MIT Bootcamp on substance abuse disorders. Credit: Chris McIntosh/MIT
In 2021, more than 46 million people suffered from substance use disorder in the United States. That figure would not surprise forensic toxicologists in the lab nor law enforcement in the field as they have been on the frontlines of the drug crisis for years now. And still, it’s not getting better.
Researchers at MIT have taken a different approach to the crisis. A new hybrid program recently convened 34 innovators in an “MIT Bootcamp” to build and pitch new ventures with the goal of bringing life-saving innovations to the field.
“Building a venture in the substance use disorder space is exceptionally challenging,” said Hanna Adeyema, director of MIT Bootcamps. “Our goal was not only to educate our learners but also to inspire and to ignite a sense of community. We achieved it by building relationships in a diverse group united by a shared vision to bring lifesaving products to market.”
The Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Ventures program featured workshops, case studies, and interactive sessions with researchers, entrepreneurs, and doctors who brought a multidisciplinary approach to tackling early detection, access to care and health equity, dual diagnosis, treatment, and relapse prevention.
With 10-hour days, the program blended formal and informal instruction to deliver practical educational experience on substance use disorder and innovation. Learners attended case studies with health care companies like Prapela, Invistics and RTM Vital Signs. They also attended workshops by MIT faculty, lectures by members of the NIH and NIDA, and interactive sessions with local startup veterans and medical professionals.
“The program connected substance use disorder knowledge and resources, including funding opportunities, to entrepreneurial competences and multifaceted skills of the learners,” says Cynthia Breazeal, dean for digital learning at MIT Open Learning and principal investigator for the project. “We have delivered a dynamic learning experience, sensitive to the root causes behind the innovation deficit in this field.”
Part of the program also involved splitting the innovators into teams of five to collaborate on building a venture related to substance use disorder. With vast differences in age, background and industry, each team had experts spanning many different verticals.
“One of the things MIT Bootcamps does really well is bring multiple disciplines to innovate together,” said Smit Patel, a pharmacist and digital health strategist who participated in the program. “We have seen a lot of silo innovation happening [in health care]. We have also seen problems being solved in piecemeal. How can we come together as a collective force—clinician and entrepreneur, a technologist, someone who has gone through this experience themselves—to build a solution?”
With another three years of funding, the SUD Ventures program will continue to bring together innovators to help tackle problems in the substance use space.