<\/p>\n
On Tuesday afternoon, about 50 students, faculty and community members gathered inside the Rackham Graduate School for a conversation about mental health, addiction and the pressures students face, hosted by the University of Michigan Opioid Research Institute<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The event, co-sponsored by Release Recovery<\/a> and Emergent Biosolutions<\/a>, featured Emmitt Smith, National Football League Hall of Famer; Zac Clark, Release Recovery founder and CEO; and Public Health senior Shravya Ghantasala, co-president of The Lookout Project<\/a>, a U-M student-led harm reduction organization. Panelists discussed the stigma surrounding addiction, the importance of raising awareness and the challenges young people face when navigating mental health and substance use on college campuses.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The panel opened with an introduction by Amy Bohnert, co-director of ORI. In her remarks, Bohnert said the organization\u2019s mission is to bridge academic research with statewide and national partnerships addressing the opioid epidemic.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIn 2023, the University of Michigan launched the Opioid Research Institute with the goal of addressing the societal and individual challenges presented by opioid and substance misuse,\u201d Bhonert said. \u201cThis institute serves as a connection point for community members and organizations engaged in opioid-related work, bridging the gap between academia and state national partners.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n