Our Mission
To advance the safety of children, adolescents and young adults through research into the origin and nature of childhood injuries, and to apply our resources to developing effective interventions that will prevent the recurrence of those injuries.
Research. Action. Impact.
Using a multidisciplinary approach, the Center for Injury Research and Prevention draws on a team of scientists from the fields of emergency medicine, pediatric trauma, pediatric and adolescent development, epidemiology and biostatistics, bioengineering, computational engineering, psychology, behavioral development, communications, and health education.
These different points of view form the foundation of a methodology in which research into the pre-event, event and post-event causes of injury and trauma can lead to action and ultimately make an impact on our nation's youth. The Center's findings are not only published in medical journals but are translated into recommendations for parents, educators, policymakers and product manufacturers by the Center's outreach and advocacy professionals.
The Research-to-Action-to-Impact Paradigm
The Center for Injury Research and Prevention research follows a cycle that encourages action beyond the publication of research findings. The research team seeks innovative solutions to identified injury mechanisms through evidence-based interventions in the form of educational tools, improved product design, and improved legislative and regulatory policy to achieve measurable impact in the form of injuries avoided and lives saved.
For More Information On the Center for Injury Research and Prevention
These Fact Sheets describe various areas of our Center. To access them, click on the links below.
Center for Child Injury Prevention Studies: Partnering With Industry to Improve Child Safety 
Crash Investigation: From Tragedy, Insight
Discovering a Safer World: Translating Research into Action, Improving Pediatric Health
Emotional Impact of Pediatric Injury: Helping Families Recover
Injury Prevention Under the Microscope: Better Understanding Leads to Safer Technology
Keeping Young Drivers Safe: Increased Knowledge and Effective Learning Tools for Parents and Teens
Outreach and Advocacy: Making a Scientific Case for a Safer World
Partners for Child Passenger Safety: A Joint Venture of Academia and Private Industry
People Behind a Safer World: An Interdisciplinary Team Focused on a Common Goal
About The Center
Staff Spotlight:
Nancy Kassam-Adams, PhD
Through our research, we have developed screening tools and intervention methods to promote emotional recovery after an injury. And we are creating and testing practical models for integrating these methods into medical care.
Nancy Kassam-Adams, PhD, associate director for behavioral research at the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, is working to help families recover from the emotional impact of pediatric injury. She founded the Child and Adolescent Reaction to Injury and Trauma (CARIT) Research Program at the Injury Center to address and understand how and why stress disorders may occur after an injury. She also works with the Young Driver Research Initiative and other Center projects to help prevent injuries in children.
In prospective studies of children's and parents' reactions to a child's injury, Center researchers have found that most families experience at least a few acute stress reactions within the first month after injury. Six months later, 1 in 6 of them still have stress reactions that are bothersome and get in the way of feeling "back to normal."
Injury Center initiatives in this area include developing an interactive Web site for parents filled with practical tips on how to prevent stress disorders caused by injuries and how to lessen their emotional impact if they do occur.
A psychologist trained in how children and parents deal with traumatic events such as injuries or other medical emergencies, Kassam-Adams also co-directs the Center for Pediatric Traumatic Stress. This work complements and builds on the Injury Center's research and outreach, addressing a broad range of child medical events and traumatic stress.