Meet the Team: The People Behind a Safer World

The Center for Injury Research and Prevention employs researchers from a wide spectrum of specialties. Team members are drawn from the fields of emergency medicine, pediatric trauma, pediatric and adolescent development, epidemiology and biostatistics, bioengineering, computational engineering, psychology, behavioral science, communications, and health education. As diverse as they are in background, all Center employees are united by our common commitment to protecting and healing children through research and action.

By Scientific Discipline

View the team members according to their research specialty:

Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Engineering
Medicine
Behavioral Science
Outreach and Advocacy
Administrative

Quantifying a Safer World: Epidemiology and Biostatistics Staff

The work of the Biostatisticians and Epidemiologists at the Center forms the cornerstone of our research enterprise. University of Pennsylvania faculty from both disciplines work full time on every Center project to ensure that our methods are scientifically sound and replicable, our data are unbiased, and our study designs and statistical analyses are interpreted accurately.

Charles C. Branas, Ph.D.

  • Epidemiologist
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interests: Gun violence, emergency medicine
    Projects: Philadelphia Collaborative for Violence Prevention Project
  • Epidemiologist
    Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics
    University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

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Dennis R. Durbin, M.D., M.S.C.E.

  • Co-Scientific Director
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interests: Epidemiology, emergency medicine, injury prevention
    Projects: PCPS, Young Driver Research Initiative, CIREN, CChIPS, NHTSA Indefinite Quantities Contract
  • Director of Research, Division of Emergency Medicine
    The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
  • Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Epidemiology
    Director, Section on Research, Division of Emergency Medicine
    University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

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Michael R. Elliott, Ph.D.

  • Biostatistician
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interests: Bayesian models, child injury risk; industrial injuries
    Projects: PCPS, CChIPS, CARIT
  • Research Affiliate, Population Studies Center
    Assistant Professor of Biostatistics
    Assistant Research Scientist, Survey Research
    The University of Michigan

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Felipe J. Garcia-Espana, Ph.D.

  • Biostatistician
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
  • Biostatistician
    Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics
    University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

Eileen Houseknecht, R.N., B.S.N., C.R.A., L.N.C.

  • Research Nurse
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Trauma Research Coordinator
    The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Michael J. Kallan, M.S.

  • Biostatistician
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
  • Biostatistician
    Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics
    University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

Douglas Wiebe, Ph.D.

  • Epidemiologist
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interest: Firearm-related trauma
  • Epidemiologist
    Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics
    University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

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Dawei Xie, Ph.D.

  • Biostatistician
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interest: Bayesian modeling
  • Biostatistician
    Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics
    University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

Engineering a Safer World: Engineering Research Staff

The Center's Engineering team is separated into three distinct engineering specialties:

Field engineers investigate crash scenes and vehicles from child-involved crashes to determine potential causes of crash injury. These crash investigations fuel the work of our Biomechanical engineers, who re-create crash and other child injury inducing scenarios in the lab and conduct research into the mechanics of injury as well as the unique kinematics of children in motor vehicles. The Computational engineers at the Center create crash reconstruction models that help us translate the real-world data from our field investigations and laboratory work into design improvements and federal safety standards for products like motor vehicles and child restraints.

Biomechanical and Field Engineering

Kristy Arbogast, Ph.D.

  • Associate Director of Field Engineering
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interest: Pediatric Biokinematics
    Projects: PCPS, NHTSA Indefinite Quantities Contract, CIREN, CChIPS
  • Research Assistant Professor
    Division of Emergency Medicine
    The University of Pennsylvania

View Full Bio External Website

Sriram Balasubramanian, Ph.D.

  • Biomechanical Research Engineer
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interest: Impact and orthopedic biomechanics
    Projects: Bumper Car Project (Pediatric head and neck range of motion)

Valerie Caraballo-Perez, R.N., M.S.N., B.S.

  • Clinical Investigator
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interest: Injury prevention, public health
    Projects: CIREN, PCPS, CChIPS

Flaura Koplin-Winston, M.D., Ph.D.

