Vote for Dr. Eugenia South’s Research in the STAT Madness Contest

Eugenia South, MD, MS, a CHIBE-affiliated faculty member, and her team have been recognized in the STAT Madness contest for the best innovation in science and medicine. The research that made it into the bracket-style contest is the team’s JAMA Internal Medicine paper: “Effect of Abandoned Housing Interventions on Gun Violence, Perceptions of Safety, and Substance Use in Black Neighborhoods.”

Vote for the Penn team in the 19th matchup!

The research is summarized by STAT Madness below:

“Abandoned houses are stressful reminders of neglect in communities, potentially contributing to poor health and safety. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania studied how interventions in abandoned houses across Philadelphia — installing working windows and doors, cleaning trash, and weeding — affected the safety of neighborhoods and the perception of safety by neighbors. The study, among low-income, predominantly Black neighborhoods, found inexpensive, straightforward remediation of abandoned housing was directly linked to significant relative reductions in weapons violations and gun assaults, and suggestive reductions in shootings.”