I want to celebrate the heroes who help others overcome substance use issues and take back their lives!

Hi! I’m Sophie Tkachenko, a Senior at Brentwood School in Los Angeles, California. I play tennis, I like history, I volunteer at a museum, I’m bilingual, and I’m interested in the prevention of substance use addictions.

I grew up reading stories and watching documentaries about substance use issues in our nation. I became fascinated that a substance can alter a person’s brain chemistry enough that it turns their life around and makes that substance a priority. In the spring of 2022, I took a UCLA psychology class furthering my interest in studying neuroscience and psychology behind substance abuse and addiction. I became a leader of BWell, a mental health organization at my school, and the Semel Institute of Friends Teen Council, which does programs for the public around mental health. The more I learned about the seriousness of substance abuse in the United States, the more interested - and concerned - I became.

After getting to know people who are working in this field, I realized that many of them work incredibly hard, but get little recognition. While substance abuse is a common issue in our society, it’s one we don’t talk about enough, and we rarely celebrate those doing the hard work to help people overcome addiction and take back their lives.

So, I decided to do something.

I am creating an online resource - accessible to the public - that shines a spotlight on people doing work to help research and reduce substance use issues in our country. Every month, I will publish a highlight of someone doing interesting work in the substance abuse field to share their profound work and give them the recognition that they deserve. Follow along to hear about heroes in our healthcare field, learn about neuroscience, and be inspired by the incredible work that is happening in the prevention of substance use addictions field.