The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus has established a new center, the Injury & Violence Prevention Center, which aims to drive evidence-based prevention of injuries and violence through research, training and education, and dissemination.
Ashley Brooks-Russell, PhD, MPH, associate professor of Community and Behavioral Health, directs the center. Dr. Brooks-Russell states, “Injuries and violence affect us all. More Americans die in the first half of life from injuries or violence than from any other cause – so it is important that we bring the latest science to preventing these problems.”
Brooks-Russell notes that there are success stories in injury prevention which give her hope. “We’ve seen motor vehicle deaths in the U.S. drop by more than half thanks to research, policy change and technological improvements, so we know we can have an impact on these preventable problems.”
The Injury Center is a joint initiative of the Colorado School of Public Health and the University of Colorado School of Medicine with more than 20 faculty members from a variety of disciplines who are generating high-quality research and leading implementation of evidence-based solutions. The Injury Center helps to support collaboration among faculty through networking, Works-in-Progress sessions, and communications.
Emmy Betz, MD, MPH, professor of emergency medicine and deputy director of the Injury Center, explains how the center operates, “By bringing together those working on a variety of injury topics – including poisonings, falls, suicide, and motor vehicle crashes – we will be able to accomplish much more than any of us working alone.” Dr. Betz oversees the Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative, a program of the Injury Center that organizes events and activities to support those working to prevent firearm injuries.
A monthly webinar series, Research2Practice, highlights pressing issues in injury and violence prevention with a focus on translating research into practice. Upcoming sessions will address sports injury prevention and how climate change will impact workplace injuries.
The new center builds on the work of the Program for Injury Prevention, Education and Research (PIPER), founded in 2011.
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