An analysis of surveys from community firearm storage giveaway events determined that these events have a unique potential to reach firearm owners and their families. About 40 percent of attendees reported they had at least one firearm at home that was not stored locked and unloaded. Nearly all event attendees reported they planned to use their new locking device within the week.
The study was led by 2018 INSIGHT and University of Washington Department of Epidemiology alumna Aisha King, MPH, and began as her INSIGHT research project in summer 2018. It later developed into her MPH thesis. Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, M.D., Ph.D., co-director of the Firearm Injury & Policy Research Program, is a co-author on the paper, which was featured in UW News.
The surveyed firearm storage giveaway events were led by Seattle Children’s Hospital in partnership with HIPRC, public health agencies, local hospitals in each city, community organizations and Safe Kids coalitions. Pictured, from left, Lara Sim from Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, and Tracy Gooding from Harborview Medical Center share information on firearm storage with an attendee at one of the events.
INSIGHT High School Program accepting applications
High school students with an interest in public health and medicine are invited to apply to the 2020 INSIGHT Summer High School Program, which will run July 13-Aug. 7, 2020.
The program emphasizes hands-on learning about public health, research, and medicine; it includes opportunities to learn from medical professionals, tour medical and scientific facilities at both the University of Washington and Harborview Medical Center. The program culminates with developing and presenting group projects to college students and faculty at the INSIGHT Research Symposium on Aug. 7.
The program is open to students who will enter grades 10-12 or their first year of college in the fall, and applications close March 15. Tuition for the four-week program is $2,400, with some need-based scholarships available. Learn more and apply at the INSIGHT High School Program website. For specific questions, contact INSIGHT Program Supervisor Smita Stepanova-Pednekar at InjuryED@uw.edu.
Congress funds firearm injury research
For the first time in two decades, the federal government appropriated funding to study firearm research at the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control and the National Institutes of Health.
A new federal spending bill included $25 million to study firearm injuries. The new bill comes more than 20 years after the 1996 Dickey Amendment, which has been described as having a lasting “chilling effect” on firearm research in the U.S. In 2017, the CDC estimates nearly 40,000 people in the U.S. died by firearms. Researchers hope the new funding will help improve understanding of the causes, impacts, and prevention of firearm injuries and deaths.
With the limited availability of federal funding for firearm research, non-profits and local governments have sought to fill the gap. HIPRC’s Firearm Injury & Policy Research Program is funded by the Washington State Legislature, and HIPRC firearm research has also been funded by the City of Seattle.
Best clinical paper recognition awarded to HIPRC fellow
Work by HIPRC postdoctoral fellow Elissa Butler, M.D., won the best clinical paper in Washington State, selected by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma Region X Resident Papers competition. The study examined King County suicide, homicide, and unintentional firearm deaths in the home.
A co-author on the paper was INSIGHT alumna Hanne Boveng, who worked on the project during the 2019 INSIGHT summer research program. Other HIPRC-affiliated co-authors include HIPRC Director Monica Vavilala, M.D., Firearm Injury & Policy Research Program Director Fred Rivara, M.D., MPH, and FIPRP Co-Director Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, M.D., Ph.D.
The study was led by Washington State University associate professor Janessa Graves, Ph.D., and co-authors included HIPRC core member Megan Moore, Ph.D., MSW, Director Monica Vavilala, M.D., and doctoral student Kelsey Conrick, MPH.
Webinar on rural suicide prevention co-sponsored by HIPRC
This one-hour webinar begins with a review of national data and trends around suicide—noting how these deaths are often undercounted—and a look at the important stressors and strengths rural communities can consider when addressing this issue. The presenters will then share how local data are being used to guide population health planning efforts in Idaho that emphasize awareness, prevention, and support. Particular attention will be given to strategies for building partnerships and promoting resiliency. The webinar is hosted by the Northwest Center for Public Health Practice and co-sponsored by Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center.
Webinar: "Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in Rural America"
Jan. 28, 2020; Noon-1 PST. Registration Required
Presenters
Carol Moehrle, District Director, Public Health - Idaho North Central District
Lora Whalen, District Director, Idaho Panhandle Health District
Trauma conference keynoted by core member
Harborview Medical Center Chief of Trauma Eileen Bulger, M.D., FACS, who is also a core member at HIPRC, gave the Oriens Award Keynote lecture, “Harnessing Your Passion and Connecting to Purpose” at the EAST Annual Scientific Assembly on Jan. 16.
Core member Katie O'Connell, M.D., MPH, also presented a paper on delirium and the use of regional analgesia techniques in older adults, with co-authors including HIPRC Director Monica Vavilala, M.D., core member Fred Rivara, M.D., MPH, and Injury Care section lead Saman Arbabi, M.D. Associate member Bryce Robinson, M.D., M.S., was part of the conference’s “Engage the Masters” plenary session to discuss management choices for complex cases in trauma, emergency general surgery and surgical critical care.
Event Calendar
Jan. 28 (Tuesday) Noon-1 PST: "Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in Rural America" (Webinar) - Registration Required
Jan. 29 (Wednesday) 1-2 p.m. PST: Work-in-Progress – “Single IRB: The promise and the reality” with Adrienne Mayer, assistant director of IRB reliances, University of Washington Human Subjects Division
Feb. 7 (Friday) 1-2 p.m. PST: Journal Club – Violence Prevention with Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, Ph.D., M.D.
Feb. 12 (Wednesday) 1-2 p.m. PST: Work-in-Progress – "Bellevue's School Bus Cameras: Place, Scofflaw Drivers and Crafting a Safety Data Initiative Proposal" with Steve Mooney, Ph.D.
