Researchers associated with the University of Colorado Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative (FIPI) at the CU School of Medicine gave more than two dozen presentations and sponsored the 2024 National Research Conference for Prevention of Firearm-Related Harms, hosted Dec. 9-11 in Seattle.
The annual conference convenes more than 750 researchers from over 250 institutions and represents more than 20 academic disciplines. FIPI affiliates presented their work on a variety of topics, including prevention programs, policy implementation, and intimate partner violence. They also received accolades.
FIPI affiliate Ashley Griffith, PhD, was awarded the Translational Science Award for her presentation “Firearm Access, Storage, and Beliefs among U.S. Military Veterans: Differences by Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.”
“This conference, only its third year, is an asset to the field of firearm-related harm prevention research,” says Jessica Buck-Atkinson, FIPI associate director and a member of the conference’s planning committee.
“Seeing the value the conference continues to provide in terms of convening and spurring collaboration among scientists across disciplines, geography, and institutions, FIPI is proud to contribute to its growth by being a sponsor of the 2024 event and contributing to its coordination and promotion,” she continues.
FIPI affiliate, Ashley Griffith, PhD, received a Translational Science Award at the 2024 National Research Conference for the Prevention of Firearm-Related Harms. Photos courtesy of Nick Klein Photography.
The conference, organized by The Research Society for the Prevention of Firearm-Related Harms, featured more than 400 presentations, symposia, and workshops altogether.
“While FIPI is a relatively young program, our presence at the conference is outstanding and highly regarded,” says FIPI affiliate Erin Kelly, DrPH, MA, director of research and evaluation of the CU Injury and Violence Prevention Center. “FIPI-affiliated faculty, students, and staff were lead authors on 26 scientific presentations.”
“Our expertise that we shared with conference attendees spans areas related to data infrastructure, firearm access, and risk factors for injury, downstream impacts of firearm-related harms, and developing effective interventions to reduce firearm-involved suicide and community violence,” she continues.
FIPI affiliate Kaitlyn Friedman poses for a photo with her poster about intimate partner violence and access to firearms in Colorado.
The FIPI team presented on Pause to Protect (P2P), a program developed by members to encourage secure firearm storage with a network of Federal Firearm Licensees (FFLs) in communities surrounding military installations. The session highlighted P2P’s effort to reach FFLs, the online hub of technical resources to support FFLs in secure firearm storage, and the barriers that exist in engaging FFLs.
Joseph Simonetti, MD, MPH, FIPI’s director of mentorship and education and assistant professor of hospital medicine, gave presentations on various aspects of firearm access and storage, including what kinds of financial barriers to secure firearm storage exist for veterans with elevated suicide risk.
FIPI researchers also presented on Colorado laws and policies. In one session, Megan McCarthy, FIPI research and evaluation coordinator, talked about an analysis of the state’s child access prevention law, which went into affect in 2021.
In another session, CU medical student Tiffany Maksimuk focused on data from the 2023 Colorado Firearm Injury Prevention Survey, which found that most Colorado adults have engaged in some sort of protective behavior in response to the threat of firearm violence.
Other sessions from FIPI affiliates focused on how to build state data infrastructure for firearm injury prevention research, research around extreme risk protection orders, and dementia’s impact on firearm access.
Since FIPI’s inception in April 2023, the program has prioritized partnerships that foster innovation and create impactful change. Attending the National Research Conference for Prevention of Firearm-Related Harms continues to uphold that value, FIPI leaders say.
Jessica Buck-Atkinson, FIPI associate director, speaks during the 2024 National Research Conference for Prevention of Firearm-Related Harms in Seattle. Photos courtesy of Nick Klein Photography.
“In line with FIPI’s commitment to mentorship, FIPI faculty partnered with faculty from the University of Washington to lead a workshop specifically for students and early-career scientists,” says Emmy Betz, MD, MPH, founding director of FIPI and a professor of emergency medicine. “The room was packed with enthusiastic new scholars, and we are excited to support this next generation of researchers.”
The workshop featured a multidisciplinary faculty panel that focused on funding options and the development of training grants. Attendees learned the landscape for larger-project funding and the importance of aligning the research, mentorship, and training plans to present a compelling case.
Betz and Simonetti guided the early-career scientists through common pitfalls in proposal preparation and how to avoid them.
“Opportunities to teach, learn, and collaborate with researchers from all levels are crucial in making a difference,” Betz says. “We’re grateful that we can come together to do this and see how working together makes a real difference in our work and in the world.”