|
|
|
THIS MONTH IN INJURY SCIENCE @ PENN
|
Special issue: 2024 Year in Review
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2024 YEAR IN REVIEW
|
|
In 2024, the Penn Injury Science Center made significant strides in injury and violence prevention through research, education, collaboration, and community engagement. From its renewed status of one of eleven Injury Control Research Centers in the nation, to distinguished recognition of our leaders in injury science and prevention - check out the milestones that shaped this year and the people driving change.
|
|
|
|
|
|
JANUARY
|
|
Co-Designed Training & Technical Assistance
|
|
The Penn Injury Science Center (PISC) partnered with the Nonprofit Center at La Salle University (NPC) to provide a technical assistance program to community organizations in northwest Philadelphia working in violence prevention. After months of planning, the program kicked off with Design Day in January 2024 (pictured above) where the four half-day workshops were co-designed with the community participants to deliver the most value and tailor learning to the cohort's needs. Supported by a CDC Supplement to mentor a fellow educational institution, PISC will assist NPC in developing their own sustainable injury programming based on the findings from this new technical assistance program.
|
|
|
|
|
Effective Intervention for Preventing Impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences
|
|
Carmen Alvarez demonstrated the effectiveness of Cuidándome (quee-DAHN-doh-meh, “taking care of myself”), a patient-centered, trauma-informed intervention for Latina immigrant survivors, to prevent the long-term health impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). An adapted version of this intervention - Cuidándonos (quee-DAHN-doh-nos, “taking care of us”) - is a core research project of the Penn Injury Science Center and will address the mental health needs of young adult Latinx parents who are survivors of ACEs to improve both parent and child outcomes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
FEBRUARY
|
|
Community Driven Research
|
|
Community Driven Research Day encourages collaborations between researchers and community-based organizations who have research questions that they are interested in answering, specifically in ways that address social determinants of health. Nicole Thomas, Joel Fein, Sara Solomon, Rachel Myers and more have participated in CDRD for many years, some of whom having also served on organizing committees. This year's event is on March 11, 2025 - learn more from this year's host, the Penn Center for Public Health.
|
|
|
|
|
Co-Creation and Collaboration
|
|
Sara Jacoby is a part of two teams that were awarded grants from the Penn Community Collaboratory for Co-Creation (Penn4C), an initiative from Penn Nursing and Penn Engineering, for projects providing shelter from urban heat and removing debris from North Philadelphia neighborhoods. One of the projects partnered with North10 to design and test a cooling shelter prototype in Hunting Park, addressing the severe heat caused by “heat islands.” The team created a solar-powered, open-air shelter offering shade and radiant cooling. “This collaboration shows how technology and community engagement can improve public health,” Jacoby said. Community feedback will shape future improvements. Read more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
MARCH
|
|
The Next Generation of Injury Prevention
|
|
Grayson Graham, now a senior at Germantown Friends, recently completed an internship experience with the Penn Injury Science Center and the Penn Trauma Violence Recovery Program. Penn Medicine News featured his experience and what he learned. Graham is hopeful that he will be part of a generation of health care professionals that not only develop solutions to pressing health challenges but deliver them with compassion and empathy to form a “genuine connection with patients.”
|
|
|
|
|
Expanding Access to Mental Health Care after Violent Injury
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
APRIL
|
|
Penn Injury Distinguished Lecture Series
|
|
|
|
|
|
Distracted Driving is Grabbing Attention
|
In a Penn Injury Science Center core research project led by Kate McDonald and Kit Delgado, and including Kevin Rix, Jeff Ebert, and Doug Wiebe, researchers found that adolescent drivers using handheld cellphones showed higher rates of risky driving behaviors like hard braking and rapid acceleration. Findings suggest telematics apps could be useful in monitoring and reducing such behaviors. "Smartphone telematics applications provide a valuable tool for studying driving behavior and for developing interventions to improve safety," said McDonald. "By identifying risky behaviors, we can develop targeted interventions to help teens become safer drivers." Read more and access the article.
|
In a pair of related studies led by Jeff Ebert and Kit Delgado, & co-author Kate McDonald, recently demonstrated that gamification and financial incentives are effective ways to reduce distracted driving.
