymount University.

The Journey from Grandparent to Parent: Perceptions of Adoptive Grandparents Post Adoption, March 28, 12–12:30 p.m. ET

Nearly 1 million children in the U.S. are being raised by grandparents. While much of the existing research explores grandfamilies broadly, this study focuses specifically on grandparents who have formally adopted their grandchildren, transitioning from grandparent to parent roles. 

Poster presented by Jill Bryant, PhD, LMHC, contributing faculty member, Walden University and self-employed in private practice.

Mental Health Implications of Forced Family Separation at the Border, March 28, 1–1:30 p.m. ET

In 2018, the U.S. implemented the Zero Tolerance Policy, which led to the prosecution of undocumented immigrants, including asylum seekers, and the separation of over 5,000 children from their caregivers. Although the policy was terminated in January 2021, approximately 1,000 children remain separated from their families. This presentation will explore recent research findings highlighting the mental health issues on this population, including PTSD, depression, anxiety and behavioral problems. 

Poster presented by Amy Work, LCMHC-QS, RPT, founder and owner of Renewed Counseling & Play Therapy in Charlotte, N.C. and doctoral student, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Post-Infidelity Stress Disorder: Understanding the Lived Experiences of Women in Midlife, 

March 28, 3–3:30 p.m. ET

Traditional life events such as aging parents, becoming empty-nesters and career changes are increasingly compounded by divorce, contributing to a rise in mental health challenges among middle-aged women. Recent trends indicate higher rates of depression, anxiety and serious psychological distress, including suicidal ideation. Notably, infidelity is cited as the reason for divorce in 60% of separated and divorced couples. The emotional toll of infidelity has been termed “post-infidelity stress disorder.” This condition can disrupt endocrine, cardiovascular and immune system functioning, resulting in poor health outcomes. Despite these effects, clinical interventions have predominantly focused on couples and betrayed individuals within a couples-focused framework. To effectively address the needs of middle-aged women experiencing post-infidelity stress disorder, a trauma-informed approach is essential.  

Poster presented by Lois Curry-Catanese, LPC, AAT-C, doctoral student, Walden University and self employed in Fisherville, Va.

Effects of Military Sexual Trauma on Substance Use Patterns and Problematic Hypersexuality in Male Military Populations, March 29, 11–11:30 a.m. ET

Military sexual trauma (MST) includes experiences of sexual assault and/or harassment occurring during active military service. Among male service members, MST accounts for an estimated 60% of annual sexual assaults within active military populations. This poster will share findings from a study on MST in male military populations, specifically examining MST’s influence on substance misuse and problematic hypersexuality.

Poster presented by Tyler Oberheim, PhD, LPC-MHSP (TN), LMHC (FL), assistant professor, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and owner of a private practice in Chattanooga and Necole Gonsahn, master’s student, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and former member, U.S. Army Reserve.

The Aftermath of Parental Alienation: Coping Styles of Adult Children Who Experienced Parental Alienation During Childhood, March 29, 12–12:30 p.m. ET

Parental alienation occurs when one parent manipulates a child by expressing undue negativity about the other parent, creating a harmful dynamic. Exposure to parental alienation during childhood can significantly impact a child’s ability to develop healthy coping behaviors. Despite its long-term effects, little research has been conducted on the coping styles of these children as they transition into adulthood. This presentation will explore the coping styles commonly observed in adult children who experienced parental alienation during childhood.

Poster presented by Ching-Chen Chen, PhD, NCC, associate professor, University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Rachel Dugan, Zihan Gong, and Mikayla Harris, master’s students, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Psychosocial Factors Predicting Adolescents’ Marijuana Use, March 29, 3–3:30 p.m. ET

Adolescents’ marijuana use has been linked to lower academic performance, higher rates of delinquent behavior and poorer mental health. This study explored how different levels of variables influence adolescents’ marijuana use. 

Poster presented by Dasom Han, Zhi Jie Lee, Gahyun Park, and Tomas Guzman, PhD students, The Ohio State University.

View the full list of posters, education sessions, and roundtable discussions.

About the American Counseling Association

Founded in 1952, the American Counseling Association (ACA) is a not-for-profit, professional and educational organization that is dedicated to the growth and enhancement of the counseling profession. ACA represents more than 60,000 members and is the world’s largest association exclusively representing professional counselors in various practice settings. For more information, visit the ACA website and read more about the Conference & Expo.

