University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
Carol W. Runyan, PhD,
MPH
Phone: 919-966-3916
Fax: 919-966-7955
E-mail: CRUNYAN@SOPHIA.SPH.UNC.EDU
University of North Carolina
Bank of America Building, Suite 500, CB 7505
137 East Franklin Street
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7505
Overview
The University of North Carolina Injury Prevention Research Center (UNC IPRC) is a mature center with a 12-year history of successfully building the injury field through research, collaboration, teaching, and publication. We are making a difference by translating research into practice. We have facilitated funding for injury research at dollar amounts more than six times that provided in Center core funds, published over 150 refereed papers and book chapters, assisted with more than 100 student projects, helped several dozen students initiate careers in injury control, and engaged in over 1,000 technical assistance activities to scores of organizations. The Center's mission is to stimulate and participate in interdisciplinary research and to facilitate the translation of research into injury control policies and programs for prevention, acute care, and rehabilitation.
Organizationally, UNC IPRC operates as a freestanding Center within the UNC Division of Health Affairs, with strong linkages to other campuses in the UNC system. External advisors provide periodic guidance while an interdisciplinary Senior Advisory Committee offers on-going, high-level support and assistance on campus. Core faculty and staff meet regularly to develop programs and monitor progress and continuously improve program quality.
Research activities revolve around of occupational injury, violence, and sports and recreational injury. A core team will develop the scientific capacity for program development, implementation, and evaluation using a variety of strategies including a "community laboratory" in Eastern North Carolina. We are forming a partnership with the State and Territorial Injury Prevention Directors Association (STIPDA) to assist in evaluating state programs and developing improved intervention and evaluation methods. We will apply these skills in other state, national, and international settings through university and agency collaborations, including the World Health Organization.
Other activities focus on research stimulation, including statistical assistance, faculty small grants, and work with faculty to use secondary data sets for research, such as medical examiner data. We will continue teaching graduate students, providing technical assistance and consultation on translating research into practice, and will broaden our funding base to enable expansion.
Projects