|
|
Kit Delgado discussed this body of research as a panelist at theβ―2024 Lifesavers Conference on Roadway Safety which explored how technology helps assess crash rates caused by distraction, improve data collection & promote safer driving habits.β―
|
|
|
|
|
|
MAY
|
|
Parsing the Evidence on Firearm Death Prevention
|
|
Penn LDI and the Penn Injury Science Center collaborated on Evidence-Based Approaches to Preventing Firearm Deaths, a panel of top experts in the field of firearm violence, including Jo Richardson and moderated by Terry Richmond, making sense of "what works and what doesn't" in the prevention of firearm deaths.
|
|
|
|
|
Training & Education Core Directors Receive Distinguished Recognition
|
Kate McDonald (Training & Education Core Director) was appointed Chair of Penn Nursing’s Department of Family and Community Health. “Dr. McDonald is an accomplished and well-respected researcher in injury science [...], she has excelled at providing mentoring and support to faculty teaching in the undergraduate program and she supports and provides direction for innovative teaching and curricular approaches," said Penn Nursing Dean Antonia M. Villarruel.
|
Sara Jacoby and John Holmes (Training & Education Core Co-Directors) have received the 2024 Lindback Awards for Distinguished Teaching. Since 1961, this prestigious award has recognized outstanding faculty members at colleges and universities in Pennsylvania and New Jersey who demonstrate exceptional teaching skills and contribute significantly to the intellectual and character development of students.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
JUNE
|
|
Partnering with Schools to Prevent Violence
|
Starting in the 2023-24 school year, Bernadette Hohl of the Penn Injury Science Center partnered with The School District of Philadelphia's Office of School Safety to expand the Safe Path program, which puts a trusted adult presence along walking routes so students can get to and from school safely. The program contracts with local community-based organizations to coordinate staff and volunteers to serve as the Safe Path monitors, who implement evidence-based violence prevention and refer students and families to relevant support services and resources. A year-end cookout and award ceremony (pictured above) for all community, government, and academic partners celebrated this milestone of the program.
|
Another program led by the School District of Philadelphia, partnering with the Penn Community Violence Prevention program, aims to reduce gun violence at John Bartram High School. Supported by OJJDP, the initiative will include crisis intervention, case management, and mediation. "The goal is to help students transition to positive lifestyles," said Denise Johnson. More services include counseling, academic support, and employment assistance. Read more.
|
|
Lastly, the latest partnership between the Penn Injury Science Center and Philadelphia schools will be the PRAISE bullying prevention program that is being adapted for long-term sustainability in one of the Center's core research projects, led by Tracy Waasdorp and Brooke Paskewich.
|
|
|
|
|
Practitioner of the Year
|
|
Joel Fein was honored by the Philadelphia County Medical Society with its Practitioner of the Year Award, which is presented to a member physician who has distinguished themselves by providing patient care and community service with compassion and dedication. View the photo gallery.
|
|
|
|
|
|
JULY
|
|
Trainee Learning Lab Continues to Grow
|
|
|
|
|
|
Working for Better Substance Use Treatment
|
|
One of the ways the Penn Injury Science Center plans to address unmet needs is through a core research project led by Shoshana Aronowitz and Ashley Ritter that partners with NewCourtland, one of the largest housing providers for low-income seniors, to bring evidence-based substance use care to subsidized and assisted living settings (where substance use care is otherwise often not available).
|
|
|
|
|
|
AUGUST
|
|
Bringing Violence Prevention Evidence to Policymakers
|
|
|
|
|
|
Renewed Funding for the Injury Center!
|
The Penn Injury Science Center retained its status as an Injury Control Research Center, one of only eleven in the nation, through 2029. In its successful grant application to the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, the Penn Injury Science Center articulated a new vision for the Center; one that is equity-centered, action-oriented. Addressing health disparities in injury and violence will require just that: a focus on and accountability to products and processes that promote equity, and ensuring that we are not simply describing disparities but taking action.
This year and in the years ahead, we will be inviting you to engage on this topic and others. Please stay tuned for these exciting developments - and remember, there are many ways to get engaged.
