Violanti recognized for outstanding contributions to epidemiology

John M. Violanti, research professor of epidemiology and environmental health in the School of Public Health and Health Professions, has received the Outstanding Contributions to Epidemiology Award from the American College of Epidemiology. 

The award recognizes an active epidemiologist for outstanding contributions to the field in one of three areas: methods development, etiologic research and applied epidemiology.

In his acceptance speech at ACE’s annual meeting last month, Violanti discussed suicide and suicide prevention among police, firefighter, EMTs and members of the military.

Throughout his career, Violanti has focused his research on police and first responder stress. His work has included a 2012 landmark study that found that those populations experience significant health risks, including higher rates of chronic disease and suicide, than that of the general population. His research has made significant contributions to recognizing and studying the unique health and safety concerns — suicide in particular — of first responders.

In 2019, he received funding from the Department of Justice’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to study police health. And, earlier this year, he was first author on a study published in “Policing: An International Journal” that examined COVID-19 deaths among members of law enforcement in 2020.

Violanti brings his experience as a 23-year veteran of the New York State Police to his research and understanding of the sources and implications of police stress and psychological trauma. Specific research interests include psychological and biological indicators of chronic police stress; subclinical cardiovascular and metabolic disease in police; shift work and health; epidemiology of police suicide; and PTSD.

Violanti has written and edited 17 books on these topics, and frequently provides expert commentary for news media organizations, among them USA Today, the BBC and The Boston Globe.