In America, firearms policy is an explosive issue. But if David Hemenway has his way, far less heat and a great deal more light will be cast on the nation’s use and abuse of firearms.

Hemenway, director of the Harvard Injury Control Research Center and the Harvard Youth Violence Prevention Center, aims to redirect the thrust of the debate on guns and violence away from the polarized political stage and into the less contentious realm of public health. To do that, he is rolling out groundbreaking research into the causes and effects of gun misuse. With support from a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Investigator Award in Health Policy Research, his work will culminate soon in the publication of a book on the links between firearms and public health.

Among Hemenway’s recommendations for reshaping U.S. firearms policy:

• Encourage firearms manufacturers to take simple steps to make guns safer when they fall into the hands of children.
• Bring health professionals onto the front lines as proponents of prevention and education strategies.
• Build a national firearms injury database to give researchers, communities, advocacy groups, policymakers, and individuals the hard data they need to make truly informed decisions.