COBRE Center Spotlight: Texas Violence and Injury Prevention Research Center (VIPR)

• Director: Jeff R. Temple, PhD
• Website: www.TexasVIPR.com
• Instagram: @TexasVIPR
• LinkedIn: Texas VIPR on LinkedIn
• Year Founded: 2024
• Location: Houston, Texas

What is/are the primary injury topics your organization/center addresses?
VIPR focuses on the prevention of violence and injury across the lifespan, including:

• Adverse childhood and community experiences (ACEs)
• Youth violence
• Intimate partner and family violence
• Elder mistreatment
• Suicide and self-harm prevention
• Firearm injury and violence prevention
• Workplace injury and workplace violence prevention
• Technology-facilitated abuse and emerging forms of interpersonal violence

Please tell us a bit about the injury work that is being done at your organization/center.
In its first year, VIPR has built a foundation that combines research, training, policy, and community engagement. Highlights include:

1. Launched the first Violence and Injury Prevention Certificate Developed through the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health for both degree-seeking and non- degree-seeking learners.
2. Created public-facing education and training programs, including monthly webinars, workshops, and continuing education opportunities for researchers, clinicians, students, and community members.
3. Expanded student mentorship and workforce development.
4. Partnered with community organizations and local leaders. For example, we collaborated on the Pele Chandler Youth Suicide Prevention Symposium, the Carla Diaz-Lewis Domestic Violence Lecture Series, firearm injury prevention initiatives, and youth-focused violence prevention efforts.
5. Launched Community Mini-Grants, which support community-based organizations to address locally identified violence and injury prevention needs and to strengthen organizational capacity.
6. Advanced research-to-practice translation. VIPR faculty work closely with healthcare systems, schools, community agencies, and policymakers to ensure evidence informs real-world prevention strategies.

Are there opportunities in which students or faculty can connect with your organization/center (i.e. training or outreach opportunities)?
Yes. VIPR offers multiple avenues for engagement, including:

• Undergraduate and graduate research experiences
• Applied practice placements and internships
• Mentorship opportunities with VIPR faculty and staff
• Virtual and in-person trainings and workshops
• Community outreach and prevention projects
• Opportunities to collaborate on ongoing research, evaluation, and implementation efforts

Is there anything your organization/center needs that a SAVIR member or center could collaborate with you on?

We are eager to collaborate on multi-site studies, implementation science projects, policy evaluations, workforce development initiatives, and community-engaged prevention research. We are particularly interested in partnerships focused on firearm injury prevention, youth violence, intimate partner violence, suicide prevention, and translating evidence-based interventions into practice and policy. Lastly, we are building
our unintentional injury focus and would welcome the outside expertise.

How is your organization/center involved with SAVIR (i.e. past/future conference site, board/committee members)?
VIPR became the first ICRC in Texas and formally joined SAVIR shortly thereafter. Our faculty and trainees have been active contributors to SAVIR through presentations, workshops, and collaborative research. Dr. Jeff Temple (VIPR Director) was named one of SAVIR’s inaugural Fellows in 2026, Dr. Shannon Guillot-Wright (VIPR Director of Health Policy) received the 2025 SAVIR Early Career Excellence Award and currently serves as SAVIR President-Elect, and Dr. Hannah Rochford currently serves on the Policy Committee.

Tell us about a fun tradition or activity you do as an organization/center.
As one of the newest ICRCs, our favorite tradition has been attending SAVIR together as a team. We also take advantage of Houston’s incredible food culture and enjoy gathering for team lunches, dinners, and celebrations whenever possible.

Is there anything else you would like to share with SAVIR members about your organization/center? 
VIPR was created to serve as a hub for interdisciplinary violence and injury prevention research, training, and community engagement in Texas and beyond. We believe that preventing violence and injury requires strong partnerships among researchers, practitioners, policymakers, healthcare systems, schools, and community organizations.

We look forward to collaborating with SAVIR members to advance prevention science and improve health and safety across the lifespan.

To stay informed, please visit our website at www.TexasVIPR.com

Resources:

• – Instagram: @TexasVIPR
  – LinkedIn: Texas VIPR on LinkedIn