Charles Branas, PhD
| Office Location | Blockley Hall |
| cbranas@upenn.edu | |
Faculty Information | |
| CCEB Appointment | Senior Scholar, Epidemiology |
| Primary Faculty Appointment | Professor of Epidemiology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman SOM |
Additional Positions
Director, Cartographic Modeling Laboratory
Professor of Emergency Medicine
Professor of Surgery
Senior Fellow, The Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics
Senior Fellow, Center for Public Health Initiatives
Faculty Associate, Institute for Urban Research
Research Statement
Charles Branas is a Professor of Epidemiology and Director of the Cartographic Modeling Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Branas works to improve health and healthcare and is recognized for his efforts to reduce violence and enhance emergency care. Much of his work incorporates human geography and spatial interactions. His studies have taken him to various places including the neighborhoods of Philadelphia and other cities, rural counties across the US and cities and small towns in Guatemala and other countries. Dr. Branas has been on various boards and scientific review panels at the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control, the Canadian National Research Council, the South African Medical Research Council, and is a Past President of the Society for Advancement of Violence and Injury Research.
Courses Taught
PUBH 571/EPID 518: Geography and Health
EPID 560: Research Protocol Development
EPID 801: Fundamentals of Epidemiologic Study Designs
PUBH 508: Public Health Capstone Seminar
Selected Publications
Branas CC, Cheney RA, MacDonald JM, Tam VW, Jackson TD, Ten Have TR: A difference-in-differences analysis of health, safety, and greening vacant urban space. American Journal of Epidemiology 2011; 174: 1-11.
Branas CC, Elliott MR, Richmond TS, Culhane D, Ten Have TR, Wiebe DJ. Alcohol consumption, alcohol outlets, and the risk of being assaulted with a gun. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 2009; 11(4): 906-915.
Branas CC, Richmond TS, Culhane DP, Ten Have TR, Wiebe DJ. Investigating the link between gun possession and gun assault. American Journal of Public Health 2009; 99(11): 2034-2040.
Branas CC, MacKenzie EJ, Williams JC, Schwab CW, Teter HM, Flanigan MC, Blatt AJ, ReVelle CS. Access to trauma centers in the United States. JAMA 2005; 293(21):2626-2633.
Branas CC, Nance ML, Elliott MR, Richmond TS, Schwab CW. Urban-rural shifts in intentional firearm death: different causes, same results. American Journal of Public Health 2004; 94(10): 1750-1755.
