David Studdert, a professor of health policy and of law, was elected to the National Academy of Medicine on Monday for his major contributions to our understanding of the causes of medical injury, tort litigation, and firearm violence.

Studdert, LLB, ScD, MPH, who also serves as the university’s vice provost and dean of research, was among 100 members elected to the academy, one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine. In a news release, the academy cited Studdert for “illuminating the relationship between gun ownership and increased mortality risk.”

Studdert and his research team launched the LongSHOT cohort study in 2018. The study follows more than 30 million adults in California over decades to explore the risks associated with the presence of firearms in the home.  No previous studies of firearm violence have been conducted at this scale. A 2020 analysis of the cohort found that men who purchased handguns for the first time were more than eight times more likely than men who did not own handguns to die by firearm suicide in the ensuing years.  A second analysis published in 2022 found that people who lived with handgun owners were three times more likely to die by homicide at home, compared with neighbors living in gun free homes, and the vast majority of these victims were women.

The Academy also cited Studdert’s “landmark studies of medical injury and malpractice litigation,” and the deep influence this research has had on tort reform.

“Injuries are one of the world’s leading causes of death and disability,” said Studdert. “But they get comparatively little attention, and so much remains unknown about their underlying causes and what works to prevent them. In the U.S., this is especially true for gun-related injury, which will take the lives of more than 40,000 Americans this year.”

The other Stanford faculty member elected to the academy was Konstantina M. Stankovic, MD, PhD, FACS, chair of the department of otolaryngology at Stanford Medicine. She was nominated for her contributions to understanding causes of and treatments for hearing loss, which affects 1.5 billion people worldwide. Stankovic has led national and international collaborations to develop and deploy novel molecular diagnostics and therapeutics for hearing loss, and for educating tomorrow’s leaders in surgery and science.

The National Academy of Medicine now has more than 2,400 members who in turn elect new members through a process that recognizes individuals who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care, and public health. 

“It’s so encouraging to see the academy recognizing David for this groundbreaking body of research,” said Doug Owens, MD, chair of the Department of Health Policy. “Gun violence in this country is a public health epidemic and David’s work further highlights the efforts our faculty are making to improve the health of Americans."