Improving tribal opioid data and culturally tailored medications for American Indian and Alaska Native communities
Official title: Leveraging CDC Opioid Overdose Surveillance Funding from the Albuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology Center to Create Tribal Data and Culturally Center Medications for Opioid Use Disorder
Funded at Loyola University Chicago · NIH-11249686 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will build better tribe-level opioid overdose data and work with American Indian and Alaska Native communities to adapt medications for opioid use disorder so they fit local cultural needs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Loyola University Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Maywood, United States) |
| Project start | April 22, 2022 |
| Project end | November 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $633,110 |
| NIH project number | 5R33DA049382-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11249686 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are American Indian and Alaska Native adults affected by opioid use disorder, tribal health program patients, and community members involved in local care planning.
✕Less likely to help
People without opioid use disorder or those not served by participating tribal health programs are unlikely to directly benefit from this project.
What this research studies
This project links and improves tribal, state, and Indian Health Service data to better show how opioid overdoses affect specific tribes. Researchers will work with tribal leaders, clinicians, and community members to identify cultural barriers to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and co-design culturally centered approaches. The team will pilot culturally tailored MOUD strategies in partnership with tribal health programs and track care retention and overdose outcomes. Community engagement and data improvements are central so care changes reflect each tribe's needs and context.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help tribes get accurate overdose data and improve uptake and retention of evidence-based medications by making treatment more culturally acceptable.
How similar studies have gone: Medication treatments like buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone have improved retention and reduced overdose risk, but culturally tailored MOUD approaches for AI/AN communities are relatively novel and less tested.
Where this research is happening
-
Loyola University Chicago
Maywood, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Qeadan, Fares — Loyola University Chicago
- Study coordinator: Qeadan, Fares
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.