About Us
Finding Inspiration in Every Turn
The Substance Safety Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that started in West Virginia, the state with the highest opioid overdose death rate in the nation, and scaled nationally. We focus on removing opioids from circulation and educating youth.
Team
Pavan is a junior at Morgantown High School and the founder of The Substance Safety Project, which he founded after seeing the effects of opioid abuse and addiction in his local community in West Virginia. Through his leadership, the organization has reached K-12 students across the state, delivered educational programming, and helped safely dispose of thousands of unused medications. In addition to his advocacy work, he is a student researcher in computational biophysics and drug discovery, and will be attending the 2026 MIT Research Science Institute.
Pavan Subramani
Founder and Executive Director
Misha is a current sophomore at Valley Christian High School with a strong interest in data science. She joined substance safety project to create real impact in her community regarding safe drug disposal and awareness. She is particularly passionate about robotics and enjoys developing skills in underwater machinery. Outside of her work, she enjoys scuba diving, hiking, and spending time with family!
Misha Kharya
Director of California Chapter
Roma is a student at Waubonsie Valley High School in Illinois with an interest in healthcare, biotechnology, and public health. She is passionate about using science in practical ways, especially through substance safety education and community outreach. As the Director of the Illinois Chapter, she hopes to create meaningful events that raise awareness and help her community stay informed and make safer, more responsible choices.
Roma Shree Dinesh Kumar
Co-Director of Illinois Chapter
Vandika is currently a high school student in Trinidad and Tobago, studying physics, chemistry, pure and applied mathematics and communications. She's also a Junior Fellow of the Harvard Undergraduate Microbiology Society, as well as the Director of Physics, Ambassador of Trinidad and Tobago with the International Youth STEAM Advisors. She is passionate about using STEM applications for impactful community development. Outside of academics, she is an avid F1 fan and a lover of iced coffee!
Vandika Doon
Director of Trinidad and Tobago Chapter
Hanssini is an 11th grader at South Forsyth High School. She's currently pursuing her interests in biotechnology and holistic health, and pretty much anything science related. She's founding this chapter in Georgia because she believe communities here deserve better access to substance safety education and resources that are often overlooked. As chapter founder, she's fully committed to growing this chapter and making it as impactful as possible!
Hanssini Premkumar
Director of Georgia Chapter
Evelyn is a student at Franklin High School, with a strong interest in neuroscience, computer science, and biology. She is passionate about finding new innovative solutions to create impact in her community regarding substance safety education and awareness. She's also passionate for her work in early stroke detection through research at UC Davis and Sacramento State University. Outside of her work, she's a member of the National Fraternity of Student Musicians and enjoys playing instruments and traveling.
Evelyn Nguyen
Director of Sacramento County Chapter
Sai Keerthi is a rising senior at Ravenwood High School with strong interests in biology, genetics, women’s health, and biotechnology. She is passionate about science and dedicated to using her interests to create meaningful change in her community. She is founding this chapter in Tennessee because she believes communities deserve greater access to substance safety education and resources that are often overlooked. As chapter founder, she is committed to building a strong chapter, leading impactful outreach initiatives, and creating a lasting difference. Outside of her chapter work, Sai enjoys Bharatanatyam and sketching.
Sai Keerthi Pathipaka
Director of Tennessee Chapter
Hi, my name is Gabriela Lee and I am a senior at North Allegheny High School! I'm passionate about biomedical resaerch, and hope to pursue that through medical school. Outside of school, I love to play the violin and run cross country. I am very excited to be part of such a wonderful project, and help heal my community.
Gabriela Lee
Director of Western Pennsylvania Chapter
Michael is a student at University School in Ohio with an interest in healthcare, medical research, and public health. He is passionate about using science and education to create practical change, especially through substance safety awareness and community outreach. Through the Substance Safety Pro, he hopes to help inform his community about safe medication disposal, responsible choices, and the importance of preventing substance misuse before it starts.
Michael Hayek
Director of Ohio Chapter
Rishi is a rising sophomore at North Allegheny Intermediate High School with a strong interest in oncology and the practical applications of medicine, and he joined the Substance Safety Project to help create a meaningful impact in his community. He is especially passionate about using the practical applications of science and medicine to help people around him. Outside of his academics, Rishi is an active member of his school’s speech and debate team and participates in robotics, where he is an international-level competitor.
Rishi Ippili
Director of Pennsylvania Chapter
Hey! My name is Noah Sitaf. I am a rising senior at Wheeler High School. I love running and going out to eat. I look forward to being a chapter lead for the Substance Safety Project this year.
Noah Sitaf
Director of Northern Georgia Chapter
Yogi is a rising junior at Little Rock Central High School and is a strong advocate for using STEM topics to improve the community. Yogi is very interested in engineering and aerodynamics, with a passion for conducting research on novel ideas. Yogi is interning this summer to apply his interest to mitigate the effects of natural disasters. Yogi is also very committed to helping grow the chapter and make a positive impact on the community!
Yogi Patel
Director of Arkansas Chapter
Sathwik Gopu is a rising junior at Emerson High School with a strong interest in leadership, research, and internal medicine. He is particularly passionate about understanding how medicine can be used to improve long-term patient outcomes and increase access to reliable, science-based healthcare information. Through his involvement in academic research and community initiatives, he has developed a commitment to public health education and evidence-based learning. As a chapter lead in the Substance Safety Project, he is dedicated to expanding awareness and contributing to meaningful efforts that promote safety and informed decision-making within the community.
Sathwik Gopu
Director of Dallas County Chapter
Sahana is a rising senior at Plano East Senior High School with strong passions in computational biology, chemistry, technology, and business. She hopes to apply her versatility to solve real-life issues through sustainable and innovative applications, with her experience in service and biotechnology. Dedicating hours hours per week, she provides education to underprivileged students and communities, hoping to spread awareness of such issues. In her free time, she competes in DECA and HOSA, reaching the international level, as well as playing the violin in her orchestra in her top orchestra.
Sahana Anand
Director of Texas Chapter
Kundana is a rising senior at Wiregrass Ranch High School, with a strong interest in cognitive science and AI Safety. She joined the Substance Safety Project as the Chapter Founder of Florida to create advocacy in her community related to healthcare workflows, and believes a safe drug proposal is the first step to increase awareness. She is an ISEF Grand Award winner in Robotics and Intelligent machines and is particularly passionate about AI Safety and its intersection with Clinical workflows, an interest she explores firsthand as an intern at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital.
Kundana Kommini
Director of Florida Chapter
Hey, my name is Kavish and I’m an upcoming sophomore in the Central Florida region! I am passionate about neuroscience and psychology research. Through creating a chapter for the Substance Saftey Project, I hope to bridge gaps in substance saftey education, while bringing awareness to local communities in the region.
Kavish Shrestha
Director of Central Florida Chapter
Iman Zahran
Co-Director of Illinois Chapter
As an incoming UIUC freshman and research scholar, Iman Zahran focuses on the intersection of computational neural engineering, computer science, and bio-materials to address complex biological failures and global humanitarian crises. Inspired by co-developing an assistive eye-tracking device for a classmate, Iman prioritizes human-integrated engineering solutions over technical optimization alone. As the Co-Director of the Substance Safety Board's Illinois Chapter, she now bridges scientific innovation with legislative advocacy, scaling safe disposal initiatives and data-driven storytelling to protect rural and disadvantaged communities.