Substance Use

Student team improves substance use disorder app thanks to venture capital funding

Shayla Brown — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 18:30:23 +0000

Student team improves substance use disorder app thanks to venture capital funding Shayla Brown Wed, 09/20/2023 - 14:30

A ��AV multidisciplinary research team recently received $5,000 in funding from the VentureWell Accelerator to continue to develop their app, iCONNECT SUD.

The team, which includes recent alumna Rebecca Leung, PhD students Dylan Scarton and Tolulope Abidogun, and second year graduate student Srinath Silla, calls themselves the Good Troublers. Their project started as part of the National Science Foundation-funded National Research Traineeship (NRT) program at the Center for Adaptive Systems of Brain Body Interactions (CASBBI).

Rebecca Leung, Srinath Silla, Dylan Scarton, and Tolulope Abidogun in Peterson Hall. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding.

“[The NRT Program] trains graduate students to utilize design thinking principles and develop an entrepreneurial mindset to solve the pressing issues in society today using a community-engaged user-centered approach,” said Siddhartha Sikdar, CASBBI director.

“This funding will help the team translate their work and have a real impact in the community.”

Mason was recently ranked No. 1 for research performance in entrepreneurship among public universities, and No. 2 overall nationally, in the latest report from EduRank. The NRT Program is one of a series of programs at Mason designed to help researchers bring their discoveries to market.

The iCONNECT app uses smart technology, such as customized experiences and automated or user-defined identification of local resources, to help those who are struggling with or recovering from substance use disorder (SUD).

“The grant not only helps us in procuring hardware and software to optimize development, it gives us credibility and will also help us with future grants to sustain our work,” said Leung, co-founder of the team who recently graduated from Mason with a master of social work degree.

The team received the grant as part of their Stage 1 or "Pioneer" funding through VentureWell’s E-Team Program to attend a 2-day start-up entrepreneurship workshop at The Engine in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where they were provided with additional guidance for the use of their funds. Any remaining funds after the Stage 1 workshop expenses are covered will be used to further develop their app.

“It was actually our second time applying for the VentureWell grant,” said Dylan Scarton, a neuroscience PhD student and another co-founder of the team. “They gave us feedback [of items] to address and said that we should be good for the next round.”

Tolulope Abidogun, Srinath Silla, Rebecca Leung, and Siddhartha Sikdar in Peterson Hall. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding.

VentureWell funds for-profit enterprises and some nonprofits, like iCONNECT, that tend to focus on social challenges and health-related innovations. The team’s mentors, Mason mathematics professor Padhu Seshaiyer and social work professor Holly Matto, encouraged them to apply for the funding to help them advance the app.

Tolulope Abidogun, a public health PhD student, is one of the new members of Good Troublers. She works with the team to structure the research side of the app deployment.

“One major goal for us moving forward is to make the [SUD resource collation] process more efficient. It's going to take a lot of groundwork, going to different places and people to get information,” said Abidogun.

The app is currently available and free for all to download, but the beta version only has vetted local resources used by peer recovery specialists in Falls Church and Fairfax County. The team hopes to continue expanding its reach throughout the Washington, D.C., area.

The team is currently gathering information in Arlington, Falls Church, and Fairfax, Virginia, and they hope to implement iCONNECT SUD into the practice of peer recovery specialists in those regions by the end of the year.

In This Story

Siddhartha Sikdar

Holly Matto, PhD, LCSW-C

Padmanabhan Seshaiyer

Learn more about CASBBI

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College of Public Health

College of Science

Center for Adaptive Systems of Brain-Body Interactions

Mason researchers connect with community members to develop an app for individuals recovering from opioid use disorder

Shayla Brown — Thu, 30 Mar 2023 18:39:08 +0000

Mason researchers connect with community members to develop an app for individuals recovering from opioid use disorder Shayla Brown Thu, 03/30/2023 - 14:39

In This Story

Holly Matto, PhD, LCSW-C

Siddhartha Sikdar

Screenshots of the app iCONNECT by Rebecca Leung, Dylan Scarton, Jonathan Mbuya, and Srinath Silla. Photos provided.

��AV graduate student Rebecca Leung is part of a team finding ways to use smart technology in order to help those who are struggling with or recovering from substance use disorder (SUD).

