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We advance urban health equity and safety through community-engaged research, teaching, and partnership. Our work identifies solutions to firearm violence by exploring how people interact with their social and physical environments.

“Treating gun violence solely as a criminal legal issue hasn’t worked—and it’s not likely to work—because of things that we understand from a public health perspective.”

— Dr. Jonathan Jay

Join Our Team: PhD Student Recruitment for Fall 2027

RISE Lab is currently recruiting a prospective PhD student through the PhD Program in Community Health Sciences at Boston University School of Public Health.

If you are interested in applying or learning more about working with us, please reach out via our Contact Us page or email us directly at riselab.bu@gmail.com.

Research

Adolescent Gun Homicide Rates Show No Sign of Slowing

Recent RISE Lab research found that while adult gun death rates returned to pre-COVID levels in 2022 and 2023, gun homicide rates for 10-16 year olds continued to increase. These results emphasize the need to improve community-based violence intervention programs for school-aged children.

Teaching

Gun Violence Prevention Students Learn From Frontline Experts

In SB747, RISE Lab flipped the traditional classroom layout by partnering with street-level nonprofit Uncornered. Students worked alongside former gang members to understand factors shaping community violence, translating insights into one-pagers to educate Uncornered’s stakeholders.

Partnership

Hospital Programs for Violence Victims Can Prevent Future Harm

RISE Lab partnered with BU’s primary teaching hospital, Boston Medical Center, to study their Violence Intervention Advocacy Program. Consistent program engagement reduced the likelihood of revictimization or committing violence by 50% for two to three years post-discharge.