Courses and Seminars

Gun Violence and Related Topics

Gun Violence in the US - Evidence and Action Columbia Mailman School of Public Health - Ted Alcorn and Charles Branas, PhD

More U.S. residents have been killed with guns since 1968 than died in all the wars since the country’s founding. Addressing this crisis means solving tenacious public health problems in the realms of science and of politics. In this course we will review the epidemiology of gun violence and the empirical foundations of efforts to address it through policy, study design, programmatic interventions, and environmental/physical design. We will consider obstacles to the rigorous study of gun violence as well as the innovative approaches researchers have adopted to overcome them, whether in the fields of epidemiology, health policy, medicine, criminology, or economics.

Gun Politics in the US Barnard College, Columbia - Matthew Lacombe, PhD

This course examines the politics of guns from a number of different angles. A critical assessment is conducted of the multitude of direct and indirect explanations of gun control politics that have been offered by scholars and informed observers, including those related to interest groups, political parties, and mass political behavior.

Seminar in Social and Legal Regulation of Firearms Columbia Law School -Jeffrey Fagan, JD

Firearms are an enduring part of American history and culture. In recent years, firearms also have become a contentious domain of law, legal and social regulation, and public health and criminal justice policy. Litigation on both access to firearms and liability of the industry and private citizens for deaths caused by firearms has occupied a highly contentious space in legal culture and case law. The regulatory design for firearms is a complex set of rules that span concerns span criminal justice, mental health, interstate commerce, privacy, product liability, and financial regulation. This course examines current designs for firearm regulation and control.

Social Policy and Prevention Teachers College, Columbia - John Allegrante, PhD

This course is intended to acquaint students with the scientific, social, economic, historical, and political influences that have shaped the development of selected aspects of U.S. health policy, with special attention to health promotion and disease prevention. It is organized around three topic modules: a) scope of and issues in U.S. health policy, b) advocacy for health policy change, with a focus on gun violence, and c) economic and behavioral science perspectives on policy.

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma-Informed Care: An Inter-Professional Service Learning Experience Columbia Mailman School of Public Health - Danielle Kassow, PhD and Virginia Rauh, PhD

Children who experience safe, stable, and nurturing childhoods that foster resilience undoubtedly experience better lifelong health and well-being. The 1998 landmark study, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), demonstrated that when adults recalled negative experiences, they had significantly higher rates of poor lifelong physical and emotional health. It is through the exposure of the developing brain to this constant toxic stress that results in changes to brain infrastructure, ultimately reducing executive function and increasing the risk of poor lifelong health and well-being outcomes. Despite adversity and presence of ACEs, research has shown that positive childhood experiences can have long-lasting protective effects on adult well-being and health. Designed for second-year students, this service learning course will explore (1) the scientific evidence underlying the impact of childhood adversity on health and social functioning across the lifespan, and (2) strategies to address both the causes and consequences of ACEs and trauma. Students will integrate the knowledge gained in the classroom by developing a service project with their peers. Final projects will be posted on the Trauma-Free NYC website and available to the public for free.

Spatial Epidemiology Columbia Mailman School of Public Health - Christopher Morrison, PhD

Spatial epidemiology is the study of geographic distributions and determinants of health in populations. The course emphasizes spatial epidemiology as a sub-discipline of epidemiology while acknowledging the many scientific disciplines that shape it, including biostatistics, cartography, criminology, demography, economics, geography, psychology, and sociology. It begins by defining spatial epidemiology and exploring these multi-disciplinary roots, with particular regard to the theoretical causal mechanisms that provide a bridge between social and physical environmental conditions and population health.

Constitutional Governance Practicum Columbia Law School - Jessica Bulman - Pozen, JD

This practicum provides opportunities to work on specific projects related to contemporary issues in American constitutional governance. The projects, some generated by outside groups and some relating to the work of the Center for Constitutional Governance, are in areas such as immigration, civil rights, and firearms regulation and focus on questions of federalism, preemption, and state and local power.

Science of Firearm Injury Prevention Among Children & Teens Online Course University of Michigan

Firearm injuries are a leading cause of death among children and teens. However, there are many ways that these injuries and deaths can be prevented using evidence-based practices and policies. Presented by the University of Michigan Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention and the Firearm Safety among Children and Teens (FACTS) Consortium, the Science of Firearm Safety Among Children & Teens Massive Open Online Course covers a range of firearm injury topics including:

  • firearm-related suicide

  • unintentional firearm injury

  • community and youth violence

  • intimate partner violence

  • school and mass shootings

  • officer-involved shootings

The course also covers important gaps in existing research and future directions for expanding the knowledge base of the field. This course is designed for multiple fields and levels of training, including students and researchers from public health, medicine, public policy, social work, nursing, criminology, sociology and psychology fields. It is appropriate for practitioners, educators and parents. As a learner, you will have the ability to select all modules or individual topics that interest you most. Composed of seven modules, this course may be taken from the comfort of your home or office, and you can learn at your own pace. Access the course for Free.