Helping people with substance use disorders save and recover their lives

Felix Dawson learned how to use data to solve problems when earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in business at Rice University. “Breaking something down to its core components provides a level of clarity that you don’t get otherwise,” he said. “Solutions are found in the data.” As a business consultant at Arthur Andersen and later an executive at Goldman Sachs and Constellation Energy, he used data to find middle ground as a means of solving problems. “The perspective of energy companies who own and operate assets can be very different from the banks who finance the purchase of those assets,” Dawson said. “We found ways to make them work together more effectively.”

Dawson identified a similar opportunity in addiction treatment. “The companies who own and operate the diagnostic labs look at the treatment of patients with a substance use disorder very differently than the providers. Just ask the providers,” he said.

SUDx, a diagnostic company specializing in addiction treatment, represents a new middle ground benefitting providers and their patients. By providing them with a toxicology panel tailored to substance use disorders, as well as a suite of digital tools powered by clinically validated, patent-pending algorithms, providers are better equipped to help their patients achieve recovery.

“Providers can now get a clear reading of a patient’s historical toxicology data, along with stability scores and treatment twins that predict their likely path in treatment with 90% accuracy, all on a single clinical dashboard” Dawson said. “We’re using data to help solve a massive problem.”

When building SUDx’s state-of-the-art toxicology lab, David Hong was fixated on data quality. “From the beginning, I wanted our data to be of the highest quality so that we can have the greatest insight into the needs of each patient,” he said. “That required me to ensure that every facet of our operations, from method development to instrument validation, meets a higher standard.”

After earning a Master of Science degree in biotechnology from Yonsei University, Hong embarked on career spanning drug development, oncological testing and toxicology testing – disciplines requiring specialized laboratory expertise. “There’s no margin for error in these areas of work,” Hong said.

Hong manages SUDx’s lab, which provides specialized diagnostics and comprehensive, customizable toxicology testing for medication assisted treatment providers. Accredited by COLA, licensed by the State of Maryland and Certified by CLIA, the lab includes the latest Agilent LC/MS machines that routinely undergo College of American Pathology proficiency testing.

“I’m proud of what we’re building,” Hong said. “We’re focused on addiction treatment in ways that the incumbent labs aren’t, which means that we’ll be able to help providers and their patients in ways that they can’t.”

Before applying to graduate school, Albert Burgess-Hull chose one of two career paths. “I could have pursued advanced statistical training in either theoretical research or applied research,” he said. “Both are important, but the ability to work on real world problems made applied statistics the easy choice. I want to have a positive impact on the world.”

Burgess-Hull went on to earn a PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and completed his postdoctoral fellowship training at the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He has been recognized nationally for his research and leadership and has held training fellowships at both Duke University and Yale University.

The opportunity to use statistical modeling to address the dramatic increase is substance use disorders attracted Burgess-Hull to SUDx: “In graduate school and during my postdoctoral training at the NIH, I became very interested in how artificial intelligence could be used to identify the groups of individuals who might transition to more problematic patterns of drug use as early in their treatment as possible.

”At SUDx, Dr. Burgess-Hull conducts research focused on the development, validation, and implementation of analytic frameworks designed to improve medical decision-making, clinical efficiency, and the delivery of addiction treatments. He actively collaborates with addiction researchers at NIDA, the NIH, and various universities and health departments around the U.S. to disseminate this research to other addiction scientists.

“Personalized, precision medicine is now being used to treat diseases ranging from cancer to diabetes, said Burgess-Hull. “We’re now using novel quantitative modeling and data collection frameworks to treat and identify problematic patterns of drug use in real-world settings. I believe this work can revolutionize the treatment of people with a SUD.”

Gay Green-Carden discovered her passion for healthcare by happenstance. While studying journalism at the University of Maryland, she was called upon to coordinate the care for an aging family member. “I witnessed someone I loved struggling with his health – struggles that were compounded because he belonged to an underserved community,” she said. “In a doctor’s office one day, I spoke with a pharmaceutical company representative who told me that her job was simply to help people. I knew then that’s what I wanted to do.

”After graduation, Green-Carden embarked on a healthcare career working for Pfizer, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Indivior and other market leaders to improve patient outcomes and reduce the disparities in health outcomes for underserved communities. “There is a particular need for education and advocacy in many communities, but I know firsthand that these needs can be met,” she said.

It was during her tenure with Indivior, the manufacturer of Sublocade, that Green-Carden learned about the added challenges confronting patients with substance use disorders: “In diverse communities, those struggling with addiction are often stigmatized. They’re seen as addicts, not someone who has a chronic disease. We need to change that.”

The pastor of a Methodist church, Green-Carden feels a kinship with those who have a substance use disorder: “While no one in my immediate family has been addicted, many people in my spiritual family are, and I have a responsibility to them as well.”

She believes that SUDx’s suite of digital tools, along with the Digital Twin illustrating the path a patient is most likely to take during treatment, have significant potential for patients with a substance use disorder. “Our patients can actually see themselves overcoming their addiction, which inspires confidence both in their recovery and a better life for themselves and their families,” Green-Carden said. “That really is helping people.”