Xylazine Detected in U.S.-Mexico Border Drug Supply, Study Finds

Original post: Newswise - Substance Abuse Xylazine Detected in U.S.-Mexico Border Drug Supply, Study Finds

Newswise — Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, in collaboration with the Prevencasa free clinic in Tijuana, Mexico, have confirmed the presence of xylazine in the illicit drug supply at the U.S.-Mexico border. While xylazine remains less common in the Western U.S., border cities serve as key trafficking hubs and may have higher rates of emerging substances. The findings, published on March 20, 2025 in the Journal of Addiction Medicine, highlight the urgent need for public health intervention.

“Xylazine is a veterinary anesthetic that is not approved for human use and is increasingly detected alongside illicit fentanyl in parts of the United States and Canada,” said senior author Joseph R. Friedman, M.D., Ph.D., a resident physician in the Department of Psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine. “Although xylazine has been most prevalent on the East Coast of the United States, this new evidence confirms its presence in Tijuana, on the U.S.-Mexico border, posing numerous health risks for people in this region.”

The study analyzed de-identified records of 23 users from Prevencasa, examining urine and paraphernalia samples from individuals who reported using illicit opioids within the past 24 hours. Researchers used test strips to screen for xylazine, along with other drugs such as fentanyl, opiates and methamphetamine. Paraphernalia samples were further analyzed using mass spectrometry.

Key findings include:

  • Xylazine was detected in 82.6% of participant urine samples using Wisebatch test strips and in 65.2% using SAFElife test strips.
  • Paraphernalia testing confirmed xylazine in 52.2% of samples via mass spectrometry, along with fentanyl (73.9%), fluorofentanyl (30.4%), tramadol (30.4%) and lidocaine (30.4%).
  • 100% of participants’ urine tested positive for fentanyl.

Xylazine is associated with severe health risks, including profound sedation, more complex withdrawal syndromes, and a heightened risk of skin infections and wounds. Given Tijuana’s strategic location as a transit point for illicit drugs entering the U.S., researchers caution that xylazine prevalence could soon rise in Southern California and beyond.

“This study underscores the importance of expanding drug-checking efforts in border regions,” Friedman added. “Our findings also support the use of xylazine test strips as a harm reduction tool, providing people who use drugs and healthcare providers with critical information about exposure risks.”

A previous study published in the Harm Reduction Journal demonstrated that individuals can use fentanyl test strips to check their own drug supply before consumption. While further research is needed to standardize xylazine testing methods, the results highlight the rapidly evolving landscape of drug-checking technologies and the need for public health agencies to adapt accordingly.

Additionally, researchers noted a high prevalence of lidocaine in Tijuana’s illicit fentanyl supply, which may interfere with xylazine test strip accuracy. More studies are needed to understand why lidocaine is being added and how it affects drug-checking reliability.

Larger studies are required to further assess xylazine’s spread and refine testing methods. Researchers advocate for increased surveillance, harm reduction strategies, and clinical awareness to mitigate the emerging risks posed by xylazine in the illicit drug supply.

Additional co-authors on the study include: Alejandro G. Montoya, M.D., Carmina Ruiz, Mariana A. Gonzalez Tejeda, R.N., Luis A. Segovia, B.S. and Lilia Pacheco Bufanda from Prevencasa A.C. in Tijuana. Morgan E. Godvin, B.A. and Chelsea L. Shover, Ph.D. from UCLA Department of Internal Medicine. Edward Sisco, Ph.D., Elise M. Pyfrom, B.S. and Meghan G. Appley, Ph.D. from the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

The study was funded, in part, by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (DA049644) and (K01DA050771) as well as the National Institute of Mental Health (MH101072).

# # #

Disclosures: Authors have no disclosures.

Available Evidence Supports Continuing Buprenorphine During Episodes of Acute Pain for People with Opioid Use Disorder

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Does Getting ADHD Drugs via Telehealth Increase Addiction Risk?

For nearly five years, people with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder have had the option of getting their stimulant medications prescribed and renewed by doctors they see only over a computer screen, despite the risks that these stimulant drugs can pose if misused.

But with expiration dates coming up for the telehealth rules that made this possible, a new study offers key evidence about the safety of virtual ADHD care that could inform policymakers.

Published in the journal Health Affairs by a team from the University of Michigan, the study shows people aged 12 to 64 who started getting stimulant medications via telehealth were slightly more likely to develop a substance use disorder (SUD, also sometimes called addiction) within the next year than those who started getting the medications via in-person care. The risk in these two groups was 3.7% versus 3.2%.

However, for the entire study population of 12- to 64-year-olds, the higher risk disappeared when accounting for the fact that people using telehealth to start stimulant therapy were also more likely to have mental health conditions, such as depression. These conditions are strong risk factors for SUD.