“I have always wanted to use smart technology to help different populations,” said Leung, who is working on her master of social work degree.

Leung is teaming up with other Mason researchers to develop an app called iCONNECT, which is intended to help peer support specialists, individuals in recovery from SUD, and their families connect with the specific resources needed to sustain recovery.

Leung was a 2021-22 fellow in Mason’s National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) program, which is training the next generation of leaders to take on some of the most challenging problems faced by society today. The program, led by Mason researcher Siddhartha Sikdar, is a part of the Center for Adaptive Systems of Brain-Body Interactions (CASBBI) program.

During the fellowship, Leung teamed with Dylan Scarton, a third-year PhD student in neuroscience, and Jonathan Mbuya, a PhD student in computer science. The team calls themselves the Good Troublers, and they are mentored by Mason researcher Holly Matto, as a core CASBBI faculty member and mentor in the NRT program, who studies addiction and recovery.

Matto, who was working on her own app to help with mental disease, told Leung about the program and recommended that she apply for it. “I saw an opportunity to work with an interdisciplinary team to solve a social problem that I was keen on solving,” said Leung. After interviewing with CASBBI faculty Leung was chosen to be part of the cohort. “Fortunately, I met Dylan and Jonathan – who were also motivated to help with the opioid epidemic,” said Leung.

Screenshots of the app iCONNECT by Rebecca Leung, Dylan Scarton, Jonathan Mbuya, and Srinath Silla. Photos provided.

“The app will have immediate local impact on the ways in which peer support specialists, individuals in recovery from substance use, and their families are able to connect with the specific resources needed to sustain recovery,” said Matto.

“If someone needs transportation to get to appointments or they need to find a methadone clinic or inpatient places, we put all the local resources together in the app,” said Leung. “It turns out it's very hard to Google, and even when you go to [the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration] to look for resources, you don't know if they're available or if the address or hours are updated.”

“The three of us have been personally affected by the opioid epidemic in different ways, and we're motivated to try to address that crisis in some form or fashion,” said Scarton. “We're designing the app with accessible user interface considerations, to minimize the number of clicks and present the information very clearly, for anyone not familiar with this domain like a caregiver, family member, concerned friend.”

Working with the nonprofit The Chris Atwood Foundation, the team spoke with multiple peer recovery specialists, individuals who have history with either mental health or substance use issues. These certified peer recovery specialists consult and guide individuals who are struggling with those issues, as well as their family members.

CAF is a nonprofit organization that provides free harm reduction, and recovery support services and resources. Daniel Adams, a certified peer recovery specialist at CAF, is working alongside the Mason research team as they develop iCONNECT.

“Through The Chris Atwood Foundation we realized that a big need of theirs is connecting individuals in recovery with necessary resources,” said Scarton. “That’s why we're currently developing a smartphone application to address that need.”

“People caught up in substance use and trying to recover have limited information about the resources available to them,” said Adams. “As a peer recovery specialist, you always have resources at your fingertips.”

The team has provided the first Android version of the app to community partners for testing. The peer recovery specialists will continue to test out iCONNECT once it is coded to the Apple platform, before being released to a limited number of users in the county for further feedback.

CAF is in the process of developing a peer drop-in center near Mason’s Fairfax Campus for community members to use. Mason’s Student Support and Advocacy Center also provides resources for individuals dealing with substance use issues on and off campus such as recovery and support meetings.

“It's been a blessing to partner with ��AV,” said Adams. “This app is a tremendous idea and something that I can pass on to the individuals I help and teach them how to be self-reliant in a positive way.”

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doctoral students

Student Support and Advocacy Center (SSAC)

master of social work

CEC faculty research

National Science Foundation

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program Supports Student’s Goal of More Compassionate Care

Mary Cunningham — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 21:00:45 +0000

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program Supports Student’s Goal of More Compassionate Care Mary Cunningham Tue, 07/12/2022 - 17:00

Future psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner Hiba Masood works in the Population Health Center's behavioral health center.

Future psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner Hiba Masood intends to use the power of education to fight substance use disorder misinformation.

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) student Hiba Masood found her true calling to enter the field of psychiatry amidst the pandemic. With the advent of COVID-19 came a rise in psychiatric illness and the incidence of fatal overdoses. Unfortunately, this also coincided with a shortage of health care providers. Thus, Hiba returned to Mason to become a PMHNP and increase access to compassionate behavioral health care.

