Key Activities and Learning Opportunities

During their training, the scholars engaged in a variety of educational and research activities, including:

• Trauma Epidemiology Course: Led by Dr. Cara Hamann, this course provided essential skills for addressing and managing trauma, focusing on injury control and prevention in at-risk communities.

• Spotlight Series Lectures: The trainees attended and presented at the College of Public Health’s Spotlight Series. Dr. Svetlana Cociu delivered a lecture titled “Insights and Awareness: An Overview of Research Findings in Road Safety in Moldova,” while Kelli Kulikova presented on “E-scooters as a New Source of Road Traffic and Crash-related Injuries in Armenia.”

• Bicyclist Safety Education Study: The trainees participated in a working group meeting at the Transportation Research and Injury Prevention Safety (TRIPS) Lab, led by Dr. Cara Hamann.

• 13th Annual Great Plains Emerging Infectious Diseases Conference: Attendees engaged in discussions on the One Health concept with Dr. Christine Petersen, Director of the Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases at the University of Iowa. View Conference Program.

• 8th Annual Occupational Health & Safety Student Research Conference: This event provided insights into innovative research and practices in occupational health and safety conducted by students and faculty.

• University of Iowa Highway Safety Research Institute Visit: The trainees toured this interdisciplinary research institute, part of the University of Iowa School of Engineering.

• Hank Virtual Environments Lab Visit: The trainers tested the Cycling and Pedestrian Simulators, which are used to study road-crossing behaviors in virtual environments.

• Qualtrics Training: They gained proficiency in using Qualtrics, a secure software tool for creating, distributing, and analyzing surveys.

This training experience has equipped the scholars with valuable knowledge and skills, preparing them for the next steps in their research careers focused on violence and injury prevention.