Virginia’s Drug Overdose Crisis and an Innovative Response
The state of Virginia has been grappling with the devastating consequences of drug overdoses, particularly from synthetic opioids like fentanyl. In a significant development, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has reported a remarkable 43% decrease in drug overdose deaths in 2024. Despite this positive trend, the statistics reveal a stark reality: 1,396 Virginians still succumbed to overdoses, highlighting the continued threat posed by these substances.
The Fentanyl Crisis
Fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, has been identified by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as the greatest drug threat facing the United States. To raise awareness about this dangerous drug, the DEA marked National Fentanyl Awareness Day by unveiling "The Faces of Fentanyl" memorial exhibit in Arlington. This poignant display memorializes over 7,000 individuals, primarily young people, whose lives have been tragically lost to fentanyl overdose.
A Personal Connection
One young innovator who is tackling the fentanyl crisis head-on is Natasha Ambeskar, an 18-year-old high school senior at BASIS Independent McLean. With the issue deeply affecting her peers, Natasha felt compelled to take action. “It was always a really big problem that I was seeing everywhere, and especially deaths from fentanyl around my age, so it hits a lot closer to home,” she shared.
An Innovative Project
As part of her educational curriculum, Natasha dedicated three months to her senior research project, collaborating with the MITRE Corporation—a not-for-profit organization that focuses on federally funded research and development. Her project centered on developing machine learning tools aimed at detecting fentanyl before it could pose a threat to lives.
Exploring Machine Learning
During her internship at MITRE, Natasha honed essential lab skills and explored her keen interest in machine learning. She focused on enhancing drug detection capabilities by training models that could identify substances based on their chemical signatures. "Machine learning was always a field I was very curious about, and focusing on it at MITRE gave me the opportunity to learn more," she said.
The Technical Approach
For her project, Natasha trained three distinct machine learning models: linear regression, linear discriminant analysis, and support vector regression. She strategically selected these models, acknowledging the reliance on limited data collected during her research. “Typically, in the machine learning world, the more data you have, the more accurate your model is going to be,” she explained. Nonetheless, she remained optimistic about the potential impact of her models in real-world applications.
Hands-on Experience
At MITRE, Natasha was able to prepare chemical samples and utilize detection technologies to analyze substances. While she didn’t work directly with fentanyl due to safety concerns, she employed alternative chemicals that could mimic counterfeit samples typically found in drug trafficking. The collected data was then funneled into her machine learning models, which identified patterns to predict the presence of target chemicals.
Results and Discoveries
The machine learning models Natasha developed learned and improved their performance as they processed the data. Throughout the research process, MITRE staff provided invaluable guidance covering various chemical techniques, data collection, and result analysis. Her findings indicated that support vector regression emerged as the most effective model for potential large-scale development in substance detection.
Future Aspirations
Natasha’s groundbreaking research marks just the first step in her journey within the STEM field. As she prepares to continue her education at Johns Hopkins University, she expresses a desire to further explore drug trafficking technologies. "With a little more data and more time, I think we could develop some great technologies using these studies," she emphasized.
A Vision for Change
Looking toward the future, Natasha sees tremendous potential for her research to foster impactful technologies capable of combating the fentanyl crisis. "I think this field is growing into something really impactful and promising, and with a little more research and development, I think it could be really beneficial in saving lives," she remarked.
Through innovative thinking and cutting-edge technology, young pioneers like Natasha Ambeskar are taking significant steps in addressing one of the most pressing public health issues of our time.