Insulting injury: Emory joins CDC network
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Consider these statistics: injuries are a leading cause of death for Americans of all ages, and millions experience an injury each year. More than 43,600 people die in traffic accidents. More than 37,000 people die of poisoning. And another almost 31,000 deaths are due to firearms. The number of emergency department visits for unintentional injuries is upwards of 27.7 million
To address the challenges of preventing and treating injuries, the CDC sponsors a group of 11 Injury Control Research Centers throughout the United States. In July, Emory joined the network.
A $5 million five-year grant from CDC will allow the Emory Center for Injury Control to conduct research on a wide variety of injuries and their prevention and treatment. The center's activities will range from improved prevention and treatment of traumatic brain injuries to development of international public health surveillance systems and trauma registries. It also will undertake evaluation of programs to prevent child abuse and youth violence and to reduce motor vehicle injuries by addressing impaired driving and promoting use of protective helmets and safety belts.
Although the Emory Center is jointly located in the School of Medicine's emergency medicine department and the Rollins School of Public Health, the center's reach extends across campus and Atlanta. Partners in the effort include Grady Memorial Hospital, Georgia State, Morehouse School of Medicine, the Georgia Department of Human Resources, and local and state leadership.
The core and affiliate faculty, spanning several universities and areas of expertise, are widely recognized for work on a variety of topics, ranging from prevention of intimate partner violence and child abuse to promotion of sustainable pre-hospital trauma care systems worldwide.
"Connecting research to communities is a primary focus for CDC, and we are pleased the Center for Injury Control at Emory is now part of this critical research network," says Ileana Arias, director of CDC's Injury Center. "The work at Emory and in Atlanta will fill a critical gap and can help shape a better understanding of how to improve the lives of those affected so that they can live to their full potential."