Thank you to everyone that has contributed to the Penn Injury Science Center's continued success - and that includes all valued members of our community that are reading this newsletter. We share in our success with you!
|
|
|
|
|
|
SEPTEMBER
|
|
NW Philly TAP Concludes Successful Pilot
|
|
Following a participatory model, the Northwest Philadelphia Technical Assistance Program (NW Philly TAP) delivered four co-designed workshops to community-based organizations working in violence prevention. Sara Solomon, Andrew Belfiglio, and Isabella Ntigbu led the effort from the Penn Injury Science Center and partnered with the Nonprofit Center at La Salle University to build a sustainable injury prevention program. The pilot year concluded with participatory evaluation sessions, where participants helped create the evaluation questions, and a series of funder mixers where grantmakers could speak directly with the community organizations that are implementing prevention programming. The program was featured in the social impact media outlet, Generocity.
|
|
|
|
|
|
OCTOBER
|
|
National Academy of Medicine Inductees
|
|
Gina South and Jo Richardson were recently named members of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), one of the field's highest honors. As a leader in advancing health equity and addressing structural racism, Dr. South’s work has led to impactful, community-focused interventions for preventing firearm injury and improving health outcomes in Black neighborhoods. Dr. Richardson leads innovative research on gun violence, trauma, mental health and community violence interventions for Black boys and young Black men and serves on the External Advisory Board as well as a Co-Investigator on a Core Research Project of the Penn Injury Science Center. Read more about the Penn inductees.
|
|
|
|
|
Social Media for Violence Prevention and Wellness Promotion
|
|
How can social media be a solution for violence prevention and wellness promotion? That was the central question of the Social Media Summit (pictured above) that included researchers, community members, community organizations, and local social media influencers and content creators. The event was hosted by the Penn Trauma Violence Recovery Program, SAFELab, and Always Be Real Original (ABRO), with support from the Penn Injury Science Center. This work is the foundation for a core research project of the Penn Injury Science Center, where principal investigators Elinore Kaufman and Desmond Patton and co-investigator Jo Richardson seek to understand the role that social media plays in the occurrence of violence, its potential for prevention, and the training necessary for violence prevention professionals to effectively implement digital prevention strategies. To learn more about the summit and its participants, view the event program (opens PDF).
|
|
|
|
|
|
NOVEMBER
|
|
Safe Storage Giveaway Met with Massive Demand
|
Sunny Jackson, part of the Penn Trauma Violence Recovery Program, led a team distributing free gun safes and locks at the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine. The initiative, part of Penn’s efforts to reduce firearm injuries, aims to keep guns away from children while meeting gun owners' needs for safe and accessible storage. Secure firearm storage saves lives by preventing accidental shootings and reducing risks of suicide. Read more.
|
Penn Medicine created educational videos to show the public how to use gun locks and gun safes. This effort is in tandem with the secure storage distributions which, based on pilot work led by Kit Delgado and Elinore Kaufman, leads to firearms in households being safely stored and therefore less likely to cause a firearm injury.
|
|
|
|
|
Assists for Safe Communities
|
|
The Young Chances Foundation, founded by Tyrique Glasgow of the Penn Injury Science Center’s Community Action Board, and longtime Penn Injury Science partner ACHIEVEability were selected as beneficiaries of the Assists for Safe Communities program. For each assist during the 76ers season, $76 will be donated to support grassroots violence prevention programs in Philadelphia.