Feb. 14, (Friday) 1-2 p.m. PST: Early Career Researcher Collaboration Lunch
Feb. 17 (Monday): University Holiday, HIPRC offices closed
Feb. 19 (Wednesday) 1-2 p.m. PST: Work-in-Progress – "Evaluation of pre-hospital blood product use by air medical services" with Elissa Butler, M.D.
Feb. 26 (Wednesday) 1-2 p.m. PST: Work-in-Progress – "NIMH R01 Proposal: TBI and Mental Health Care Pathways (TBI-Care)" with Kari A. Stephens, Ph.D.
Unless noted otherwise, all events take place at HIPRC offices. Remote options are available for some events - contact hiprc@uw.edu for details.
Coverage of implementation of Washington’s updated booster seat law includes quotes from Safe & Active Transport section lead Beth Ebel, M.D. in the Yakima Herald-Rebublic, The Bellingham Herald, KPTV, Moscow-Pullman Daily News, AP News, and other outlets.
HIPRC core member Eileen Bulger, M.D., FACS, is quoted on the Stop the Bleed program in The Courier-Herald in Enumclaw, WA.
HIPRC associate member Linda Quan, M.D., discussed the findings of a new study exploring the impacts of policy on drowning rates among kids and teens with Reuters. HIPRC Research Scientist Brianna Mills, Ph.D., is a co-author on the study.
HIPRC Safe & Active Transport section lead Beth Ebel, M.D., recommended wearing helmets while sledding for extra protection in collisions with KEPR and KXLY.
Core member Steve Mooney, Ph.D., was cited discussing how artificial intelligence may help shape the future of epidemiology in O, The Oprah Magazine.
Associate member Caleb Banta-Green, Ph.D., MPH, MSW, advocated that medications to prevent withdrawal symptoms should be broadly available as an early step to address opioid addiction in various media outlets, including The Bismark Tribune, MyNorthwest.com, Billings Gazette, and AP News.
Photo courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Funding Opportunities
Request for Proposals: National Collaborative on Gun Violence Research
Letter of Interest Deadline: Feb. 4, 2020.
The collaborative seeks research proposals that will address knowledge gaps in:
Urban gun violence
Domestic gun violence
Mass shootings
Gun suicides
Officer-involved shootings
How gun policies affect a wide range of stakeholder interests, such as defensive gun use.
In addition to basic and descriptive projects, the RFP will request applied and policy research proposals on gun violence prevention and on the effects of gun regulations at the local, state, and federal levels. The solicitation will include opportunity to apply for dissertation awards as well as new post-doctoral research fellowship awards.
One year (12-month) mentored grant to 1) facilitate innovative, high-quality research that can advance the evidence base on firearm injury prevention; 2) foster development of novel methods that can advance the state of research in this area; 3) support new partnerships between researchers in relevant disciplines; and 4) facilitate the academic growth and development of future leaders in firearm injury prevention research. Funding amount per award is $12,000.
Other Opportunities
Faculty Development:SER Course Workshop
Application Deadline: Feb. 3, 2020
Eligibility: Post-doctoral and early career faculty teaching/planning to teach a course in epidemiologic methods
Cost: $25
The Society for Epidemiological Research Education Committee will sponsor a half day workshop on June 16, 2020 in Boston at the 2020 Annual Meeting focused on course development and revision. This workshop is targeted to post-doctoral scholars and early career faculty members who are planning to or in the process of teaching a course in epidemiologic methods. Workshop participants should have a specific course targeted for revision and be committed to making revisions to their course in response to the workshop.
The American Public Health Association is now accepting abstracts for oral and poster presentations for APHA's 2020 Annual Meeting and Expo, which will be held at Oct. 24-28 in San Francisco. The theme of the meeting is Creating the Healthiest Nation: Preventing Violence. Authors are encouraged to submit abstracts on the theme and current and emerging public health issues.
Call for Webinar Proposals:SAVIR Webinar Series
Deadline for Fall 2020: April 1, 2020
The purpose of the SAVIR webinars is to improve the scope and quality of injury control research by providing a regular forum for increasing interaction and skills among key injury stakeholders: researchers, trainees, organizations (e.g. ICRCs, NCIPC, SAVIR, Safe States, etc.), and practitioners. The webinars will showcase injury and violence research in order to:
Increase attention to injury issues among those new to the field
Exchange methods and approaches
Disseminate and discuss research findings
We welcome presentations on any injury topics, special populations, methodological issues, policy dilemmas, etc. We are especially interested in presentations that showcase collaborations among centers, across disciplines, and between researchers and practitioners.
The program emphasizes hands-on learning about public health, research, and medicine; it includes opportunities to learn from medical professionals, tour medical and scientific facilities at both the University of Washington and Harborview Medical Center. The program culminates with developing and presenting group projects to college students and faculty at the INSIGHT Research Symposium on Aug. 7.
For the first time in two decades, the federal government appropriated funding to study firearm research at the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control and the National Institutes of Health.
Work by HIPRC postdoctoral fellow Elissa Butler, M.D., won the best clinical paper in Washington State, selected by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma Region X Resident Papers competition. The study examined King County suicide, homicide, and unintentional firearm deaths in the home.
Harborview Medical Center Chief of Trauma Eileen Bulger, M.D., FACS, who is also a core member at HIPRC, gave the Oriens Award Keynote lecture, “Harnessing Your Passion and Connecting to Purpose” at the 
