Dr. Mohammad Jalali (‘MJ’), assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and research affiliate with MIT Sloan School, presented his research on modeling the opioid epidemic in the United States at the April CHDS research seminar.
In collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Jalali and his team developed an opioid simulation model for the United States. The model focuses on trajectories of opioid use, from initial exposure to medical use of prescription opioids to opioid misuse and heroin use, opioid use disorder, treatment, and remission. Jalali described the iterative process of developing and refining the model, as well as the challenges in defining its optimal scope and complexity. He also highlighted the value of closely collaborating with stakeholders and subject matter experts when developing such complex simulation models. Moving forward, Jalali is using the model to run scenarios, analyze a variety of potential interventions, and identify key leverage points for addressing the opioid crisis, which is one of the most pressing public health issues in the US today.
This seminar is part of a series of monthly online seminars hosted by CHDS. To be added to the email list for future seminars, please send a note to chds@hsph.harvard.edu.
Learn more: Read about Mohammad Jalali and his work
Learn more: Explore the Resource Pack: U.S. Opioid Epidemic
Related news: Covidestim – COVID-19 Nowcasting
Related news: Alcohol Consumption during COVID