Nabarun Dasgupta wins MacArthur ‘genius grant’

Nabarun “Nab” Dasgupta, PhD, holds many titles at UNC-Chapel Hill: Innovation Fellow at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, senior scientist at the UNC Injury Prevention Research Center and leader of the UNC Street Drug Analysis Lab.

Now he can add “genius” to that list.

Dasgupta has been awarded a 2025 MacArthur Fellowship, known as the “genius grant.” The honor, announced Oct. 8 by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, recognizes Dasgupta’s work as an epidemiologist and harm reduction advocate who combines scientific studies with community engagement to reduce deaths and other harms from drug use and overdose. Dasgupta and his team have played an important role in the national response to the opioid epidemic.

“Our mission is science in service. We want people to have access to the best knowledge and tools, so they can make better decisions about what they put in their bodies.”

— Nabarun “Nab” Dasgupta

‍

“Our mission is science in service,” Dasgupta said. “We want people to have access to the best knowledge and tools, so they can make better decisions about what they put in their bodies. This award is a testament to hundreds of community programs and health departments we serve, where lifesaving work happens.”

Dasgupta’s Street Drug Analysis Lab tests community-donated samples from around the country to determine what is in street drugs, then makes the results public in an online database. To date, the lab has completed more than 16,000 analyses with atomic precision. Understanding the makeup of these drugs helps individuals make decisions about their drug use and allows community members and first responders to prepare and provide proper care.

Integrating molecular data and community-based problem solving, Dasgupta uses his Carolina training as an epidemiologist to isolate trends and illuminate the bigger picture. His passion is telling true stories about health with numbers. Those interested can follow the lab’s work in their newsletter.

“Our amazing teams pack boxes, analyze drug samples and process large volumes of data every day, in the hope that our neighbors have autonomy to lead healthier lives,” he said.

“Doing this work at Carolina is thrilling. Whenever we detect a street drug that’s never been seen before, we can call up world-class experts on campus and get immediate insight. The science that used to take years, we now do in weeks because we are focused on the socially relevant and actionable.”

In addition to analyzing street drugs, Dasgupta has worked for nearly two decades on broadening access to naloxone, which reverses opioid overdoses. He collaborates with people who have experience with drug use or its consequences to design effective, evidence-based interventions that respond to the needs of those who use drugs and community-based organizations that support them.

“We are immensely proud of Nabarun Dasgupta for receiving a MacArthur Fellowship,” said Chancellor Lee H. Roberts, JD. “His groundbreaking work exemplifies Carolina’s mission to advance knowledge in service to society. This award honors his dedication and impact, as well as the collaborative spirit and commitment to the public good that define our faculty. Nabarun’s leadership and scholarship are making a tangible difference in North Carolina and beyond, and we celebrate this well-deserved achievement.”

“Nabarun Dasgupta’s recognition as a MacArthur Fellow is a powerful affirmation of the lasting impact his research has had on the communities he serves,” said Penny Gordon-Larsen, PhD, vice chancellor for research. “Addressing opioid overdose deaths, one of the most urgent public health challenges of our time, demands not only scientific excellence but also compassion, vision and collaboration. His work exemplifies how research can both advance knowledge and directly improve lives, exactly what we strive for every day at UNC-Chapel Hill.”

“Nabarun Dasgupta is such a fitting recipient of this prestigious recognition as the first Gillings Innovation Fellow as well as Senior Scientist at the UNC Injury Prevention Research Center,” said Nancy Messonnier, MD, dean of the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. “He specializes in turning research into practice, and through his work, he amplifies community and patient voices in public health and provides innovative health-tech and community-based solutions. He co-founded a non-profit in Wilkes County, N.C., which was the first of its kind to provide the antidote that reverses overdose to pain patients and people who use drugs. His originality, insight and potential are just a few of the values he shares with the MacArthur Fellowship, and we are immensely proud of his dedication, selflessness and accomplishments.”

Full story: unc.edu/posts/2025/10/08/nabarun-dasgupta-wins-macarthur-genius-grant