Research at the Center

Dr. Jessica H. Beard is the director of research at The Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting thanks to support from a Stoneleigh Foundation Fellowship. She is also a trauma surgeon at Temple University Hospital and associate professor at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.

Through her three-year fellowship, Jessica has been working with the Center to deepen the media narrative around gun violence, with the goal of increasing support for policies and programs to curb the epidemic and save lives. Her fellowship focuses on widening the lens of media reporting on gun violence in Philadelphia to provide context, solutions, and varying perspectives.

Dr. Beard holds a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University, an MD from Yale University, and an MPH from UC-Berkeley. She completed her general surgery residency at UC-San Francisco and surgical critical care fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. As a trauma surgeon, Jessica cares for people injured by firearms every day in Philadelphia. She is passionate about firearm injury prevention and is the author of numerous publications examining firearm injury in Philadelphia.

    Research

    In the news

    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]

    Read more: New. Needed. Now. – Asking Questions with Dr. Jessica Beard

    Use our Contact form to leave a message for Jessica.