ThinkNeuro's Expanding Health Equity Initiatives for the Opioid Crisis and Potential of Birds in Healthcare

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This post was authored with the help of Amanda Zhang, a public relations intern at ThinkNeuro LLC and student at Columbia University.

Current events context

The number of opioid-involved deaths has increased substantially in the past few decades, and the drug addiction crisis is still highly prevalent in America. This is a major problem in public health caused by the influence of pharmaceutical companies, inadequate regulation, and illegal use of synthetics, affecting most young and middle-aged adults.

But as federal funding dries up in states, lawmakers are funneling opioid settlement money into Temporary Assistance for Needy Families instead of the intended use of combating addiction. County officials are also using the funds on drug-free entertainment like ice skating, which critics argue do not sufficiently address the addiction crisis. Even though settlement agreements come with national guidelines explaining how money should be delegated to treatment, recovery, and prevention efforts, there is barely any enforcement. What the settlement money is being spent on is also very difficult to track. On top of that, research shows that a medicine called buprenorphine can cut chances of dying from overdose drastically, yet it remains severely underprescribed due to limited funding and excessive regulations. Trump and Elon Musk's cost-cutting measures on pharmaceutical companies are slowing drug research and delaying FDA drug approvals that could help combat the crisis as well, which also negatively affects biopharmaceutical business.

However, these new developments do come with new advocacy efforts. On the local level in some city legislatures, funds from opioid settlement are finally used to pay formerly addicted ambassadors to speak to those struggling. Universities like The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga are committing to reinforcing education on safety and training students how to use Narcan, a life-saving medication that can reverse overdoses.

Most particularly, nonprofit charity Think Neuro, an organization dedicated towards fighting the opioid crisis, holds a provisional patent for a new opioid detection device with cutting-edge sensor technology, a potential digital health solution awaiting FDA regulatory approvals. They find that 96.8% of individuals see opioid misuse as a serious public health threat after reviewing materials about awareness. Community members also reported reduced stigma towards opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment after engaging with such educational content, bridging gaps in opioid knowledge in underrepresented communities, especially with limited English proficiency and lower healthcare access. Alongside this, the United States’ Drug Enforcement Administration has begun to work with tribal communities to advance drug education. 

The Homeland Security Investigations' Strategy for Combating Illicit Opioids aims to reduce international and domestic supply of substances while working with private industry and attacking those responsible for the flow of such goods. This is particularly important and is reflective of India's recent policy of banning two opioids behind the addiction crisis in West Africa, as use of opioids in West Africa and the Middle East directly coincides with the problems in North America. 

The FDA has also changed the labeling on buprenorphine which no longer requires a maximum dose, as the practice downplayed the effectiveness of the medicine. The American Medical Association has also urged health insurance companies Medicaid and Medicare to remove dosage caps and outdated restrictions.

With wrongful spending of settlement agreements and conservative policies inhibiting advancement of opioid treatment accessibility, yet cities, nonprofits like Think Neuro, and federal agencies working together to combat the crisis, it is unclear how developments will advance in the future. Findings from Think Neuro and advocacy organizations with lobbying power are supporting the need for continued public health advocacy to ensure equitable access to opioid treatment resources.

ThinkNeuro LLC's cutting-edge technology set to transform overdose prevention as organization deepens community impact

ThinkNeuro, a leading advocate for equitable healthcare access, recently announced securing a provisional patent for its groundbreaking opioid detection device, marking a significant advancement in addressing the national opioid crisis. This innovation comes alongside expanded community education initiatives and policy advocacy work targeting underserved communities.

The innovation detection system utilizes proprietary sensory technology to provide real-time monitoring of opioid exposure through a non-invasive patch. Initially developed for deployment in San Bernardino County, where opioid overdoses have reached critical levels, the technology offers an accessible solution for at-risk individuals, healthcare providers, and harm reduction programs nationwide.

"This patent represents more than technological innovation—it embodies our commitment to creating practical solutions for communities most affected by opioid addiction," said public relations intern Azzy Xiang, lead research associate of the Digital Health Sciences and Second Medical Language Exchange projects at ThinkNeuro aiming to expand healthcare access. "By combining detection capabilities with digital health integration, we're building a comprehensive approach to prevention that can save lives and influence public policy."