But the study finds one group – adults between the ages of 26 and 34 who started their ADHD stimulant medications through telehealth – did have a higher risk of SUD even after accounting for mental health conditions.

“Although there appeared to be an increased risk of substance use disorder among patients who initiated their ADHD stimulant medication through telehealth, when we accounted for psychiatric diagnoses that also increase risk, the difference disappeared except for those aged 26 to 34,” said Joanne Constantin, Ph.D., the study’s lead author and a postdoctoral research fellow at the Susan B. Meister Child Health Evaluation and Research (CHEAR) Center, based in the U-M Medical School’s Department of Pediatrics.

The fact that young adults are largely no longer able to be covered by a parent’s health insurance after age 26 may play a role, said Constantin. “Young adults are more independent about getting their own medication without parental supervision, which highlights the importance of screening and monitoring for this age group.”

The researchers conclude that screening for addiction risk and monitoring for signs of SUD on an ongoing basis could be important to include in any future policies regarding telehealth-based ADHD care.

Current federal telehealth rules allow behavioral health care without an in-person visit to continue through December 31.

That’s in addition to other policies designed to prevent misuse and diversion of stimulant drugs used for ADHD, which are specially regulated controlled substances. Such drugs, sold under names such as Ritalin and Adderall, now carry strong warnings from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about potential risks from misuse.

“Telehealth can be an essential way to access care, but this study suggests an ongoing need to balance such access with protecting safety, through guidelines for providers about screening and follow-up,” she adds.

Constantin worked with Michigan Medicine pediatrician and health care researcher Kao-Ping Chua, M.D., Ph.D., a member of CHEAR, on the study.

Current ADHD prescribing climate

To prescribe stimulants for ADHD, clinicians must be licensed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and often need to check their state’s prescription drug monitoring program records to see the patient’s history of receiving medications that are controlled because of their risk of misuse.

But there are no specific guidelines for screening for SUD risk factors at the start of treatment or monitoring patients for SUDs on an ongoing basis, beyond the FDA “black box” warning.

That warning focuses not just on the potential risk of using ADHD stimulant medication in different ways than prescribed but also the risks to people without ADHD whom the patient might give or sell their medication to.

Several companies have started offering standalone ADHD care entirely via telehealth during the past five years, after the insurance requirements for virtual care became much more flexible due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some of those companies have been the subjects of criminal and non-criminal proceedings from state law enforcement, because of alleged lack of oversight of how the stimulants their clinicians prescribe are used.

More about the study

The study used data from anonymous health insurance records from people with private insurance or Medicaid coverage. It included 77,153 people who had not received stimulant ADHD medication or an SUD diagnosis in the past year, and who started on a stimulant in 2021.

The researchers then looked at the records for the same people over the year after they got their first stimulant prescription, to see if they were diagnosed with an SUD of any kind.

More than 21,000 of the patients started on their stimulant via a telehealth visit, while the rest started via an in-person visit. Those starting via telehealth were much more likely to also have a diagnosis of anxiety, depression and/or another psychiatric condition in their records. So, the researchers adjusted for this difference, and for other differences between the two populations, in their analysis.

In addition to Constantin and Chua, the study’s authors are Sean Estaban McCabe, Ph.D., and Emily Pasman, Ph.D., LMSW, of the U-M School of Nursing, and Timothy Willens, M.D., chief of child and adolescent psychiatry and co-director of the Center for Addiction Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.

McCabe directs the U-M Center for the Study of Drugs, Alcohol, Smoking and Health, also called the DASH Center. McCabe and Chua are members of the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation.

Chua has consulted for the U.S. Department of Justice on unrelated topics.

Association Between Telehealth Initiation of Stimulant Therapy And New Substance Use Disorder Diagnoses, Health Affairs, DOI:10.1377/hlthaff.2024.01026

Study: Vaping Does Not Help U.S. Tobacco Smokers Quit

Researchers at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science and Moores Cancer Center at University of California San Diego have found that, among smokers in the United States, e-cigarette use does not increase smoking cessation and is actually associated with reduced tobacco abstinence. The findings, published March 5 in JAMA, refute the notion that e-cigarettes can help people quit, a common misperception among tobacco users and e-cigarette proponents.

“Most smokers think vaping will help you quit smoking,” said study co-author John P. Pierce, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor in the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health. “However, this belief is not supported by science to date. While some researchers have suggested that smokers who switch to daily vaping will be more successful in quitting smoking, We studied quitting success among both daily and non-daily vapers and came up with a quite definitive answer.”