  • Scientific Director and Founder
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interests: Biomechanical engineering, injury prevention, post traumatic stress disorder
    Projects: PCPS, Young Driver Research Initiative, CChIPS, NHTSA Indefinite Quantities Contract, IFCK
  • Co-Principal Investigator
    Partners for Child Passenger Safety
  • Director
    Center for Child Injury Prevention Studies
  • Attending Physician
    The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
  • Associate Professor of Pediatrics
    Division of General Pediatrics
    University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

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Matthew R. Maltese, M.S.

  • Biomechanical Research Engineer
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Projects: CIREN, PCPS, CChIPS, NHTSA Indefinite Quantities Contract
    Research Interest: Experimental biomechanics

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Shresta Mari-Gowda, M.S.

  • Biomechanical Crash Analyst, Crash Investigator
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interest: Biomechanical engineering
    Projects: CIREN, PCPS, CChIPS

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Jessica Steps-Jermakian, D.Sc.

  • Project Manager, Field Engineering
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interest: Behavioral science, biomechanical engineering
    Projects: CIREN, PCPS, CChIPS

View Full Bio External Website

Computational Engineering

Yoganand Ghati, M.S.

  • Computational Engineer
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interest: Computational simulations, injury biomechanics
    Projects: CIREN, PCPS, CChIPS, NHTSA Indefinite Quantities Contract

Prashant Jain, M.S., Doctoral candidate

  • Computational Engineer
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interest: Finite element and rigid body tools
    Projects: CIREN, PCPS, CChIPS, NHTSA Indefintie Quantities Contract

Rajiv Menon, Ph.D.

  • Associate Director, Computational Engineering
  • Director, Student Education and Training
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research interest: Computational simulations
    Projects: CIREN, PCPS, CChIPS, NHTSA Indefinite Quantities Contract

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Shashidhar Nagaral, M.S.

  • Network Administrator
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention

Caring for a Safer World: Pediatric Medicine Staff

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of injury-related admissions to The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and are the leading cause of death for children older than one year in the United States. The Center's medical staff are on the front lines of treating crash-injured children on a regular basis. Our team of pediatric trauma surgeons, emergency physicians and general pediatricians are vital to our crash investigation research, where they assist the engineering team in evaluating the medical records associated with specific cases of real-world crashes in which children were injured. Their interaction with crash-injured children is integral to helping the research team to identify mechanisms and patterns of injury as well as to recommend improvements for diagnosing and treating these injuries.

Tyra Bryant-Stephens, M.D.

  • Director and Principal Investigator
    Injury Free Coalition for Kids of Philadelphia
    Research Interest: Community health, injury Prevention, asthma prevention
    Projects: IFCK
  • Attending Preceptor, General Pediatrics
    The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
  • Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics
    University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

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Dennis R. Durbin, M.D., M.S.C.E.

  • Co-Scientific Director
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interests: Epidemiology, emergency medicine, injury prevention
    Projects: PCPS, Young Driver Research Initiative, CIREN, CChIPS
  • Emergency Medicine Attending Physician
    The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
  • Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Epidemiology
    Director, Section on Research, Division of Emergency Medicine
    University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

View Full Bio External Website

Joel A. Fein, M.D., M.P.H.

  • Investigator
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interests: Epidemiology, emergency medicine, injury prevention
    Projects: PCPS, CARIT, Philadelphia Collaborative Violence Prevention Center
  • Principal Investigator
    Philadelphia Collaborative Violence Prevention Center
  • Emergency Medicine Attending Physician
    The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
  • Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine
    University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

View Research Profile External Website

View full bio

Kenneth R. Ginsburg, M.D.

  • Investigator
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interest: Adolescent behavior and development
    Projects: Young Driver Research Initiative
  • Attending Physician, Adolescent Medicine
    The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

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Sara B. Kinsman, M.D., M.S.C.E., Ph.D.

  • Adolescent Physio-Psychologist
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interests: Risk initiation, peer attachments
    Projects: Young Driver Research Initiative
  • Attending Physician, General Pediatrics
    The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
  • Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
    University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

View Full Bio External Website

Flaura Koplin-Winston, M.D., Ph.D.

  • Scientific Director and Founder
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interests: Biomechanical engineering, injury prevention, post traumatic stress disorder
    Projects: PCPS, Young Driver Research Initiative, CChIPS, CARIT, IFCK, NHTSA Indefinite Quantities Contract
  • Co-Principal Investigator
    Partners for Child Passenger Safety
  • Director
    Center for Child Injury Prevention Studies
  • Attending Physician
    The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
  • Associate Professor of Pediatrics
    Division of General Pediatrics
    University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

View Full Bio

Michael L. Nance, M.D.

