Lauren Magee, PhD, assistant professor of pediatrics at the Indiana University School of Medicine and co-creator of the Indianapolis Nonfatal Shooting Advocacy Program, has been announced as one of the seven new William T. Grant Scholars in the nation. The award provides scholars with $425,000 to develop their research over a five-year period.
“I am honored to be recognized by the foundation for my research aimed at reducing youth firearm injuries and supporting the trauma recovery and social needs of children who survive them,” Magee said.
Magee’s project includes two aims that will use administrative data to examine the impact of the advocate program on behavioral and social outcomes among Black youth ages 12–25 and explore the determinants of implementation of the program among youth shooting victims. In addition to her research, Magee will extend her areas of expertise under the mentorship of Kerri Raissian, MPA, PhD, senior research scientist of firearm injury prevention at the Yale School of Public Health and Matthew Aalsma, PhD, the Jonathan and Jennifer Simmons Professor of Pediatrics at IU School of Medicine.
“These stretch areas will (benefit) this intervention — gun violence prevention —as well as how we can better implement and understand other youth-focused violence prevention interventions,” Magee said in the William T. Grant Foundation news release.
Firearm injuries are the leading cause of death among youth in the United States and Indiana. In Indianapolis, an average of 500 people survive a firearm injury each year, and are left to navigate the physical and psychological impact. In 2020, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) began exploring the idea of a nonfatal shooting support program that would develop community outreach and healing for gun violence survivors. With government funding, IMPD was able to bring in Magee, an expert in public health and criminal justice, as a research partner.
In 2022, Magee, Deputy Chief Kendale Adams and advocate DeAndra Dycus launched the Nonfatal Shooting and Advocacy Support Program with the intent of connecting survivors with resources that would provide opportunities to heal from trauma linked to being shot.
“The ultimate goal is to improve the outcomes for survivors of nonfatal shootings and reduce future harm,”said Magee. “This award will allow us to understand if and how the advocate program is improving outcomes for shooting survivors.”
The advocate program is a key piece of the violence reduction work that has happened over the last five years in Indianapolis.
“The W.T. Grant award will allow us to better understand the individual effects of the program on reinjury and offending,” Magee said.
Initial findings indicate the advocate program has been successful at connecting shooting survivors with needed services, largely focused on housing needs, emotional support, and opportunities to be reconnected with the detective investigating their case, leading to more cases being solved.
“I’ve spoken with many survivors of gun violence who describe the lasting emotional toll of not knowing the status of the person who shot them,” Magee said. "This uncertainty often shapes their daily lives, leaving them to wonder if the person could be sitting next to them on the bus or at a community event.”
Little is known about the association between case clearance and mental health outcomes among survivors of gun violence.
Given the success of the advocate program, Magee’s team has been awarded additional grants and funding from varying entities to examine the program, as well as further explore case solvability.
In November 2025, Magee’s team, which includes Susan Parker, PhD, an assistant research professor at Northwestern University Feinburg School of Medicine, was granted $208,680 from the Fund for a Safer Future. According to the press release, the award was granted to Magee’s team to continue in a mixed-methods study investigating the factors that make nonfatal shootings less likely to be solved. The project will combine law enforcement case files with survivor and investigator interviews to generate recommendations which improve investigations, community trust and safety in heavily impacted communities.
Additionally, at the end of 2025, Magee’s project, “An Advocate Intervention Aimed at Improving Crime, Arrest, and NFS Clearance Rates,” received $354,200 from the Arnold Ventures Criminal Justice Research Grant program. This project uses a randomized controlled encouragement trial to evaluate the impact of a text message aimed at increasing participation in the advocate program for nonfatal shootings on case clearance and repeat victimization. Each of these grants are in partnership with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
Backed by Magee’s team and research, the Building Research Innovation in Neighborhoods after Gun Violence Exposure (BRIDGE Initiative) was developed to create real world solutions to firearm injuries by incorporating community-based interventions and outreach to victims with the intent of reducing the occurrence of firearm trauma.
“Within the BRIDGE Initiative we aim to prevent firearm injuries by broadening screening efforts and implementing evidence-based interventions for children who have witnessed or been affected by firearm violence.” Magee said. “I am deeply grateful to receive these three awards, which will allow my team to continue this vital work supporting children and families affected by the daily trauma of gun violence in our city. This work is only possible due to the strength of my long-standing community partnerships, the guidance of my mentors, and the dedication of our Children's Health Services Research grant team.”
Alongside the William T. Grant Scholar award, Magee’s research awards are a testament to the effectiveness of her research as she continues to make headway in the realm of reducing firearm violence and developing outreach strategies for survivors.
