Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Childrens Hospital Newest CDC Injury Control Research Center

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has selected the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Childrens Hospital to become the agencys newest Injury Control Research Center. The Center for Injury Research and Policy will be working to better understand pediatric and adolescent injuries. It is the first CDC Injury Control Research Center to focus on pediatric injury research.

Pediatric injuries are one of our nations most compelling public health problems, said Gary Smith, MD, DrPH, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Childrens and associate professor of pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. We are excited that the funding support and designation as a CDC Injury Control Research Center will allow us to expand our research, teaching and advocacy efforts as we pursue our goal of preventing injury-related death and disability among children and adolescents.

With this designation, the Center for Injury Research and Policy becomes the 13th Injury Control Research Center funded by the CDC. CDC Injury Control Research Centers bring together scientists from a wide spectrum of disciplines to conduct research focused on identifying injury problems and discovering more effective ways to prevent intentional and unintentional injuries. The research centers also serve as training sites for injury research and prevention programs and as an informational resource for the public.

Much of CDCs science and research involves finding ways to directly improve the health of people and communities, said Dr. Ileana Arias, director of CDCs Injury Center. The Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Childrens Hospital is working hard to find the best ways to treat and help prevent injuries and disabilities among young children and teens. Their efforts not only address an important public health need, they help us improve the lives of those affected.

Injury is the leading cause of death and acquired disability among children and adolescents in the United States. Nationally, more than 17,000 children and adolescents die each year, and 20 times that many are hospitalized due to injury.

CDC supports 13 Injury Control Research Centers located throughout the U.S. The research centers bring together scientists with different areas of expertise in an effort to find new and more effective ways to prevent, reduce and respond to injuries. The work of the research centers includes identifying important research questions, conducting studies that help answer important research questions or that address gaps in current knowledge, and developing injury-related assistance and recommendations. 

The Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Childrens Hospital works globally to reduce pediatric injury-related death and disabilities. With innovative research as its core, the Center has become a leader in the field by continually improving the scientific understanding of the epidemiology, biomechanics, prevention, acute treatment and rehabilitation of injuries. The Center for Injury Research and Policy focuses on translating its cutting edge research into education, public policy and advances in clinical care.

Learn more about the Center for Injury Research and Policy and the importance of its injury research and prevention activities at http://www.injurycenter.org.

Full descriptions of current research and education projects conducted by the CDC Injury Control Research Centers may be accessed at www.cdc.gov/ncipc/profiles/icrcs/default.htm.

For more information about the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the CDC, visit www.cdc.gov/injury.