How Grief Fueled a Scientist’s Quest to Save Lives Through Data

At the University of North Carolina, epidemiologist Nabarun “Nab” Dasgupta channels profound personal loss into life-saving science. More than two decades ago, the overdose death of his friend and mentor, Tony Givens, gave Dasgupta a mission with urgency and purpose. Givens, an outreach worker with deep street-level insight, passed away in 2004 in what was ultimately an intentional overdose. His death became the emotional spark for Dasgupta’s lifelong dedication to confronting the overdose crisis through numbers—and compassion. TradeoffsAllSides

Turning Grief Into Data and Action

Driven by grief, Dasgupta began his work by attempting to answer the simple question: How many overdose deaths are there in the U.S.? His search for clarity uncovered systemic gaps. Raw national mortality data were difficult to access, poorly structured, and emotionally numbing. Yet, navigating that data became both his solace and his calling. Tradeoffs

Over time, Dasgupta has transformed that act of self-soothing into a groundbreaking research lab—one that tracks the shifting composition of street drugs. By collecting real drug samples directly from users and frontline services, his lab identifies hundreds of different substances—from fentanyl analogs to unexpected additives—and shares the findings first with the people whose lives are most at stake. Tradeoffs

Hope Amid a Crisis—and a Focus on Impact

The tragic overdose death toll in the U.S. increased for years—until 2024, when provisional data revealed a 27% drop in fatalities. “I felt like I could exhale for the first time in 20 years,” Dasgupta said, a rare moment of solace for someone who lives daily with loss in his hands (and on his screen). Tradeoffs

Dasgupta credits this crucial decline to multiple factors: a less lethal drug supply, expanded access to treatment, and wide distribution of naloxone. Yet, he remains grounded in the belief that data must serve individuals first—not just inform policy. His priority: getting real-time information back into the hands of people using drugs, so they can make informed choices amid a dangerous market. Tradeoffs

Why This Matters for Healthcare & Behavioral Health Providers

• Personal experiences shape meaningful solutions: Dasgupta’s path reminds us that personal loss and empathy can—and often do—fruit powerful advances in public health.

• Data-driven, compassionate outreach works: Real-time drug supply testing isn’t just academic—it saves lives by empowering informed decision-making among users.

• Proactive sharing over delayed policymaking: A legislator's aim may be to influence broad policy; Dasgupta’s model shows how targeted, localized data can have an immediate impact.

Final Thought

Nabarun Dasgupta’s journey illustrates the transformative power of personal grief when fused with scientific rigor. For behavioral health professionals and legal advisors alike, it’s a call to integrate empathy, data, and real-time responsiveness into how we prevent harm and promote recovery.