  • Investigator
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interest: Pediatric trauma
    Projects: PCPS, CIREN
  • Attending Surgeon
    Director, Pediatric Trauma Program
    The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

View Full Bio External Website

Jill Posner, M.D., M.S.C.E.

  • Investigator
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interest: Injury prevention
    Projects: PCPS, IFCK
  • Research Director
    Injury Free Coalition for Kids
  • Emergency Medicine Attending Physician
    The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

View Full Bio External Website

Nursing Staff

Valerie Caraballo-Perez, R.N., M.S.N., B.S.

  • Clinical Investigator
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interest: Injury prevention, public health
    Projects: CIREN, PCPS, CChIPS

Eileen Houseknecht, R.N., B.S.N., C.R.A., L.N.C.

  • Research Nurse
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Trauma Research Coordinator
    The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Marla L. Vanore, R.N., M.H.A.

  • Senior Advisor
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interests: Trauma systems, injury prevention
  • Co-Director
    Injury Free Coalition for Kids of Philadelphia
  • Trauma Program Manager
    The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

View Full Bio External Website

Behavioral Science

Behavioral Scientists at the Center study the pre-event behaviors that are factors for injury, and then develop interventions to increase the adoption of safe behaviors. Work in this area has focused on increasing age-and size-appropriate restraint use in motor vehicles, as well as increasing safe driving behaviors among teenagers.

Through the Child and Adolescent Reaction to Injury and Trauma (CARIT) project, the Center's behavioral researchers also examine the psychological and emotional consequences of injury (post-event phase ) and seek to develop screening tools and interventions for physicians and families, to help crash-injured children and their parents better cope with the aftermath and prevent long-term emotional injury.

Child and Adolescent Reaction to Injury

Chiara Baxt, Ph.D.

  • Psychologist/ Investigator
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interest: Pediatric Traumatic Stress
    Projects: CARIT

Percival Fisher, Jr., B.A.

  • Clinical Research Assistant
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interest: CDC Stepped Preventative Care
    Projects: CARIT

Angela Gafen, B.S.

  • Clinical Research Assistant II
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Projects: YDRI

Grace Good, B.A., B.S.N.

  • Clinical Research Associate
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interest: CDC Stepped Preventative Care
    Projects: CARIT

Nancy Kassam-Adams, Ph.D.

  • Associate Director of Behavioral Research
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interests: Pediatric traumatic stress
    Projects: CARIT
  • Co-Director, Center for Pediatric Traumatic Stress
    The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

View Full Bio External Website

Kristen Kohser, LMSW

  • Research Coordinator
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interestes: Pediatric Traumatic Stress
    Projects: CARIT

Angela Sim-Laramee, M.S.W.

  • Program Coordinator
    Injury Free Coalition for Kids of Philadelphia
    Research Interest: Community health, injury prevention, asthma prevention
    Projects: IFCK

Adoption of Safety Behaviors

McKenzie Behr, M.P.H., B.A.

  • Field Research Analyst
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Projects: Young Driver Research Initiative

Jessica S. Hafetz, Ph.D.

  • Behavioral Researcher
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interest: Applied Developmental Psychology
    Project: Young Driver Research Initiative

Lela Jacobsohn, Ph.D.

  • Behavioral Researcher
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Project: Young Driver Research Initiative

Alana Vivolo, MPH CHES

  • Research Coordinator
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interests: Violence and injury prevention, behavioral science and health education
    Project: Young Driver Research Initiative

Ayana Bradshaw, M.P.H., B.S.

  • Project Coordinator
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interest: Community Interventions
    Projects: Philadelphia Collaborative Violence Prevention Center (PCVPC)

Danielle Erkoboni, B.A.

  • Research Coordinator
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interest: At-risk populations
    Projects: PCPS, NHTSA Indefinite Quantities Contract

Andrea Gold, B.A.

  • Field Research Analyst
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interest: Teen drivers
    Projects: Young Driver Research Initiative

Alex Quistberg, B.A.

