Departmental Affiliations
Center & Institute Affiliations
Jon Vernick, JD, MPH '94, promotes and evaluates the ways the law can be used as a tool to promote public health, particularly in the areas of injury and violence prevention.
Contact Info
Research Interests
Health Policy and Management; Firearm Policy; Violence Prevention; Injury Prevention and Control; Public Health Law; Motor Vehicles
Experiences & Accomplishments
My research focus has been on the use of law and legal interventions to further public health and injury prevention goals. I have concentrated on the ways in which science, law, regulation, and litigation can work together to reduce the incidence and severity of injuries, particularly those caused by firearms, motor vehicles, and other consumer products.
More specifically, I have worked to evaluate the effects of various laws to prevent firearm and other injuries. I have also examined constitutional and other legal issues associated with injury prevention and public health preparednessl.
Honors & Awards
American Public Health Association, ICEHS Section Public Service Award, 2013
Recognized for teaching excellence, 2008 to 2020
Golden Apple Teaching Award: given by the students of the Undergraduate Public Health Program
Cum Laude Law School Graduate, 1989
Public Health Honor Society — Delta Omega, Alpha Chapter, 1994
SCC Teaching and Advising Award: given by the students of the Department of Health Policy and Management, 2000; 2011
Advising, Mentoring, and Teaching Recognition Award (AMTRA), 2005; 2013; 2020
Select Publications
Selected Publications:
Vernick JS, Teret SP, Webster DW. Regulating firearm advertisements that promise home protection: a public health intervention. JAMA 1997; 277:1391-1397.
Vernick JS. Lobbying and advocacy for the public’s health: what are the limits for non-profit organizations. Am J Public Health 1999; 89:1425-1429.
Vernick JS, Teret SP. A public health approach to regulating firearms as consumer products. University of Pennsylvania Law Review 2000;148:1193-1211.
Vernick JS, Mair JS, Teret SP, Sapsin JW. Role of litigation in preventing product-related injuries. Epidemiol Rev. 2003;25:90-98.
Vernick JS, O’Brien M, Hepburn LM, Johnson SB, Webster DW, Hargarten SW. Unintentional and undetermined firearm-related deaths: a preventable death analysis for three safety devices. Injury Prevention 2003;9:307-311.