Doctoral student Matthew “Jake” Samora’s research connects communities to save lives and transforms health outcomes.
As research staff member at the Addiction Research Institute, Jake Samora contributed to the development of TxCOPE (Texans Connecting Overdose Prevention Efforts), an innovative digital platform designed to improve data collection on overdose incidents throughout Texas. What makes his approach distinctive is his commitment to community-engaged research methods, bringing together diverse stakeholders, including outreach providers, first responders, as well as people who use drugs.
“My time at the Addiction Research Institute has been one of the most transformative periods professionally and personally,” Samora said. “The community engaged and clinical experiences that I was able to gain feed directly into the compass that guides my research agenda now.”
Creating Connections Across Communities
Samora’s research doesn’t just gather data — it builds bridges between communities often separated by stigma and misunderstanding. His work is particularly focused on health outcomes experienced by people who use drugs, with special attention to the intersection of substance use and sexually diverse populations. His experience as a clinician on a randomized control trial with people who use drugs living with HIV provided unique insights into the challenges these individuals face related to substance use services, many of whom were also sexually diverse.
This clinical background informs his research on how stigma and adverse experiences contribute to substance use outcomes in these populations.
“We have found through our research that there are systemic barriers to seeking care for these populations, even when there is a life-threatening situation like an overdose,” Samora said.
Building Engagement and Continuing a Legacy
Samora has also investigated ways to engage college students in overdose prevention efforts. As coprincipal investigator on a project to disseminate TxCOPE and promote opioid overdose awareness among university students, he’s contributed to research that will inform strategies to increase engagement with resources that could save lives.
This work connects to a significant legacy at UT Social Work. Samora worked with SHIFT, a campus organization aimed at empowering mindful decision-making and open conversations about substance use. The organization was formed in 2019 under the leadership of the late Dr. Lori Holleran Steiker, a beloved faculty member whose pioneering work in youth substance use prevention and recovery left an indelible mark on the School and whose mentorship shaped a generation of social work researchers, including Dr. Kasey Claborn, Samora’s mentor, who was recently named a Texas Changemaker by Texas Research for her work in digital data, overdose response, and using information to address the opioid crisis in Texas.
Recognition and Community Support
Along with Madison Haiman, Samora received the prestigious and highly competitive University Continuing Fellowship for the 20252026 academic year. The fellowship recognizes doctoral students with exceptional accomplishments and well-defined research programs.
“In the program, I have found a community of wonderful, compassionate, brilliant cohort members, other doctoral students, and faculty mentors that all work every day towards improving health outcomes in the communities that they individually serve through research,” said Samora. “Surrounding myself with a scientific community that I know cares deeply about each of the issues that they center in their own research continues to add fuel to my own tank.”