The new study analyzed data from over 6,000 U.S. smokers from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study, a nationally representative sample of U.S. cigarette smokers. There were 943 smokers who also vaped and by matching and comparing these to similar smokers who didn’t vape, they found:

  • Smoking cessation was actually 4.1% lower among smokers who vaped daily.
  • Similarly, smoking cessation was 5.3% lower among smokers who vaped, but not daily, compared to matched smokers who did not vape.

According to the CDC, almost 20% of people in the U.S. use tobacco products. While the majority of these people are cigarette smokers, some people have switched from smoking to vaping in recent years, in part because vaping is generally perceived as less harmful. This perception contributes to the belief among many smokers that vaping is an effective way to “taper off” of cigarettes.

Considering the potential dangers of vaping, the researchers note that while e-cigarettes don’t have the same health consequences as smoking, they are not harmless.

The adverse health effects of cigarette smoking become obvious after people have smoked for 20 years,” added Pierce, a former director for population sciences at Moores Cancer Center. “While vapes generally don’t contain the same harmful chemicals as cigarette smoke, they have other risks, and we just don’t yet know what the health consequences of vaping over 20 to 30 years will be.”

One unique strength of the study is that the researchers were able to control for a wide range of other variables that are well-known to be associated with quitting, including whether they were non-daily cigarette smokers, interest in quitting (including a recent quit attempt), the presence of a smoke-free home, and socioeconomic factors.

“For example, if a smoker is already very interested in quitting, has a smoke-free home, and does not smoke daily, they are much more likely to successfully quit regardless of whether they vape or not,” said senior author Karen Messer, Ph.D., professor of biostatistics in the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health. “We matched each smoker/vaper on such characteristics. You have to make very sure you’re comparing like with like, and that’s why this analysis is so definitive.”

According to the researchers, failing to adequately account for these confounding factors in previous studies is part of why misconceptions about e-cigarettes have persisted so long.

“As the public health community continues to grapple with the complexities of tobacco control, it is essential that we rely on rigorous scientific evidence to inform our policies and interventions,” added Messer, who is also director of the Biostatistics Shared Resource at Moores Cancer Center. “Our research shows that misleading associations between vaping and smoking cessation routinely occur unless confounding characteristics are carefully accounted for.”

In addition to providing definitive evidence about a contentious question in tobacco research, the study’s results have important implications for public health policy and practice surrounding e-cigarettes, particularly how they are marketed to adolescents, for whom e-cigarettes are often a gateway to nicotine dependence.

“There’s still a lot we don’t know about the impact of vaping on people,” said Natalie Quach, a third-year biostatistics Ph.D. student at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and the study’s first author. “But what we do know is that the idea that vaping helps people quit isn’t actually true. It is more likely that it keeps them addicted to nicotine.”

Co-authors of the study include: Jiayu Chen, Brian Dang, Matthew D. Stone, David R. Strong, Dennis R. Trinidad and Sara B. McMenamin, all at UC San Diego.

This project was supported by the Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP) of the University of California Office of the President (T31IR-1584 & T32IR-4988).

# # #

Disclosures: The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Compound Harnesses Cannabis’ Pain-Relieving Properties Without Side Effects

Original post: Newswise - Substance Abuse Compound Harnesses Cannabis' Pain-Relieving Properties Without Side Effects
About Newswise

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Neuroscience Grads Studied How to Make Opioids Safer

Original post: Newswise - Substance Abuse Neuroscience Grads Studied How to Make Opioids Safer

Newswise — Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show there were about 107,000 drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2023. Of those, about 75 percent, or 81,000, involved opioids.

a Black woman wears glasses and dark shirt in indoor photo

Lauren Jones ’22.

With the aim of reducing those statistics, Lauren Jones ’22, who is in a post-baccalaureate at Harvard University, Brenna Outten ’22, a third-year doctoral student at Caltech and Leah Juechter ’24, who is working temporarily as a medical assistant, used computational chemistry as undergraduates at Furman to study the impacts of synthetic opioids.

Their work, with collaborators at Hendrix College and California State University, Los Angeles, was published in December in The Journal of Physical Chemistry B.

To say the project was formative for Jones and Outten is an understatement. They laid the foundation for the study during the height of COVID when traditional wet labs were all but shuttered.

“It’s amazing we were able to continue the work virtually during the pandemic,” said Jones, who researches sensory processing in children with autism and brain activity in children with rare neurodevelopmental and neurogenetic disorders at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Outten said the project “opened my eyes to how a scientist can contribute to fields like neuroscience, chemistry, biology and physics in ways I had never considered before.”

