Stephen W. Hargarten

Stephen W. Hargarten, MD, MPH is a Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin, where he also serves as Associate Dean for Global Health. He is a member of the Center for Advancing Population Science (CAPS), the Comprehensive Injury Center, and the Neuroscience Research Center. Dr. Hargarten directs the Injury Research Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin and has held numerous leadership positions including Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine from 1997-2010.

Dr. Hargarten's research focuses on firearm injury prevention, violence prevention, and injury control, with significant contributions to understanding suicide prevention, motor vehicle safety, and travel medicine. His work bridges emergency medicine and public health, emphasizing the role of emergency departments as sentinel sites for injury surveillance. He has published over 139 articles, with recent work focusing on racial disparities in violence, youth firearm carriage, and innovative approaches to opioid overdose prediction.

His research has been supported by major funding sources including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with an Injury Research Center grant totaling over $4.4 million, and the Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program for violence prevention initiatives. Dr. Hargarten has been a pioneer in developing firearm injury surveillance systems and advocating for evidence-based firearm policies, contributing to the foundation for renewed federal funding for firearm injury research.

• Rookie of the Year Award, Emergency Medicine Residents, Medical College of Wisconsin
• Physician of the Year, State Medical Society - Wisconsin
• Public Citizen of the Year, National Association of Social Workers - Wisconsin Chapter
• President's Award, Milwaukee Academy of Medicine
• Johns Hopkins Scholar
• Multiple Outstanding Medical Student Teacher awards

Dr. Hargarten has held significant leadership roles including President of the National Association of Injury Control Research Centers, President of the Association of Academic Chairs of Emergency Medicine, and President of the Society for Advancement of Violence and Injury Research. He has been instrumental in integrating injury prevention into medical education and advocating for a public health approach to emergency medicine that addresses the root causes of injury and illness.