|
|
|
|
|
|
DECEMBER
|
|
Leaders of Firearm Research Society
|
|
|
|
|
|
New Resources Announced for PISC Affiliates
|
|
The Penn Injury Science Center announced opportunities and resources that can support injury and violence prevention research, education, and practice. Visit the Outreach Core or the Training & Education Core to learn more and submit an inquiry.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
January 15th, 5:45-7:15pm Eastern | Virtual
|
|
|
Join Bridging the Gaps for a conversation with Dr. Jonathan M. Metzl, the author of the groundbreaking book, Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment is Killing America’s Heartland, & his most recent book, What We’ve Become: Living and Dying in a Country of Arms. We will discuss the connections between gun violence and mental illness and think critically about the role of public health in the U.S. gun debate.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
January 21st, 2:30-4:00pm Eastern | Virtual
|
|
|
The Incubator at the Penn Injury Science Center (PISC) is open to the PISC community and its partners in order to provide a venue for discussion and collaboration. Presenters have found sessions helpful in discussing new ideas, participating in dialogue on emerging research concepts; refining their research proposal, questions or manuscripts; and receiving input about analytic approaches or interpretation of findings. Injury Science Incubators invite local and national scientists to present their research and programs, leading to new collaborations and directions for future investigation. The Incubator takes place on the 3rd Tuesday of every month, from 2:30-4:00pm (Eastern) via Zoom. Need the invite? Contact andrew.belfiglio@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
January 27th, 2025, 1:00-2:00pm Eastern | Virtual
|
|
Stopping Gun Violence Before the 911 Call
|
The Columbia Center for Injury Science and Prevention invites you to attend the hybrid webinar with Dr. Arthur Kellerman, Senior Vice President and CEO of the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System. Save this zoom link to attend the event: https://columbiacuimc.zoom.us/j/98554673388?pwd=RthweTdommzlI2Hb0YKRvwtgNYEabb.1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
April 7th-9th, 2025 | New York, NY
|
|
|
Registration for the SAVIR 2025 Conference is now open, promising an exciting lineup of sessions, networking, and special events in vibrant New York City! Highlights include an inspiring Opening Keynote by Jessie Singer and a thought-provoking Closing Panel led by Cori Peek-Asa. Attendees can also look forward to a networking reception, an interactive consensus session, a new lightning plenary, and a variety of social events. With a record-breaking 330 abstracts submitted, this year’s conference is packed with diverse presentations and discussions. Don’t miss out on exploring NYC while engaging with cutting-edge research and ideas!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
September 9th-11, 2025 | Atlanta, GA
|
|
|
The Safe States Annual Injury and Violence Prevention Conference "Rising up and Branching Out" is the premiere event for injury and violence prevention professionals working across a variety of settings to connect and learn from one another. For three days hundreds of professionals and advocates from state, local, and tribal health, hospitals and healthcare, research and academia, community-based organizations, and the federal government come together to share best practices and innovative solutions, discuss emerging issues and new research, and hone their competencies in IVP. Abstract submissions open January 15!
|
|
|
|
|
|
RESOURCES
|
|
|
Co-sponsored by Graduate and Professional Student Assembly and the Undergraduate Assembly, the photo booth is open during regular Career Services business hours, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Located in the Career Services office, the first come, first serve photo booth — called the Iris Booth — can be used by Penn undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs, alumni, faculty, and staff for high-quality headshots.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
With our commitment to develop future generations of injury scientists across disciplines, the Penn Injury Science Center (PISC) provides statistics support for projects that are focused on the core mission of PISC and for which extramural resources are not currently available. Postdocs, clinical fellows, and early stage faculty that are affiliated with PISC are eligible for this benefit. This program offers statistical consultation through the BECCA Lab (Biostatistics, Evaluation, Collaboration, Consultation, and Analysis) at Penn Nursing. This could be a one-time consultation for a specific question or a series of meetings to support a project. See document linked above for more information.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Have you received funding support or infrastructure support from the Penn Injury Science Center? If yes, the CDC funding needs to be acknowledged! Refer to this guide to know when and how you should cite the PISC R49 Center grant (R49CE003083 for 2019-2024 cycle and R49CE003566 for 2024-2029 cycle).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Assistant Professor, CHOP CVP
|
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Center for Violence Prevention and the Department of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania seek candidates for an Assistant Professor position in either the non-tenure clinician educator track or the tenure track. Expertise is required in the specific area of one or more of the six pillars of the center related to Violence Prevention research, with special consideration given to researchers conducting research related to gun violence. Applicants must have an M.D and/or Ph.D or equivalent degree.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Director of Injury Prevention, CDC
|
- Provide scientific advice on surveillance, research, policies, and programmatic authorities focused on reducing injuries and suicide into public health program efforts at federal, tribal, territorial, and local levels.
- Direct the development and implementation of internal programs to recognize scientific excellence and accomplishments within the division.
- Serve as primary injury prevention advisor to the NCIPC Director and other senior staff including the Deputy Director for Management and Operations, on injury prevention/suicide scientific issues in public health research, surveillance, data science, biostatistics, economics, policy and program implementation and evaluation.
