Pediatrics to host Firearm Injury and Prevention Conference June 5

By Department of Pediatrics
A black safe with a keypad and a dial for opening the door. The door is ajar with a blue light emitting from it.

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Gun violence remains a leading cause of death in the U.S., even among children. The Department of Pediatrics invites the community to attend an important day of discussion and education focused on firearm injury prevention on Friday, June 5, at TMC Helix Park and via Zoom (external link).

The Firearm Injury and Prevention Conference is co-hosted by Sandra McKay, MD, associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, and Eric Fleegler, MD, MPH, senior research investigator at Massachusetts General Hospital, and will feature nationally recognized experts exploring the public health impact of gun violence and the role of policy in prevention efforts.

The conference will feature two keynote presentations, beginning with Cedric Dark, MD, MPH, associate professor at Baylor College of Medicine, who will present “Perspectives on Gun Violence, Under the Gun,” combining data, policy, and personal stories to examine the gun violence epidemic.

Throughout the day, attendees will engage in presentations and panel discussions on community violence interventions, credible messenger programs, secure firearm storage innovations, policy collaboration, and prevention initiatives, including the SAFEWatch Firearm Injuries Dashboard (external link).

The conference will conclude with closing keynote speaker Joshua Horwitz, JD, distinguished professor at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, presenting “The Policy Impacts on Firearm Injury Prevention.” His presentation will focus on how policy influences firearm injury prevention efforts and actionable strategies that can help save lives.

The conference is made possible through funding from the Kaiser Permanente Center for Gun Violence Research and Education and sponsored by the Texas Violence and Injury Prevention Research Center (external link), McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, and UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. Thanks to this support, registration is free and open to the public.