Brookings student wins national science award

Addiction Science Award Winner Aditya Tummala (center) with Nikita Rohila of Stuttgart, Arkansas (3rd place) and Sid Thakker of  Vienna, Virginia (2nd place)

A Brookings High School Freshman is the winner of a national award.

Fourteen-year-old Aditya Tummala won a first place “Addiction Science Award” at the 2019 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the world’s largest science competition for high school students.

Tummala won for his innovative approach to prevent tampering and misuse of opioid pills. The award was presented last night in Phoenix.

The young scientist recognized the need for an improved tamper-proof opioid pill to reduce the potential for misuse and developed a gummy-like substance that could not be crushed or melted for snorting or injecting. He calls it “Tampr-X.”

The product has a provisional patent.

NIDA Director, Dr. Nora D. Volkow, says the judges were impressed with Tummala’s understanding of the complex technology related to the development of tamper resistant medications. She says there have been attempts to develop tamper-resistant pills and there is a critical need for more innovation and new ideas.