The paper focuses on work targeting the mu opioid receptor, or MOR. It resides mainly in the central nervous system and the GI tract. It’s like a molecular lock waiting for the right key (a drug like morphine or fentanyl) to unlock or activate a favorable response, such as reduced pain signals. But the same drugs can activate negative responses like drug tolerance, constipation, respiratory depression, addiction and overdose.

“There’s a lot we don’t understand about how opioids interact with the receptors embedded on nerves that mitigate the pain-signaling process,” Juechter said. “So the more we can uncover about how these drugs are interacting with the receptors in our bodies and the responses we feel, the better we’re able to help create pain therapeutics with reduced adverse effects and more beneficial safety profiles.”

What makes the researchers’ study unique is the application of both quantum mechanics conducted by Juechter, Outten and Jones, led by chemistry Professor George Shields, and molecular dynamics carried out by teams at Cal State and Hendrix College.

“It was interesting to see two drugs (morphine and fentanyl) that elicit almost identical effects are binding to the receptor in completely different ways,” Juechter said. “And to demonstrate that with highly accurate quantum mechanics was one of the first times we’ve seen that done.”

A white woman in pink sweater stands with sunset and trees in background.

Leah Juechter ’24.

The manner in which opioids bind to MOR is diverse and complex. “So the need for a precise computing model becomes essential,” Juechter explained. “Even slight variations in calculations can drastically affect the data and subsequent conclusions.”

The ability to do research computationally can make drug development faster and cheaper, Juechter added. “Being able to paint the picture of what’s going on using empirically-supported mathematical theories, we can streamline the initial process of drug development.”

Impactful undergraduate research is a hallmark of The Furman Advantage, a four-year approach to education that creates a pathway for students to determine who they want to be and how they want to contribute to the world once they leave the university.

Juechter spent about eight months post-graduation fine-tuning the work with her coauthors before the paper was published.

“It was exceedingly evident Dr. Shields wanted to elevate me and give me the opportunity to pursue research,” Outten said.

Juechter hopes the project will set the tone for organic chemists involved in drug research and development.

“I want a role in the health care industry because I like the idea of affecting someone’s life in real time, in a positive way,” she said.

A New Path to Recovery: Scientists Uncover Key Brain Circuit in the Fight Against Cocaine Use Disorder

PHILADELPHIA (February 26, 2025) – Imagine a future where the grip of cocaine use disorder can be loosened, where cravings fade, and the risk of relapse diminishes. A new study published in Science Advances, led by Penn Nursing’s Heath Schmidt, PhD, brings this vision closer to reality. The research has identified a critical brain circuit that plays a pivotal role in regulating cocaine-seeking behavior.

Cocaine use disorder casts a long shadow, trapping individuals in a cycle of dependence and leaving limited options for effective treatment. This study delves deep into the brain, offering crucial insights into the underlying mechanisms of this complex disorder. By understanding how this intricate circuitry functions, scientists can pave the way for the development of more effective therapies, offering new hope to those struggling with this debilitating disorder.

At the heart of this discovery lies the role of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a hormone known for its involvement in regulating food intake and blood sugar. The study reveals that chronic cocaine use is associated with reduced GLP-1 levels, effects that suggest that increasing central GLP-1 signaling could reduce cocaine seeking.

Further investigation pinpointed a specific brain circuit: GLP-1-producing neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) that project to the ventral tegmental area (VTA), a key brain region involved in reward and motivation. By manipulating this circuit, researchers were able to significantly reduce cocaine-seeking behavior in animal models.

The study also sheds light on the specific cells involved. GLP-1 receptors were found to be primarily located on GABA neurons within the VTA. GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter, plays a crucial role in regulating brain activity. Importantly, activating these GLP-1 receptors increases the activity of GABA neurons, which in turn reduces the activity of dopamine neurons, a key neurotransmitter involved in reward and addiction.

“This research provides exciting new insights into the brain mechanisms underlying cocaine seeking,” said Schmidt, the Killebrew-Censits Chair of Undergraduate Education and a Professor of Neuroscience and Pharmacology in the Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences. “By understanding how GLP-1 signaling influences brain activity in this context, we can potentially develop new GLP-1-based treatments to treat cocaine use disorder.”

This research opens a new chapter in the fight against cocaine use disorder. The findings offer a promising avenue for developing innovative therapies that target this critical brain circuit, potentially offering a lifeline to individuals struggling to break free from the grip of this devastating disorder.

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