The Injury and Violence Prevention Center (IVPC) is excited to introduce three new students who have proposed research projects related to various topics in injury and violence prevention (IVP). The center is proud to be in its fourth year of supporting student research projects through this bi-annual award. The center’s Injury and Violence Prevention, Student Research Award program, provides funding to students conducting research or evaluation projects in injury and violence prevention. Students were awarded $2,000 per project during the 2024 cycle, with projects to be completed by Spring of 2025.
Any student enrolled in an accredited undergraduate, graduate, or professional degree program in the Rocky Mountain region is eligible to apply for this award. The region includes Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Applications for this award are accepted in May and November each year. For more information about this award and other funding opportunities, you can visit the IVPC student page.
Spring 2024 Awardees
Brisa Avila
Brisa is a first-year medical student at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She is the first person in her family to complete an undergraduate degree and the first in her family to attend college. She obtained her bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Colorado Denver. This award will support her work investigating the barriers and factors that play into diagnosing and treating non-fatal strangulation in intimate partner violence. She is passionate about working with underserved populations, specifically survivors of intimate partner violence. One of her career goals is to bring more attention to this topic. Avila’s project is supported by Christina Yannetsos, MD, and Rachel Kennedy, PhD, MSN/MPH, RN.
Project Title: Nonfatal Intimate Partner Strangulation (NFIPS): Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Health Care Professionals
Kyla Hagan-Haynes
Kyla is pursuing a doctorate in Community and Behavioral Health at the Colorado School of Public Health at the University of Colorado. Her dissertation research is on the safety of delivery drivers. She is the Director of the Center for Motor Vehicle Safety and a research epidemiologist at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. She also serves as the assistant coordinator for the Traumatic Injury program. Her research has focused on occupational fatalities, fatigue, driving behaviors, and fleet safety policies and practices within the oil and gas extraction industry. Her current research interests include systems change and understanding inequities in work-related crashes, as well as making driving safe for all workers in the U.S.
Project Title: Door Dash Drivers: Tell me more about the dashing
Allison Nielsen
Allison is a second-year medical student at the University of Colorado School of Medicine whose main interest is in obstetrics and gynecology. She has obtained both a BA and MS from the University of Colorado and has worked for several years doing research in melanoma immunotherapy. Her ongoing research projects involve firearm injury prevention, melanoma immunotherapy, and addressing sexual health concerns in breast cancer patients. Her proposed research project is related to firearm injury prevention and is supported by Joseph Simonetti, MD, MPH.
Project Title: Feasibility, Acceptability, and Needs Assessment of a Firearm Injury Prevention Intervention for Families Receiving Child Protective Services in Arapahoe County, Colorado
The IVPC is excited to support these students in their research and looks forward to hearing about their work and experience in the year to come. For more information regarding funding opportunities related to injury and violence prevention, please visit our student page or email us at ivpc@cuanschutz.edu. To explore previous projects completed by our students, please take a look at our student projects page.