  • Research Coordinator
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interest: Teen drivers
    Projects: Young Driver Research Initiative

Daniel Romer, Ph.D.

  • Investigator
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interest: Influences on adolescent risk-taking behaviors
    Projects: Young Driver Research Initiative
  • Research Director
    Institute for Adolescent Risk Communication
    Annenberg Public Policy Center
    University of Pennsylvania

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Teresa Senserrick, Ph.D.

  • Behaviorist
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interest: Teen drivers and passengers; developmental psychology
    Project: Young Driver Research Initiative

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Outreach and Advocacy

The Center uses scientific evidence to guide outreach and advocacy on behalf of children's health and safety. Fulfilling the Center's "research to action" mission, our team of communications specialists in public health education, legislative advocacy, and public relations/marketing translate the Center's research into effective action. Through the development of multimedia educational materials and reports for physicians, safety educators, parents, and child health advocates, the Outreach and Advocacy team assists the researchers in reaching out to appropriate audience who can use our data to effect meaningful change and protect children.

David J. Fruchtman, B.A.

  • Web Project Coordinator
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Project: Young Driver Research Initiative

Tracey Hewitt, M.S., C.H.E.S.

  • Coordinator for Outreach and Advocacy
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Projects: PCPS, Young Driver Research Initiative

Suzanne D. Hill, B.A.

  • Program Director, Outreach and Advocacy
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interests: Health policy
    Projects: PCPS, Young Driver Research Initiative, CARIT, CChIPS, CIREN, Philadelphia Collaborative Violence Prevention Center

View Full Bio External Website

Kare C. Holm, MHS., B.S.Ed.

  • Outreach Manager
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Project: Young Driver Research Initiative

Dana Mortensen, B.A.

  • Media Relations Specialist
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Projects: PCPS, Young Driver Research Initiative, CARIT, CChIPS, CIREN, Philadelphia Collaborative Violence Prevention Center

Christine Norris, B.A.

  • Writer/Editor
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Project: Young Driver Research Initiative

Administrative Staff

The Center's administrative staff is responsible for the day-to-day needs of our front and back offices. They are the first voices you'll hear when you call the Center, keep track of the multitude of staff members, research projects, and organizational needs of the Center on any given day.

Tara Ferguson

  • Resource Coordinator
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Project: Young Driver Research Initiative

Karen L. Garnett, B.A.

  • Resource Coordinator
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention

Bette Grimes

  • Resource Coordinator
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention

Patricia Harris, B.A. Candidate

  • Resource Coordinator
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention

Karen D. Matthews, M.P.A.

  • Administrative Director
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention

Parvathy Menon, M.A., M.B.A.

  • Program Director
    Center for Child Injury Prevention Studies (CChIPS)
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention

Gloria Newsome, B.A.

  • Business Manager
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention

Gwendolyn Whitley

  • Resource Coordinator
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention

Donna Wilson

  • Resource Coordinator
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Projects: Young Driver Research Iniatiative, Philadelphia Collaborative Violence Prevention Center (PCVPC)

Teena Smith, B.S., A.S.

  • Human Resource Coordinator
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Projects: Young Driver Research Initiative

Carole Treston, R.N., M.P.H.

  • Program Director
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention
    Research Interests: Research administration
    Projects: Young Driver Research Initiative, Philadelphia Collaborative Violence Prevention Center (PCVPC)

 

About The Center

Staff Spotlight:

Matt Maltese
Matt Maltese, MS
Our hope is that one day we will be able to develop a crash-test dummy that is based on real child biomechanical data, not adult biomechanical data scaled down. This will then hopefully lead to restraint systems in vehicles that are designed for children to reduce morbidity on our nation’s roads.
Matt Maltese, MS, program manager for experimental biomechanics at the Center for Injury Research and Prevention, has been working to help design human pediatric crash-test dummies and associated criteria for adults for the past 15 years. A three-year veteran of the Center, Maltese spent 10 years in experimental biomechanics with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Maltese’s team also is involved in several research studies measuring pediatric human volunteer responses in everyday activities. The goal of this research, he says, is that by examining how children move in low-level recreational and athletic activities, we will gain an understanding of how the parts of the body interact with each other. Then we can use computer models to extrapolate to the crash environment.

View Matt Maltese’s full bio External Website