- Represent CDC in matters on injury prevention science appearances before external customers, to include high ranking bodies and international ministries of
health.
- Collaborate with leaders and scientists in other centers to coordinate and facilitate strategies, programs and procedures to ensure integration of the organizations science with broader scientific enterprises in areas of injury prevention and suicide prevention.
- Direct the development and implementation of internal programs to recognize scientific excellence and accomplishments within the organization.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Assistant/Associate Professor, Arizona State University
|
The Center for the Study of Guns in Society (CSGS), housed in the T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (SSFD) at Arizona State University (ASU), invites applications for an Assistant or Associate Professor. This full-time, benefits-eligible, academic-year (9-month) faculty position will begin in August 2025. We will consider any candidate eligible for appointment as a tenure-track assistant or associate professor in August 2025 (e.g., current ABDs, recently completed Ph.D., postdoctoral scholars, current assistant or associate professors).
|
|
|
|
|
|
Multiple Opportunities for Student and Early Career
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Director of Health Justice Transformation
|
The Director of Health Justice Transformation is a unique opportunity to help establish and grow the newly formed Center for Health Justice at Penn Medicine, whose vision is to achieve health through racial, economic, and environmental justice for Black, Brown, and other people and neighborhoods harmed by structural inequities. The Center, which sits within the Center for Health Care Transformation and Innovation (CHTI) and has two focus areas – transformation of health systems operations (Health Justice Transformation) and rigorous research and community action (Urban Health Lab).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Community Engagement Coordinator, Deeply Rooted
|
The Community Engagement Clinical Research Coordinator (CECRC) will assist with the overall community engagement strategy for the Deeply Rooted Collaborative within the Urban Health Lab (UHL) at the Penn Medicine Center for Health Justice (CHJ). Deeply Rooted is a community action initiative which centers community partnership and leverages the healing power of nature to improve health in Philadelphia neighborhoods.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Training Opportunity in IPV Prevention
|
Are you an early-career researcher passionate about preventing intimate partner violence (IPV) among pregnant and postpartum women? Take your research to the next level with Project TIDAL, an NIH-funded R25 research education program co-led by Drs. Sangmi Kim and Ran Xiao at Emory University. TIDAL (Trauma-Informed Data Science for IPV Prevention) is recruiting doctoral students, postdoctoral research, and junior faculty (within 10 years of completing their terminal degree) for a 6-month program. The format includes online asynchronous and synchronous modules + 4-day in-person intensive (~55 contact hours over 6 months). There are no tuition costs and travel awards are available to support participation. The program will run from February 1, 2025 - July 31, 2025.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
William Penn Foundation Grants
|
|
The William Penn Foundation has released nine new RFPs across multiple interest areas: Arts and Culture, Children and Families, Democracy and Civic Initiatives, and Environment and Public Spaces. Visit the William Penn Foundation's funding opportunities page to learn more as well as see future opportunities. This round of grants has an application deadline of January 31, 2025.
|
|
|
|
|
|
CAB Health Justice Mini-Grants
|
A total of $25,000 will be made available to grantees to support and promote a Health Justice program, service or event. We will support and provide mini-grants for up to $5,000 in direct funds and promotional services for local organizations to plan, organize and convene community residents, stakeholders and leaders to provide education, inspire community action and amplify power to affect change related to the City of Philadelphia's Division of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention (CDIP) priority areas in summer/fall 2024. Please note that $5,000 will be allocated for a youth project led by Youth CAB members.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Did you know the Penn Injury Science Center provides dissemination support?
|
Senior Scholars, Trainees, and other affiliates of the Penn Injury Science Center can receive a free consultation for communications or dissemination support — to schedule your free consultation, schedule directly with Andrew. Small scale communications or dissemination projects can be completed at no cost to you, through the R49 center grant support. Larger projects will receive a customized plan that can be included in a grant submission or business office request.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Science isn't finished until it's communicated"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
About Us
|
|
The Penn Injury Science Center is funded by a grant from the CDC and brings together university, community, and government partners around injury and violence intervention programs with the greatest potential for impact. We promote and perform the highest quality research, training and translation of scientific discoveries into practice and policy in order to reduce injuries, violence, and their impact to our region, the US, and locations around the world.
|
|
     
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
