Emory
Physician Recognized As Outstanding Young Public Health Researcher
Dr. Debra Houry Receives 2002 Jay Drotman Award from American Public
Health Association
Debra Houry,
M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor, Emory University Department of Emergency
Medicine, will be honored with the 2002 Jay Drotman Award from the American
Public Health Association (APHA). The highly competitive award recognizes
an outstanding young public health researcher under 30 years of age
who has demonstrated potential in the health field by challenging traditional
public health policy or practice in a creative and positive manner.
The award will be presented
at this year's 130th APHA annual meeting, November 9-13, in Philadelphia,
PA.
As the newly appointed associate
director of Emory's Center of Injury Control, Dr. Houry is particularly
interested in the prevention of domestic violence and assaults. She
is currently working on a project funded by the Emergency Medicine Foundation
to Ômap' domestic violence hot spots using records of 911 calls to determine
if there are geographic or demographic patterns to domestic violence
households.
Dr. Houry's public health
interest began as an undergraduate at Emory. As a house staff assistant,
she shadowed residents and spent time at the emergency department at
Grady Memorial Hospital. The experience helped her link clinical medicine
and public health.
"I saw the need for basic
public health measures like immunizations and access to care, and observed
so many injuries and illnesses that could have prevented, including
domestic violence, motor vehicle accidents and alcohol abuse."
Dr. Houry credits Arthur
Kellermann, M.D., for helping to develop her career. Dr. Kellermann
is chairman of the Emory University Department of Emergency Medicine
and director of the Center for Injury School at the Rollins School of
Public Health.
"I first met him when I was
a medical student and he has helped me understand the importance of
public health, especially injury control," she says.
Dr. Houry received her medical
degree from Tulane University School of Medicine, her master's in public
health from Tulane University School of Public Health and her bachelor's
in biology and philosophy from Emory University. She has been a member
of the APHA since 2000 and of the American Medical Association since
1994.
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