Azzy has used the valuable research skills and insights gained from Think Neuro to enter the Harvard Ventures-Tech Summer Program, a prestigious opportunity for high schoolers to work with VC-backed startups. She is also leading advocacy efforts to combat air quality and extreme living conditions at New York Academy of Sciences’ acclaimed Junior Academy where only 5% of students are chosen to work together to solve real-world problems worldwide. “The road I’ve walked only became possible because of the doors that ThinkNeuro opened for me,” she comments on the matter. “I never thought that I could make such a difference as merely being a high school student based in Ohio, until this social enterprise taught me what change could truly mean.”

“The work we are doing at ThinkNeuro is a testament to the power of innovation in public health,” added Amanda Zhang, a public relations intern and student at Columbia University. “From developing opioid detection technology to expanding educational initiatives, we are bridging gaps in healthcare access and policy to create a lasting impact in communities that need it most.” 

The announcement comes as ThinkNeuro reports significant impact from its recent educational outreach in San Bernardino, where bilingual educational materials reached thousands of community members. Survey data revealed that 96.8% of participants recognized opioid misuse as a serious public health threat after reviewing these materials, with statistical analysis confirming a significant correlation between engagement with ThinkNeuro's resources and increased awareness.

ThinkNeuro's research initiatives, particularly its bibliometric research program, has engaged over 3,000 interns in the past two years, providing valuable professional development in bibliometrics research while advancing understanding of healthcare disparities. These programs have produced numerous published studies examining barriers to treatment, particularly for people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County. The organization's policy advocacy work has identified critical knowledge, motivation, and organizational gaps in current opioid treatment frameworks. Key recommendations include expanding healthcare training programs, implementing performance-based funding models, and developing more effective public awareness campaigns to reduce stigma. 

For more information about ThinkNeuro's opioid detection technology or to participate in upcoming educational initiatives, visit https://www.thinkneuro.org/. There are opportunities to become an intern in one of these highly impactful projects or engage with volunteering. 

About ThinkNeuro LLC

ThinkNeuro is dedicated to combating healthcare disparities in opioid abuse treatment access through policy advocacy, education reform, and technological innovation. Founded on the principle that healthcare equity requires multifaceted solutions, ThinkNeuro offers professional development opportunities, scholarship initiatives, and research-driven programs that inspire future healthcare leaders and drive meaningful change in underserved communities.

How ThinkNeuro's work relates to Bird2Branch and avian life

Of course, the advocacies and advances in healthcare that organizations like ThinkNeuro are accomplishing do not come without ties to the avian world. Drug traffickers have put two-thirds of Central America's key habitats for threatened birds under direct damage, and narco-traffickers are moving into some of the planet's most remote and untouched forests to evade crackdowns. US drug policy has failed to reduce the scale of these networks, and traffickers are creating roads that damage millions of hectares of forests. 67 species of migratory birds based in the US are at direct risk, and 90% of the endangered golden-cheeked warbler population lives in these forests in danger. This is crucial because higher bird diversity is shown by analyses to be strongly associated with better human health and preventing specific types of deaths, as human wellbeing is closely tied to biodiversity and species richness of birds. Birds are able to withstand free-radical damage that causes aging and degradation of antioxidants, resulting in exceptionally slow aging relative to their metabolism. Further investigating this phenomenon could address the concerns of many mental health and drug use victims vulnerable to aging and free-radical damage. A fascinating study also reveals that behavior between flocks of birds lack nurturing educators, but complexity science reveals that simple social principles lead to strong problem-solving abilities as they travel across difficult environments. These guiding principles can be implemented by healthcare educators to improve primary care quality and address systemic issues. Getting involved in initiatives to fight against the opioid crisis and spread awareness about protecting both people and birds vulnerable to the actions of drug traffickers is critical to ensuring wellbeing for both species and the environment. 

If you are interested in considering joining the Bird2Branch team to learn more and engage in real-world solutions, feel free to fill out our interest form here.

More helpful resources can be found here: 

• Think Neuro Opioid Education Outreach

• Caroline Haskins, WIRED

• Moises Velasquez-Manoff, New York Times

• Michael Livingston and Aneri Pattani, KFF Health News

• The Lancet Regional Health 

• CDC Overdose Prevention

• Alcohol and Drug Foundation

• Drug Policy Alliance 

• Jennifer Lubell, AMA

• The Daily Journal of the United States Government

• Axel Klein, Sudhanshu Patwardhan, and Maria Goretti Ane Loglo, Journal of Drug Policy

• Vicky Wong, BBC

• US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

• United States Drug Enforcement Administration

• Riley Nagel, Local 3 News

• Berkeley Brean, NBC

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