“Patient care can be considered an art that requires a scientific foundation and authenticity. Evidence-based practice is required to provide appropriate care, though it takes the unique experiences of practitioners to provide more individualized care,” she said. “Substance use disorder needs support, non-judgmental care, and compassion.”

As an alumna of Mason’s Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program, Hiba knew that Mason was the best place to further her education in order to gain additional skills to help those with substance use disorder. Mason’s Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner certification prepares graduates to perform a variety of mental health services including medication management. PMHNP’s perform a variety of roles including but not limited to conducting assessments, prescribing medication, and providing psychotherapy

Hands-on learning experiences are an essential part of the program. Hiba recently assisted in launching the Population Health Center’s behavioral health clinic. Alongside her cohort, Hiba learned the theory and practice of advanced practice psychiatric nursing in a variety of practice settings within the health care delivery system. Under the guidance of licensed preceptors, students working toward their PMHNP certification meet patients during their initial evaluation and follow them through their treatment journey. (Read more about the Population Health Center’s behavioral health clinic.)

“We are doing so much more than writing papers and trying to pass exams,” said Hiba. “One of the greatest experiences during this program is the ability to apply education into practice ensuring we are utilizing evidence based and individualized patient care.”

Mason’s instructors are a part of what makes the College special and why Hiba chose to continue her education here. She spotlights Dr. Melanie Yousefi, who has supported her throughout the PMHNP program in both the instructional and clinical settings.

“The faculty are remarkable, very caring, and supportive,” she said. “They have so much experience and education that they share with us, ensuring we are prepared to support our community.”

Removing the Stigma of Substance Use Disorder

Hiba is a strong advocate for shedding light on the realities of substance use disorder as a disease rather than a behavior that requires punishment or isolation. She has seen first-hand how the negative perceptions of substance use disorder have dissuaded people from seeking health care. Hiba wants to educate those whose perceptions have been skewed by misinformation.

“When people feel judged they hide away and go through such a dangerous disease process alone,” said Hiba. “With education and compassion, we can remove that stigma, so those who need help are more encouraged to come forward to get the support they need without societal judgment or fear of criminalization.”

Those who suffer from substance use disorder often experience comorbidities including other psychiatric and medical disorders that can go untreated due to stigmatization. Hiba describes how the societally imposed shame associated with substance use disorder causes those who need compassion and support to combat this illness without help.

“People with substance use disorders are human, just like you and me and should be treated with dignity and respect. Substance use disorder is a chronic disease that necessitates holistic care similar to other diseases like diabetes or hypertension. Those battling with substance use disorder deserve the right to receive care like anyone else and live their best life,” Hiba said.

Hiba also notes the importance of utilizing medically appropriate language when referring to substance use disorders as a piece of de-stigmatization. There is a growing movement among health professionals to avoid perpetuating the negative attitudes associated with terms such as drug user and addict. Using vocabulary such as “a person with a substance use disorder” removes the blame from individuals and reframes substance use as a disorder.

No Such Thing as One Size Fits All

Before starting the PMHNP certification process, Hiba worked in cardiology as a Registered Nurse (RN), in an inner-city hospital. She worked closely with the homeless population and incarcerated individuals, where the prevalence of substance use disorder and cooccurring illnesses are statistically higher. In her career as a RN and FNP, Hiba has always made it a priority to meet her patients’ individualized needs and ensure the patient’s support system is prepared to help them outside of her care. She has interned at various inpatient and outpatient facilities, including the College’s Population Health Center behavioral health clinic.

After completing her time at the behavioral health clinic and earning the title of PMHNP, Hiba is committed to putting her education into practice as well as her compassionate nature.

Providing medication-assisted treatment is one of the ways she plans to assist in the interdisciplinary care necessary for substance use disorder treatment. Hiba also plans on working with the adolescent population, supporting them through a vulnerable developmental time frame.

If you or someone you know is suffering from substance use disorder Mason’s Student Support and Advocacy Center offers resources.

