Research Projects

Violence prevention research and outreach at Tulane University traverses the spectrum of harm, from interpersonal to societal. Faculty and staff from multiple disciplines explore root causes, negative outcomes, and prevention approaches. They work across the life-span, from infant mental health to elder abuse prevention, and with multiple populations, including Black youth, Indigenous women, queer and transgender individuals, and more.

Participants in VPI's E2E program take a field trip to BMike Studios

Projects in violence prevention include federally funded centers of excellence, fellowship programs for public health graduate students, data analysis for policy recommendations, and several other programs and outreach that directly connect with community leaders.

Center for Youth Equity

The Center for Youth Equity (CYE) works to prevent youth exposure to violence by addressing systemic inequities and empowering young people as leaders in social change. Its research includes programs that engage youth in participatory action on community violence and hospital-based interventions to reduce firearm harm. With youth advisory input guiding all initiatives, CYE also provides training for scholars and professionals and translates evidence into community-informed strategies,

E2E participants give a presentation after one of their documentary screenings.
E2E participants work on a project during their first summer session.

Enrichment 2 Empowerment

Enrichment 2 Empowerment (E2E) is a youth-led program in New Orleans that empowers ages 14–19 to address violence through research, storytelling, and advocacy. Participants develop skills, engage policymakers, and lead campaigns that secured funding for mental health, youth transit, and restorative justice, promoting safe spaces, community voice, and youth-driven violence prevention.

Supportive Hospital-based Intervention for Firearm Trauma

The Supportive Hospital-based Intervention for Firearm Trauma (SHIFT), launched in 2022, works with young people treated for violent injuries to reduce re-injury risk. Through motivational interviewing, social work support, and firearm safety training, SHIFT turns hospitalization into an opportunity for behavior change and connects participants to resources while advancing hospital-based violence prevention strategies.

SHIFT staff stand outside of a hospital emergency room.
A New Orleans secondline

Community-Based Violence Intervention & Prevention Initiative

The Community-Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (CVIPI), launched in 2024, brings together New Orleans agencies, community organizations, and researchers to reduce firearm violence through a healing-centered, community-driven approach, building safer communities and guiding sustainable prevention strategies.

Healthy Neighborhoods Project

The Healthy Neighborhoods Project (HNP) improved New Orleans neighborhoods by remediating vacant lots and abandoned homes, reducing violence, and strengthening community cohesion. Through resident engagement and research, including public art initiatives, HNP provided evidence-based strategies for safer, healthier, and more equitable communities.

VPI staff member presents on research at a conference.
A New Orleans secondline

Louisiana Violence Experiences Survey (LaVEX)

Led by the Newcomb Institute at Tulane University, the Louisiana Violence Experiences Survey (LaVEX) provides the first state-level data on adults’ experiences of violence, revealing its widespread impact, disproportionate burden on marginalized groups, and urgent need for public health and social service responses.

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1440 Canal Street, Suite 1510, New Orleans, LA 70112

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