Barbara Barlow, MD, FAAP, FACS

Professor of Surgery in Epidemiology
Associate Director, Center for Injury Science and Prevention
Executive Director, Injury Free Coalition for Kids
Mailman School of Public Health
Columbia University in the City of New York

 

Dear Injury Free,

Welcome to the 2025 Injury Free Coalition for Kids Annual Conference, Forging New Frontiers: Injury Prevention in Evolving Environments.

It is an immense privilege to welcome you to this year's conference — a gathering that, for the past 30 years, has united injury prevention professionals, public health innovators, clinicians, researchers, community leaders, educators, and many others dedicated to building safer communities, and healthier futures for children and their families.

Over these three decades, our world has changed in profound ways. Technological and digital advancements, urbanization, and climate change — among many other shifts — have transformed the environments in which injuries occur. As a result, the strategies we use to prevent them must evolve as well.

At this year's conference, our focus is on meeting those challenges head-on: exploring how to design, implement, and sustain injury prevention efforts in evolving environments — and doing so with equity, resilience, and innovation at the forefront.

We encourage you to take full advantage of the robust program we have planned: impactful keynote presentations, interactive workshops, multiple learning sessions, dynamic lightning rounds and plenty of networking opportunities. This conference is designed to serve you, inspire you, and connect you.

On behalf of our Program Committee, I extend my thanks for your dedication, passion, and the vital work you do every day to protect lives, build resilience, and create safer environments.

Welcome to Fort Lauderdale, to forging new frontiers together, and to advancing the next generation of injury prevention strategies in our evolving world. Here's to another 30 years of injury prevention leadership and impact!

Warm regards,

Dr. Barlow

Founder & Executive Director