The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Injury Prevention Research Center at Emory University (IPRCE) has awarded its grant titled “Identifying Barriers and Facilitators to Implementing a Community Drug-Checking App among the Department of Health and Diverse Communities of People Who Use Drugs in Fulton County, GA” to Sarah Ferbes-Cordero, PhD, RN, an assistant professor with Emory University's Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. Beatrice King, MSPH, from the Fulton County Board of Health, serves as the Multiple Principal Investigator (MPI). The IPRCE research pilot grant provides funding to address crucial public health concerns surrounding drug-related harm and overdose prevention.

The IPRCE research pilot grant focuses on the critical need to monitor and notify the public about dangerous additives in drug supplies, including substances like fentanyl and xylazine, which pose a significant risk to public health. The collaboration with diverse communities of people who use drugs (PWUD) is essential for effective surveillance and notification systems. Despite efforts by public health agencies, the challenge of reaching out to these communities persists, particularly when developing harm reduction strategies.

Dr. Febres-Cordero's research project aligns with the growing adoption of drug testing strips for substances like fentanyl and xylazine, which can substantially mitigate the risk of unintentional drug overdoses and related harm. To support these efforts, this pilot grant gives Dr. Febres-Cordero and her team the opportunity to develop a web-based app called StreetCheck. This innovative app enables people who use drugs to anonymously share their drug test results with public health departments, thereby enhancing data collection, analysis, and communication for more informed public health efforts.

Dr. Sarah Ferbes-Cordero is an Assistant Professor, tenure track, in the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. Dr. Ferbes-Cordero overall research interests focuses on intervention science. During her research, Dr. Ferbes-Cordero created a graphic medicine novel to address opioid-involved overdose identification and naloxone administration by laypeople. This work was recently highlighted in Emory University’s Science Gallery Atlanta, HOOKED: When Want Becomes Need. 

For more information on Dr. Sarah Ferbes-Cordero, visit her faculty profile. To learn more about the IPRCE Research Project grant, visit the Injury Prevention Research Center at Emory University website.