The
Medical College of Wisconsin’s Comprehensive Injury Center was one of 11 institutions selected as Injury Control Research Centers by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the MCW announced on Wednesday.
Through this designation, the MCW’s CIC will receive $4.25 million in federal funds over the next five years to support its efforts to reduce disparities in injuries in Milwaukee and Wisconsin, according to the news release. ICRCs fall under the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.
In the U.S., injury is the leading cause of death among children, while it is among the leading causes of death for adults, according to the news release. There are disparities in who is injured, as well as in the path and timeline of recovery. People who are racially, ethnically and socioeconomically marginalized particularly experience the greatest “burden of injury,” according to the news release.
Dr.
Terri deRoon-Cassini, ICRC principal investigator and director of the Comprehensive Injury Center at MCW, said that “injury and violence disproportionately impact certain groups.” The funding that comes along with the CDC designation will allow the MCW to “significantly advance” its injury science research while prioritizing health equity and reducing injury disparities, deRoon-Cassini said.
“As one of only 11 research institutions in the country to be designated as an ICRC, this presents a unique opportunity for us to take MCW’s Comprehensive Injury Center to the next level, increasing our investment in injury research and boosting our engagement with communities and organizations most impacted by injury and violence,” said deRoon-Cassini, who is also a professor of surgery (trauma and acute care surgery) at the MCW.
In terms of research, the CDC funding will support four projects looking at prevention of traumatic brain injuries, opioid overdoses, gun violence and suicide. The funding will allow for greater collaboration with community members, public health agencies and health care systems on this issue, as well as support the sharing of research findings and data, according to the news release.
The MCW’s CIC will also “develop, implement and evaluate training and education for audiences in the community engagement, research, public health and clinical aspects of injury science,” according to the news release.
“The Medical College of Wisconsin’s selection as an Injury Control Research Center underscores our unwavering commitment to addressing the most pressing issues that impact the communities we serve,” said
John Raymond, president and CEO of MCW. “Every research breakthrough, every partnership, and every solution we uncover brings us closer to a future in which everyone will live in a safe and thriving community, regardless of background or circumstance.”
The other 10 institutions that received this designation from the CDC include:
- Columbia University
- Emory University
- Johns Hopkins University
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
- University of Iowa
- University of Michigan
- University of North Carolina
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of Texas Health Science Center – Houston
- University of Washington