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population health center

Using virtual reality to support addiction recovery

Colleen Rich — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 09:05:59 +0000

Using virtual reality to support addiction recovery Colleen Rich Mon, 10/19/2020 - 05:05

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National Institutes of Health

Addiction

Substance Use

College of Health and Human Services

Volgenau School of Engineering

College of Science

Center for Adaptive Systems of Brain-Body Interactions

Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP)

Research

faculty spotlight

CHHS News

Tech Talent Investment Pipeline (TTIP)

TTIP

Tech Talent Investment Program

Can virtual reality help people with substance abuse issues avoid a relapse? A team of ��AV researchers thinks it just might.

Image courtesy of Brightline Interactive

The multidisciplinary team, which includes faculty members Holly Matto, Padmanabhan Seshaiyer, Stephanie Carmack, and Nathalia Peixoto, and graduate student Matthew Scherbel, is working with Brightline Interactive to examine the effects of recovery cues, using virtual reality simulations, on neurophysiological regulation to prevent drug relapse.

The work is supported by a Small Business Technology Transfer grant from the National Institutes of Health. Brightline Interactive is a team of creative technologists that designs and builds virtual reality experiences, specializing in rapid development of custom end-to-end hardware/software solutions. These solutions use immersive virtual reality/augmented reality/extended reality technologies and techniques, such as motion, object, optical and facial tracking, artificial intelligence/machine learning, and sensor-integration, to allow for simulated utilization of physical objects in virtual reality environments for simulation and training purposes.

Matto is a social worker who worked with individuals in recovery from substance use before she became a university professor. She has used that practice experience to guide her research with diverse clinical populations.

“It’s my favorite population to work with,” said Matto, who is an associate professor in the Department of Social Work in the College of Health and Human Services.

Matto found that the first weeks in recovery are a tricky time for individuals in recovery, with a critical need for support to maintain their sobriety goals, especially when it comes to dealing with triggers, those sensory reminders of their substance use within their environment that might cause a relapse.

“It takes more than a strong commitment to be sober,” Matto says. “You may not be able to think your way through [when triggered].”

She said research shows that intensity of craving experience can still be quite high even after two months of abstinence. This led Matto to think about the importance of real-time interventions to support recovery when these individuals leave treatment.

“We are interested in understanding how we can disrupt the drug trigger-craving-relapse chain by using customized recovery cue substitutions—positive stimuli associated with recovery—to regulate the brain and body’s reaction to the people, places, objects and other daily stimuli that increase relapse risk for people in recovery,” she said.

The intervention the team is working on with Brightline involves virtual reality and having the person wearing the VR goggles interact with triggering objects while being able to assess their physiological response.

The team did some preliminary work this summer with students in Mason’s Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program. One of their interns, Noah Egan, a 2020 Brentsville District High School graduate, taught himself how to use the game engine Unity in order to create what is very similar to a 3D video game in which a person would interact with an addiction trigger or cue.

“We have some new ideas that haven’t been used in social work before, which is the point of adding engineering to a community problem,” said Peixoto, an associate professor in the Volgenau School of Engineering who mentored Egan. “[This intervention] is a little bit more than game design and a little bit more than computer science, because we want to measure physiological variables.”

The Brightline-Mason team plans to build on this initial work and create an in-session interactive VR task that tracks the participant's gaze in order to understand where they are fixating attention on each recovery cue. From this data, the team can assess what imagery is particularly attractive to each participant and identify which cues cause a particular physiological reaction.

The results may lead to the development of a nonpharmacological mobile recovery support system to help individuals manage cravings and avoid relapse.

“I am really excited about this project, not only because it addresses such a critical issue, as we have seen increases in substance use during pandemic, but also because it represents an extraordinary collaboration among technology industry professionals, university faculty, community clinical care, and individuals in recovery,” said Rebekah Hersch, interim associate vice president for research and innovation at Mason. “As with nearly all complex problems, it takes a multidisciplinary team to tackle the problem and make a real difference in the lives of so many people.”

Substance Use

Student team improves substance use disorder app thanks to venture capital funding

In This Story

Learn more about CASBBI

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Mason researchers connect with community members to develop an app for individuals recovering from opioid use disorder

In This Story

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Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program Supports Student’s Goal of More Compassionate Care

Future psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner Hiba Masood intends to use the power of education to fight substance use disorder misinformation.

Topics

Using virtual reality to support addiction recovery

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