Announcing the Inaugural Recipient of the Sixto and Zenaida Ramirez Immigrant Legacy Award for Early-Career Scholars

SAVIR is proud to announce Mudia Uzzi, PhD, MSc, of Johns Hopkins University as the inaugural recipient of the Sixto and Zenaida Ramirez Immigrant Legacy Award for Early Career Scholars.

This award honors the memory of Sixto and Zenaida Ramirez, whose journey as immigrants reflected resilience, perseverance, and a lifelong commitment to helping others build successful lives and careers in the United States. Established through the generosity of the Ramirez-Mendoza family, the award recognizes early-career researchers who demonstrate exceptional promise in advancing the science of injury and violence prevention.

Mudia Uzzi, PhD, MSc, is a Bloomberg Assistant Professor of American Health in the Department of Health Policy of Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health where he leads transdisciplinary community-based research and advocates for place-based solutions to address the root causes of violence and overdose. Dr. Uzzi was selected for his innovative and impactful work as an early-career scholar in the field. His research reflects the spirit of the award through its strong methodological rigor, commitment to advancing knowledge in injury and violence prevention, and dedication to improving the health and safety of communities.

The Sixto and Zenaida Ramirez Immigrant Legacy Award celebrates early-career investigators—including postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty—whose research shows exceptional promise for high impact, particularly work that fosters community engagement and addresses disparities affecting underserved or minoritized populations.

The award will be presented annually at the SAVIR Annual Conference. The recipient receives a $500 honorarium and recognition during the conference awards ceremony, along with a one-year complimentary SAVIR membership.

Please join us in congratulating Mudia Uzzi on being the inaugural recipient of this meaningful new award and in thanking the Ramirez-Mendoza family and Dr. Marizen Ramirez for their generous support in establishing this lasting legacy to inspire the next generation of injury and violence prevention researchers.