October 2022 | Issue 45

THIS MONTH IN INJURY SCIENCE AT PENN

Bringing community violence prevention to Penn, plus a handful of distinguished appointments for PISC Senior Scholars...
UPenn Injury Science Center Logo
FEATURED

Prevention Pioneers at Penn

A new team puts Penn in position to have a direct impact on the community violence that is plaguing Philadelphia. The collaboration between the Penn Injury Science Center and Penn Trauma has the potential to save lives.

The Penn Community Violence Prevention (PCVP) team will provide trauma-informed violence interruption and street outreach/community engagement to young adults and adults in West and Southwest Philadelphia, with the goal to stop it before it happens, fix it before it gets worse, and help individuals and communities live on to see the next chapter of Philadelphia without gun violence…

Meet the Outreach Team

Andre Ali Martin_horizontal_cropped square

Andre Ali Martin

Outreach Worker / Violence Interrupter
Andre was born and raised in the housing projects of South Philly and is active in anti-violence activism. His guiding principles are friendship and loyalty, and he lives by the golden rule: treat everybody the way you would want to be treated.
"Muhammad Ali once said, service to others is the rent that we pay on this Earth. That is what I strive to do, be of service to others."

Khalif Mujahid-Ali

Outreach Worker / Violence Interrupter
Khalif founded the Beloved Care Project, a community-based organization that aims to tackle the root causes of pain and trauma among Philadelphia’s youth, so they can grow into more healthy adults and continue guiding future generations.
"It takes a village to raise a child so that the child can come back and raise a village... Let's start raising villages again."
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Elijah Tadlock_horizontal_cropped square

Elijah Tadlock

Outreach Worker / Violence Interrupter
Elijah has organized conflict resolution and recreation activities in his neighborhood. When talking didn't solve things, "Gloves Up, Guns Down" encouraged youth to put on sparring gloves rather than pick up a gun. Riding together on "Bike Outs" brought kids in the community together for fun.
"I wanted to join this team to make a difference in my community. I feel I can really save lives here."

Denise Johnson, MSW

Program Manager
Denise was raised in the southwest section of Philadelphia, an alumna of John Bartram High School as well as Temple University where she completed her Master's in Social Work. After 18 years of experience working with homeless youth and youth in the criminal justice system, Denise is now ready to build a strong violence prevention program at Penn.
"Let's improve our community together, one block at a time!"
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PCVP logo
Denise Johnson will be the bridge between the community-based Penn Community Violence Prevention (PCVP) and the hospital-based Penn Trauma Violence Recovery Program (PTVRP). PCVP is led by PISC Deputy Director Sara Solomon along with Drs. Terry Richmond, Sara Jacoby, and Bernadette Hohl. PISC Senior Scholar Dr. Elinore Kaufman is the Medical Director of PTVRP, a team of five Penn Presby employees who support recovery after violent injury to prevent long-term impacts and re-injury.

Together, PCVP and PTVRP make the Penn Injury Science Center and Penn Trauma the Community Violence Intervention Hub at Penn.

UPCOMING EVENTS

savir 2023

SAVIR 2023 - Abstracts and proposals now open

Deadline for submissions: October 17th

Conference dates and location:
April 17th - 19th
Denver, CO

Authors are invited to submit abstracts and other proposals focused on research and research-based practice encompassing all aspects of injury and violence prevention. During this meeting we will highlight the many ways that scientists and practitioners advance injury and violence prevention research using findings from the lab, clinic, and community. We welcome your submissions on these and other important topics in injury and violence prevention!
Osler Circle October 29 2022

Osler Circle, CHOP-based Beatles cover band is back

Saturday, October 29th @ 8:30pm
118 N Wayne Ave, Wayne, PA 19087

ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PHILADELPHIA

The CHOP-based Beatles band Osler Circle is back and safely playing a gig at the 118 North in Wayne PA. The band includes 8 Penn and CHOP-affiliated performers, including PISC Senior Scholar and Internal Advisory Board Member Joel Fein.

Tickets are available through their website: http://www.oslercircle.org or https://wl.seetickets.us/event/Osler-CircleBeatlesTribute/504360?afflky=118North
2022 firearm injury prevention conference

2022 National Research Conference on Firearm Injury Prevention

November 29th-December 1st
Washington, DC

The 2022 National Research Conference on Firearm Injury Prevention will highlight the current state of the science and research on firearm injury prevention across the lifespan.

Abstract submissions are now closed, but registration is open and space is limited!

