
Welcome to the Firearm Injury & Policy Research Program (FIPRP) at the University of Washington! Our mission is to reduce the impact of firearm-related harm on people's lives through interdisciplinary research in close collaboration with community, institutional, and governmental partners.
FIPRP was formed in 2019 with funding from the Washington State Legislature, building on the three-decade-long history of studying firearm injuries by researchers at the University of Washington. FIPRP is now housed in the Office of the Vice Dean for Research and Graduate Education within the School of Medicine at the University of Washington and collaborates with other schools and research programs across the University and other institutions. Our team of researchers is led by Dr. Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, Professor of Epidemiology in the School of Public Health, Adjunct Professor of Pediatrics in the School of Medicine, and Adjunct Professor in the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy & Governance. Dr. Laura Prater, Research Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences in the School of Medicine serves as the Associate Director of the program.
Our program supports investigations of the determinants of firearm death and injury at the individual, community, and societal level, evaluates the effectiveness of firearm laws and policies, assesses the consequences of firearm violence, and develops strategies to reduce the toll of firearm-related harm among citizens of the state and our country.
Why Study Firearm Injuries?
Firearm injuries affect us all in direct and indirect ways. Each year, about 45,000 people die due to firearm injuries sustained in different manners such as homicide, suicide, and unintentional shootings in the United States. Many more individuals sustain nonfatal firearm injuries or are exposed to shootings. Firearm injuries not only cause physical damage but also lead to psychological harm to individuals, families, and communities. We believe that studying firearm-related harm is essential to understanding and finding solutions for this important public health and public safety challenge.
- Community-based prevention system linked to reduced handgun carrying among youth growing up in rural areas
- New Gun Violence Chapter in Handbook of Epidemiology
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Openness to Church-based Firearm Safety Interventions Among Protestant Christian Firearm Owners.
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Why don’t parents like their kids to play with toy guns? (theconversation.com)
UW FIPRP Investigators Receive Fund for a Safer Future award to study the risk of subsequent firearm and non-firearm violence perpetration among individuals with a former felony or domestic violence misdemeanor conviction who had their firearm rights restored.

Ali Rowhani-Rahbar
Bartley Dobb Professor for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Interim Director, Firearm Injury & Policy Research Program
Avanti Adhia
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Assistant Professor, Department of Child, Family, and Population Health Nursing, School of Nursing
Beza Tadess
MPH Candidate, Epidemiology - Maternal and Child Health Track
Camerin Rencken
PhD Student, Epidemiology
Chelsea D. Hicks
PhD, MPH in Occupational and Environmental Health, Postdoctoral Scholar Fellow
Clemma Jacobsen Muller
Institute for Education and Research to Advance Community Health WSU, Associate Professor, Department of Medical Education and Clinical Science, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine
Deirdre Bowen
Moccasin Lake Foundation Endowed Chair in Family Law, Seattle University
Dominique Smith
Continuing Education Specialist Academic Department, Department of Psychiatry
Dr. Kristian Jones
Assistant Professor of Social Work, PhD, University of Texas at Austin
Elizabeth H. Weybright, PhD
Associate Professor and Adolescent Extension Specialist, Department of Human Development; College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences; Washington State University
Emma Chrzanowski
MPH Candidate, Department of Epidemiology
Emma L. Gause
Research Scientist, Center for Climate and Health, School of Public Health, Boston University, Researcher, Department of Epidemiology
Erika Marts
MPH Student, Department of Epidemiology, Research Assistant
Erin R Morgan
Research Assistant Professor, Elson S Floyd College of Medicine at Washington State University
Frederick Rivara
Vice Chair and Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology
Heather D. Hill
Professor, Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy & Governance
Isaac Derline
MPH Candidate, Department of Epidemiology
Jacinta Ifunanya Azie
Department of Global Health, Qualitative researcher in women & gun violence
Jeanie Santaularia
Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology
Julia Schleimer
PhD Candidate, Department of Epidemiology
Julie M. Kafka
Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Postdoctoral scholar
Karin D. Martin
Associate Professor Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy & Governance
Kelsey Conrick
PhD Candidate, School of Social Work, Trainee, Firearm Injury & Policy Research Program
Laura C. Prater
Research Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Associate Director, Firearm Injury and Policy Research Program; UW School of Medicine
Mary D. Fan
PhD Candidate, Department of Epidemiology, Jack R. MacDonald Endowed Chair, School of Law
Nicole Asa
Doctoral Student, Department of Epidemiology
Olivia Nawal McCollum
B.S. Medical Anthropology and Global Health, MPH Candidate, Graduate Research Assistant
Pooja Ayachit
Research Assistant, Firearm Injury & Policy Research Program
Rachel Ross
Research Scientist, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine
Samantha Banks
Research Consultant, Firearm Injury & Policy Research Program
Vivian H. Lyons
Research Scientist, Social Development Research Group Allies in Healthier Systems for Health & Abundance in Youth
Wilson H. Hammett
PhD Student UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Department of Health Policy and ManagementThank you for visiting our temporary landing page. We look forward to sharing more information about our work and launching our new website soon.