Opioids: Health, Policy & Neuroscience

Join us for a discussion on the nationwide opioid epidemic. Our panelists are uniquely positioned to converse about the various aspects of the epidemic. What are the current health concerns and how do we address them? What does this mean for public policy? And in a special Brain Week edition, what is the biological basis of addiction and what does it mean for human behavior in general? Our panelists will speak about their respective specialties and will take audience questions for a general discussion. The panel will be followed by an opening reception at the Rhode Island Museum of Art and Science.

Moderator Dr. Rodriguez:

Dr. Rodriguez has a BS in Biology from the University of Puerto Rico, an MD from The State University of NY in Buffalo, and completed his residency in 1985 from Nassau County Medical Center in NY. He is now Associate Professor of OBGYN at Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University. He was the President and CEO of Women’s Care a multispecialty group in Southern New England and is the former Medical Director of Planned Parenthood of RI. He is a former Chair of the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals, The Rhode Island Community Foundation, International Institute of RI and Rhode Island Project AIDS. He also has been a board member of the Alan Guttmacher Institute, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health and the National Abortion Federation. He founded Latino Public Radio and hosted a daily radio show in Spanish on health care issues for which he was recently awarded the Metcalf Media Award. He currently hosts a health themed webcast called Nuestra Salud on RhodeInforma.com

Tom Coderre:

Well known in the addiction recovery community, Tom Coderre has been in long-term recovery since 2003. He is now senior advisor to Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo and Above the Noise advisory board member, and was recently hired to lead the opioid response. Tom’s main responsibilities are to coordinate the Administration’s tactics to combat the opioid/addiction crisis, while serving as a liaison to the legislature. Before this position, Tom also served as the former Obama administration official, former national field director of Faces & Voices of Recovery, and board chairman for Rhode Island Communities for Addiction Recovery Efforts. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Rhode Island College. You can read more about Tom on this recent article in the Providence Journal.

Linda Mahoney:

Linda Mahoney serves as the RI Opioid Treatment Authority, along with being the Senior Administrator for Behavioral Healthcare program services at the R.I. Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals (BHDDH). BHDDH is the State Department that by statue has the authority for all Mental Health and Substance abuse services for the state of RI Ms. Mahoney has worked in the field of Behavioral Healthcare since 1986. She has authored several published studies on Adolescents Substance Use, Peer Recovery Systems use in the Emergency Room and How RI has addressed the opioid crisis. She is a Certified Advanced Alcohol & Drug Counselor & Licensed as a Clinical Supervisor (CCS).

Andrew Mallon:

Andrew Mallon, PhD, is the CEO of Trovex Therapeutics, a company that develops new treatments for diseases with high unmet needs. Dr. Mallon is an experienced biotechnology executive and scientist focused on the development and commercialization of new treatments including target discovery, animal safety, and clinical trials. He is involved in multiple opioid-related projects including a $9.6 m grant for development of Naltrexone implants, and a phase 2 clinical stage project to develop non-addictive pain killers as alternatives for opioids. Dr. Mallon has served as an NIH and NSF expert reviewer focused on drug delivery technology and commercialization, as well as CounterACT Neurotherapeutics Screening (CNS) Programs. Dr. Mallon is a Brown University Faculty alumni, having reverted to the biotechnology industry in 2011. Previously, Dr. Mallon ran several opioid replacement therapy programs in the UK where he provided methadone, buprenorphine, and even heroin to addicts as maintenance therapy.

Format:Panel discussion, Public lecture, Reception

Ages:Adults, Young adult, College students, Senior