LATEST IN RESEARCH & NEWS

Alvarez named Presidential Professor

The University of Pennsylvania has appointed Carmen Alvarez as Presidential Professor to Penn Nursing, making her the School’s second such appointment and the first nurse to attain this rank at the University. “Dr. Alvarez brings with her to Penn Nursing an incredible range of expertise as a researcher, clinician, and teacher,” said Penn Nursing Dean Antonia M. Villarruel. “She is a nursing leader who has made a true impact in health care—and she has been a fierce champion for community engaged practice and scholarship. We are fortunate she has chosen to make Penn and Penn Nursing her new home."
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Jacoby named Calvin Bland Fellow of Nursing

Sara Jacoby was appointed as Calvin Bland Fellow at the School of Nursing, a fellowship awarded to select individuals in the Schools of Nursing, Social Policy & Practice, and the Graduate School of Education as part of the Penn Futures Project. The Penn Futures Project, which began in 2015, is an ambitious initiative between the three schools to collaboratively address pressing social issues that affect Philadelphia’s most vulnerable young people and their families.
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Lane-Fall named Director of Implementation Science Center (PISCE@LDI)

Meghan Lane-Fall has assumed the role of Executive Director for PISCE@LDI and announced a new leadership structure to more effectively manage its expanding educational and research activities, including Amanda Bettencourt as Director of Acute Care Implementation Research. “The turn-on-a-dime, seat-of-the-pants innovations required by the COVID-19 crisis have spotlighted the need for broad organizational changes across much of health care beyond those previously recognized," said Lane-Fall.
meghan brooks fall lane

Delgado named Director of the Nudge Unit

Kit Delgado was announced as Director of the Penn Medicine Nudge Unit, a collaborative effort between the Center for Health Care Innovation and the Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics (CHIBE). A timely feature story from The Philadelphia Citizen details Delgado's work, allowing readers to imagine this next chapter of the Nudge Unit at his direction.
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Livestreaming violence and "copycats"

Desmond Upton Patton was quoted in a USA Today article about the impacts of violence being recorded and shared online. “I’ve been having the same conversation for the last decade,” speaking about the impact of social media on mental health and violence. “We need to pay close attention to it, we need to devote resources to it, we need to study it, we need to intervene.”
Teenager taking video of bullying boy with mobile phone at schoo

Recovery Environment and Mental Health after Injury

Terry Richmond, Marta Bruce, and colleagues examined how neighborhood characteristics impact the recovery of Black men following a traumatic injury. Severity of PTSD and depressive symptoms was associated with neighborhood crime/violence/vacancy and neighborhood disconnectedness, respectively. Injury mechanism and severity is also associated these symptoms.
bipolar disorder mind mental health connection watercolor painti

Health Systems and the Racial Wealth Gap

Gina South and colleagues penned an op-ed for STAT, suggesting ways health systems can play a role in addressing "one of the most upstream drivers of racial health disparities: the racial wealth gap," noting that it is difficult to move the needle on health disparities without such action. The op-ed builds upon their article in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Wooden cubes with the words: health and wealth. Health is the ma

The Need for Better Firearm Injury Data

Elinore Kaufman and Kit Delgado wrote a viewpoint paper for JAMA's Special Issue on Firearm Violence, which summarizes current data on firearm injuries in the US, discusses the limitations of available data sources, and proposes measures for a comprehensive system to track firearm injury and death.
United States of America gray 3D map fractured into random piece

Improving Seat Belt Use among Young Adults

Kate McDonald, Kit Delgado, and colleagues demonstrated the effectiveness of a text-messaging program in increasing young adult seat belt use. Among young adults who reported not wearing a seat belt at baseline, 41% in the intervention group used a seat belt at six weeks compared to 20% in the control group.
Fastened seat belt of the vehicle. Close the car seat belt, sitt

Segregation, Tree Cover, and Firearm Violence

Gina South, Michelle Kondo, and colleagues simulate the possible effects of tree equity programs in 6 U.S. cities to mitigate structural determinants of firearm violence.
Young female and her little son planting tree in one of city parks

RESOURCES

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"Downloadables and Shareables"

The Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center is pleased to announce the launch of its NEW Digital Resource Center full of “Downloadables.” The Digital Resource Center contains a wide range of materials created by HIPRC, each addressing a different injury and violence prevention topic. These shareable resources are great for community stakeholders, organizations, or anyone you know!
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Opioid Toolkit for Nurses

