Injury Prevention Research Center

In addition to teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses in health communications, public health policy approaches, and program evaluation, Anne Abbott, assistant professor in the School of Public and Population Health at Boise State University, is working to prevent teen mental health crises in Idaho through a community-academic partnership called Communities for Youth. Three years…

Josh Gautreaux, a PhD candidate in the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, studies how veterans’ use of Veterans Administration (V.A.) services affects suicide rates during what is known as the ‘deadly gap’—the first year after a service member returns to civilian life, when veterans face an increased risk of suicide and substance use.

A new University of Iowa study found that mental illness is linked to violence overall, but not specifically to firearm violence or mass shootings.

Maggie Ferguson, project director for the Disability and Injury Prevention Programs at the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, is shining a light on brain injury in Iowa – a common, often undiagnosed chronic condition that can cause lifelong challenges without an individual’s awareness. She discusses why lifetime brain injury screening is important, why…

Welcome to our first blog post of 2026! Here, we look back at some of our Center’s highlights in 2025. 

Together, two new University of Iowa studies shed light on road safety, one examining teenage drivers and passengers, and the other focusing on drivers across a broader range of ages. Key findings: Teens who perceived high parental monitoring engaged in fewer risky driving and passenger behaviors. Additionally, having passengers in the vehicle was associated with…

Jenna Gibbs discusses the importance of assigning farm chores that are appropriate for a child’s age and abilities, the need to balance safety with real-world farm experiences, and the role of the UI Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital in promoting safety in rural communities, including during National Injury Prevention Day.

Two new University of Iowa studies are enhancing our understanding of negative life events and stressors that often precede suicide deaths in the U.S.

A new state-level action plan is addressing sexual violence in Iowa and serves as a resource to help prevent it before it occurs.

Stephanie Schroeder and Cindy Buntin are data abstractors for the Iowa Violent Death Reporting System (IAVDRS), a confidential statewide surveillance system that collects information about violent deaths in Iowa, including homicides and suicides. They discuss the rewards and challenges of their work, and how both personal tragedy and past professional experiences led them to the…