This year we recognize Steven C. Rogers, MD, MS, CPST as the 2025 Principal Investigator of the Year for Injury Prevention for his exemplary leadership, groundbreaking research, and unwavering dedication to protecting children and families from preventable injuries.
Dr. Rogers serves as the Medical Director of Emergency Behavioral Health Services at Connecticut Children’s, an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, and a Research Scientist at the Connecticut Children’s Injury Prevention Center. As Co–PI for Injury Free Coalition for Kids – Hartford, CT and a member of the Injury Free Board of Directors he has been instrumental in advancing the Coalition’s mission to prevent injuries to children and building safer, healthier communities for all children.
Dr. Rogers takes an innovative and multidisciplinary approach to injury prevention and injury science. He has combined clinical care, research, and advocacy. He is a pediatric emergency physician, a car passenger safety technician who also focuses on youth behavioral health which uniquely positions him to understand and address the complex intersections of physical and behavioral health injury risks.
Dr. Rogers’ research portfolio reflects a deep and sustained commitment to understanding and preventing youth suicide and behavioral health crises in the emergency care setting. His recent publications—such as “Screening and Risk Algorithms for Detecting Pediatric Suicide Risk in the Emergency Department” (2025), “Feasibility and Importance of Universal Suicide Screening in a Pediatric Emergency Department” (2025), and “Using Transfer Learning to Improve Prediction of Suicide Risk in Acute Care Hospitals” (2025)—have contributed significantly to the national dialogue on suicide prevention in children and adolescents. Dr. Rogers has also made major contributions to injury prevention research more broadly, co-authoring studies such as “A Multicenter Evaluation of Pediatric Emergency Department Injury Visits During the COVID-19 Pandemic” (2023) and “Violence Prevention Emergency Tool (VPET) Screening of Youth in the Pediatric ED” (2020), which have provided key insights into how environmental, social, and systemic factors affect injury trends and risk patterns in children and adolescents.
As part of his nomination, Dr. Kevin Borrup, Executive Director of the Connecticut Children’s Injury Prevention Center writes that Dr. Rogers is “a constant champion of children and the Injury Free Coalition for Kids® since he joined Connecticut Children’s. Dr. Rogers has worked to completely change how we approach the mental health wellness of children internally at the hospital and in the community over a period of time that has been typified by a swelling public health crisis related to suicide”
Throughout his career, Dr. Rogers has exemplified excellence in research and advocacy. His work continues to influence policy, improve practice, and inspires collaboration across clinical, academic, and community settings. His leadership embodies the mission and values of the Injury Free Coalition for Kids, and his contributions have had a profound and lasting impact on child health and safety.
The Injury Free Coalition for Kids proudly honors Dr. Steven C. Rogers as the 2025 Principal Investigator of the Year, in recognition of his outstanding research and commitment to improving the lives of children and families through evidence-based prevention.
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