Charles Branas, PhD is the Chair of the Department of Epidemiology at Columbia University's School of Public Health and a CIRP Associate Fellow. Dr. Branas has conducted research that extends from urban and rural areas in the US to communities across the globe, incorporating place-based interventions and human geography. He has led win-win science that generates new knowledge while simultaneously creating positive, real-world changes and providing health-enhancing resources for local communities.

His pioneering work on geographic access to medical care has changed the healthcare landscape, leading to the designation of new hospitals and a series of national scientific replications in the US and other countries for many conditions: trauma, cancer, stroke, etc. His research on the geography and factors underpinning gun violence has been cited by landmark Supreme Court decisions, Congress the the NIH Director. With community partners, Dr. Branas led the first city-wide and randomized controlled trials to transform vacant lots and abandoned buildings as sustainable  solutions to improving heath and safety, including reductions in gun violence.