Emmy Betz, MD, MPH, has been elected as a new member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). Betz, director of the University of Colorado Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative and professor of emergency medicine in the University of Colorado School of Medicine, is the sixth faculty member from the CU School of Medicine to receive the honor from NAM. Becoming a NAM member is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine.
The announcement was made during NAM’s annual meeting today, which welcomed 90 new regular members and 10 new international members. New members are elected by current members through a process that recognizes individuals who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care, and public health.
Betz is nationally known as a pioneer in injury and suicide prevention research, with a focus on firearm injury prevention research. She launched the CU Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative in March 2023 to serve as a trusted community and national resource for firearm-related research and solutions.
Growing up in Denver, where both of her parents were PhD scientists tied to the CU School of Medicine, Betz was inspired to make an impact through science. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Yale University and graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a medical degree and a master’s in public health. Betz completed her emergency medicine residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, where she served as chief resident and began conducting research on firearm storage, ownership, and suicide.
She returned to Colorado after residency and built an impressive portfolio of research on preventing injury to older drivers, an area in which she still leads research today. Betz’s approach to preventing firearm injury and suicide has been highly recognized, and she collaborates with academic colleagues, state agencies, firearm owners and retailers, and communities to encourage unity in preventing firearm injuries and deaths on a national scale.
We spoke with Betz on what this honor means to her and her work.