Virginia Tech® home

Suicide by Firearm in the United States: A Collaborative Path for Prevention

Insert your title here

Your Text Here
Marian Betz, M.D., M.P.H. headshot

Marian Betz, M.D., M.P.H.

Professor, Departments of Epidemiology and Emergency Medicine
Deputy Director, Injury & Violence Prevention Center
University of Colorado School of Public Health
Member, National Academy of Medicine
View Speaker Profile
Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture

Suicide by Firearm in the United States: A Collaborative Path for Prevention

Date: March 6, 2025

Time: 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.  (Reception and hors d'oeuvres at 5 p.m.)

Download Flyer

The National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline offers 24/7 support. Call or text 988 if you or someone you know is in distress.

Archived video

About this Seminar

Suicide remains a leading cause of death in the United States. Over half of all suicide deaths occur by firearm; suicides also account for approximately half of all firearm-related deaths. Reducing access to firearms during times of suicide risk can prevent death given the short time frame between decision and action in suicide attempts and the high lethality of firearms. Firearm injury prevention remains a politically sensitive topic, but there are evidence-based, acceptable approaches for firearm suicide prevention. Dr. Betz will describe the scientific rationale for these approaches and provide examples of innovative collaborations in diverse settings, including among military populations and through partnerships with firearm retailers.

Additional Details

This is a free event hosted by Dr. Michael Friedlander and the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute. For more information, please call 540-526-2059.

About Maury Strauss

Maury Strauss was a longtime community benefactor and businessman who supported biomedical research with the goal of energizing the local economy and improving quality of life in our neighborhoods and around the world. In order to ensure the continued success of Roanoke’s biomedical research enterprise, as well as the free public seminars, Mr. Strauss made a generous gift to the series. He passed away in June 2024 at age 99. 

Support Our Research

Your generous support of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute's rigorous biomedical research enterprise makes a difference for our faculty, students, and patients. Every donation helps accelerate the pace of new discoveries to help patients with cancer, neurological disorders, heart disease, and even rare genetic disorders. Private donations fast-track our progress. 

Make A Gift Today

You May Also Be Interested In...

  • Home Item
    Seminar: Team Science in Clinical Research
    Seminar: Team Science in Clinical Research , home

    Aug. 27 2025, at 1 p.m. | Karen Johnston, M.D., M.Sc., Harrison Distinguished Professor of Neurology, Associate Vice President for Clinical and Translational Research, Director, integrated Translational Health Research Institute of Virginia (iTHRIV), University of Virginia School of Medicine | Seminar

  • Home Item
    Inheriting Chromatin Domains in Mammals and the Mechanisms Involved
    Inheriting Chromatin Domains in Mammals and the Mechanisms Involved , home

    Sept. 5, 2025, 11:00 a.m. | Thelma Escobar, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Institute for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington | Co-Sponsored by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute and Cancer Research Center — D.C.

  • Home Item
    Flow Induced Endothelial Planar Polarity for Signaling Regulation
    Flow Induced Endothelial Planar Polarity for Signaling Regulation , home

    Sept. 19, 2025, 11:00 a.m. | Julia Mack, Ph.D., Assistant Adjunct Professor, David Geffen School of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of California Los Angeles | Co-Sponsored by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute Center for Vascular and Heart Research

  • Home Item
    The Bitter Truth: Alcohol Use and Its Effects on Chemosensory Function
    The Bitter Truth: Alcohol Use and Its Effects on Chemosensory Function , home

    Oct. 3, 2025, 11:00 a.m. | Paule Valery Joseph, Ph.D., Lasker Clinical Research Scholar, NIH Distinguished Scholar; Acting Chief, Section of Sensory Science and Metabolism Unit, Co-Director of the National Smell and Taste Center, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders; National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health | Co-Sponsored by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute Center for Health Behaviors Research and Addiction Recovery Research Center

  • Home Item
    Organization and Control of Hippocampal Networks
    Organization and Control of Hippocampal Networks , home

    Oct. 17, 2025, 11:00 a.m. | Ivan Soltesz, Ph.D., James R. Doty Professor of Neurosurgery and Neurosciences, Stanford University | Co-Sponsored by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute Center for Neurobiology Research

  • Home Item
    Thinking the Right Thoughts
    Thinking the Right Thoughts , home

    Oct. 31, 2025, 11 a.m. | Nathaniel Daw, Ph.D., Professor, Computational and Theoretical Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Princeton University | Co-Sponsored by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute Center for Human Neuroscience Research