The University of Michigan Injury Prevention Center, in partnership with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, is pleased to announce a new section of the Michigan Safer Opioid Prescribing Toolkit: Resources for Nurses. This new addition contains resources and tools that highlight the unique role of nurses in the care of patients in pain and patients with opioid use disorder. The section is geared towards those who do not prescribe opioids although all sections of the toolkit have broadly applicable materials and we encourage exploration of the many curated resources. Advanced Practice Providers are asked to look at the general provider sections of the toolkit such as "Just-In-Time Tools" or "Management Strategies."
lets connect nationwide childrens

Let's Connect - Mentoring from Nationwide Children's

Let’s Connect is a free consultation and mentoring service for injury professionals and trainees to connect with faculty and senior staff in the Center for Injury Research and Policy (CIRP) at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, OH. Injury professionals and students are often looking for a coach, mentor, or consultation outside of their institution. Let’s Connect provides an opportunity for them to connect via phone or Zoom with CIRP faculty and senior staff as part of the Center's professional mentoring and collaboration process.
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Statistical Consultation for PISC-Affiliated Postdocs, Clinical Fellows, and Early Stage Faculty

With our commitment to develop future generations of injury scientists across disciplines, PISC is now providing statistics support for projects that are focused on the core mission of PISC and for which extramural resources are not currently available. This program offers statistical consultation through the BECCA (Biostatistics, Evaluation, Collaboration, Consultation, and Analysis) at Penn Nursing.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

PISC Trainee Learning Lab 2022-2023

The Trainee Learning Lab (TLL) brings together undergraduate and graduate trainees in Injury Science, including research staff, research assistants, capstone mentees, and those with a keen interest in the field. Trainees meet virtually, on a monthly basis, to discuss and interpret peer-reviewed articles related to injury and violence research.

Seven interactive sessions from October to April are led and facilitated by PISC Co-Director Kate McDonald, Associate Professor of Nursing, with guest appearances from authors and co-authors of the articles discussed to answer questions about their work. Trainees learn to apply skills in the interpretation of research articles and leave the program more confident in critically reviewing injury and violence research. By the conclusion of the program, students will be able to: (1) Articulate at least one aspect of injury and violence as a major social and health problem; (2) Describe design and methods commonly used in Injury Science; and (3) Apply skills in the critical interpretation of research articles using a space-time scientific lens.

Schedule: Wednesday @ 4pm, virtual
Session 1: October 19th
Session 2: November 16th
Session 3: December 14th
Session 4: January 25th
Session 5: February 22nd
Session 6: March 15th
Session 7: April 26th


Apply here before spots fill up!

University of Michigan Injury Prevention Center - Summer 2023 Internships

The University of Michigan Injury Prevention Center has multiple paid summer internship positions for graduate, medical school, and upper-level undergraduate students. Visit their website for more details and submit an application by December 2022.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

LAST CALL: PISC Exploratory Grant for Penn Faculty

The Penn Injury Science Center (PISC) invites proposals for our CDC-funded Exploratory Grants Program and will fund one project at $16,000 direct costs this cycle. The purpose of this program is to support Penn faculty in conducting a rigorous study to serve as the basis to seek long-term extramural funding to grow their area of science. The PI or all MPIs must be a member of the standing or research faculty of Penn.

Exploratory projects are expected to support the mission of PISC - which is to reduce injuries and violence through the highest caliber science. Applicants are encouraged to include more than one discipline and to demonstrate a rigorous approach to solve an important scientific problem in injury science.

Applications due by 5pm on Monday, October 10, 2022.

LDI Funding for Health Research-Focused Events at Penn

The Leonard Davis Institute is seeking proposals to fund working groups or other convenings at Penn that will help catalyze and support new research across Penn’s health policy and health services research community. They are accepting applications from LDI Senior Fellows on a rolling basis, with preference given to proposals that include the involvement of Senior Fellows who are junior faculty and bring together Senior Fellows from across schools and disciplines. Proposals should seek to develop sustained new collaborations or lines of inquiry at Penn or develop new partnerships or collaborations for research outside of Penn.

Funds of up to $10,000 are available, although lower-budget proposals are more likely to be funded. Funds may be combined with other sources of funding.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

SHARING SCIENCE

Visual abstract on the Effectiveness of a Text Message Intervention Promoting Seat Belt Use Among Young Adults (Suffoletto, et al)

seat belt use visual abstract mcdonald delgado JAMA
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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.
Question, Comments, or Suggestions?

Email andrew.belfiglio@pennmedicine.upenn.edu about any concerns or content you’d like to see in the next newsletter.