Dr. Jessica H. Beard joined the Center as our Director of Research. Dr. Beard is a trauma surgeon in one of Philadelphia’s busiest trauma centers, Temple University Hospital. She is also a widely published public health researcher who focuses on multi-disciplinary partnerships to solve complex public health problems, including gun violence. She is an Associate Professor of Surgery and Director of Trauma Research at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University and a Stoneleigh Foundation Fellow.
Stoneleigh Foundation Fellowship
- Profile: Jessica H. Beard, MD, MPH
- Project: Changing the Narrative on Gun Violence Reporting in Philadelphia
- Press release: Dr. Jessica H. Beard Named Stoneleigh Fellow and Philadelphia Center For Gun Violence Reporting‘s Director Of Research
Previous research
- The changing epidemiology of interpersonal firearm violence during the COVID-19 pandemic in Philadelphia, PA
- Changes in Shooting Incidence in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Between March and November 2020
- Making the news: Victim characteristics associated with media reporting on firearm injury
- Examining mass shootings from a neighborhood perspective: An analysis of multiple-casualty events and media reporting in Philadelphia, United States
- Clustered Arrivals of Firearm-Injured Patients in an Urban Trauma System: A Silent Epidemic
- Firearm assault in Philadelphia, 2005-2014: a comparison of police and trauma registry data
- The enduring impact of historical and structural racism on urban violence in Philadelphia
- Firearm Deaths in America: Can We Learn From 462,000 Lives Lost?
- Structural Causes of Urban Firearm Violence: A Trauma Surgeon’s View From Philadelphia
- Quantifying Disparities in Urban Firearm Violence by Race and Place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: A Cartographic Study
Presentations from the Better Gun Violence Reporting Summmit
As part of this panel, we heard from health care providers treating gun injured patients as well as public health practitioners and researchers working to unpack the root causes of gun violence and identify evidence-based solutions to this important public health problem in Philadelphia. On the front lines of gun violence every day, we presented our unique perspectives and work in the areas of gun violence epidemiology and prevention.
Journalists are faced with the difficult task of reporting on gun violence in a manner that serves the public good but does not compound the trauma of victims. Debates about how to strike this delicate balance take place continually in newsrooms and journalism classrooms. Yet, too often the direct input of those most affected by gun violence are not included in these discussions. In this session, Dr. Midberry presented findings from a focus group study that explores how victims of gun violence in Philadelphia perceive local media coverage of the issue and how they think such reporting can be improved.
Dr. Beard testifies before Philadelphia City Council
“Media reporting on public health threats like gun violence directly influences the way the public understands and responds to the health threat. If the mayor can help Philadelphians understand the public health context, root causes, and solutions for gun violence through these biweekly briefings, this could go a long way to gain support for effective solutions and begin to stem the tide of shootings in the city.”
Dr. Jessica Beard, March 30, 2021 [Read complete testimony]