UMMC launches Mississippi Center for Violence Research
Published on Monday, April 7, 2025
By: Annie Oeth, aoeth@umc.edu
Photos By: Jay Ferchaud/ UMMC Communications
Preventing violence and supporting victims are among the aims of the Mississippi Center for Violence Research (MCVR), launched by the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
The center is a result of the Mississippi Violence Injury Prevention Program, or MS-VIP, research funded by a $5.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, said Dr. Lei Zhang, associate dean for research and scholarship at the UMMC School of Nursing, Harriet G. Williamson Endowed Chair of Population Health Nursing and a nationally renowned researcher in preventive health and public health surveillance.
The center will serve as a hub for multidisciplinary research, education and evidence-based practices, addressing the root causes and consequences of violence while working toward safer communities across Mississippi and beyond. MCVR will focus on improving health outcomes, fostering community partnerships, and training the next generation of researchers and practitioners in violence prevention strategies.
MS-VIP was among the research projects highlighted during the School of Nursing’s Research and Scholarship Day, April 2.
MS-VIP clinical research manager Leila Seidfaraji said the study is vital in Mississippi, which has the nation’s highest rate of firearm-related deaths.
In its first year, MCVR will set up its administrative framework, launch a dedicated website to share research findings and community resources and recruit faculty and graduate students to drive its mission forward.
Looking ahead, MCVR aims to secure long-term funding, publish significant research findings and participate in multisite research collaborations at both state and national levels. With a vision to become a leading center for violence research in the Deep South, it is committed to making a lasting impact on public health and safety, Zhang said.
“As MCVR expands its reach, it will continue to actively partner with community organizations, government agencies and academic institutions to build a robust ecosystem for violence prevention in Mississippi,” he said.
The mission of the center is to promote innovative research to explore causes, consequences and strategies for prevention of violence and collaboration with policymakers, community leaders and organizations to implement evidence-based solutions. MCVR will play a critical role in educating and training students, researchers and health care professionals on best practices for violence prevention while developing data-driven strategies to reduce violence-related health disparities in Mississippi.
The center comes as research at the School of Nursing is growing. This has been reflected at the 2025 School of Nursing Research and Scholarship Day. The program included 51 abstracts, more than half of them authored by students initially. It also had eight podium presentations and research and scholarship highlights covering violence research, cervical cancer/HPV, HIV, physical activity, teaching methods in nursing settings, basic science lab and school-based clinics.
"The School of Nursing is a leader on campus and nationally,” said Dr. Lee Bidwell, associate vice chancellor for research at UMMC, at the opening of Research and Scholarship Day. “I would be remiss if I didn’t say how proud I am and how proud you should be of the growth of research at the School of Nursing.”
The UMMC School of Nursing was ranked 24th in the country among like institutions in NIH funding by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research.
“This ranking reflects the school’s commitment to impactful, high-quality research that advances health care education, practice and service,” said Dr. Tina Martin, dean of the School of Nursing.
Zhang currently leads multiple funded research initiatives focusing on violence prevention, with a secured total funding of $7.7 million and an additional $3.7 million in a pending grant on firearm research, bringing the potential total of over $11 million in research funding. These projects include the MS-VIP and the Substance Use Disorder and Intimate Partner Violence among Mississippi Moms: Initiative to Prevent and Treat (SIMM Initiative), which addresses critical aspects of violence prevention and intervention.
The center will support work on existing research initiatives, including MS-VIP and SIMM Initiative, both of which focus on critical aspects of violence prevention and intervention.
The leadership team of MCVR also includes Dr. Matthew Kutcher, associate professor of surgery-trauma and critical care at the Medical Center, who will serve as deputy director, and Dr. Masoumeh Karimi, assistant professor of nursing, will serve as the assistant director.
“Violence remains a pressing public health issue,” Zhang said. “MCVR aligns with UMMC’s broader mission of improving health and well-being by addressing violence as a critical social determinant of individual, family and community health through building collaborative networks for action and research.”
MCVR programs have already partnered with statewide academic institutions such as Jackson State University’s Mississippi Urban Research Center and the University of Southern Mississippi, governmental institutions including the City of Jackson’s Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery, and regional community partners such as the People’s Advocacy Institute, Operation Good Foundation and the Mississippi Public Health Institute. National partners include the University of Michigan’s Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention and the Tulane University’s Violence Prevention Institute.
“The establishment of MCVR aligns with this tradition of excellence, strengthening the school's commitment to empowering nurse leaders and improving health within and beyond Mississippi,” Zhang said.