Dr. Colleen S. Walsh, Ph.D., MS, MS.Ed., is a postdoctoral fellow at Vanderbilt University whose research centers on firearm violence and suicide prevention. She focuses on applying rigorous, community-engaged methods to inform systems-level change, combining advanced quantitative techniques such as mixture modeling with mixed-methods approaches to study youth and adult exposure to violence, firearm ownership, training, and carrying behaviors. Dr. Walsh collaborates closely with Drs. Julie Ward and Krista Mehari on projects examining the implementation and equity of Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs).

Guided by participatory action principles, she integrates quantitative and qualitative methods to develop evidence-based policies that promote equitable violence prevention and reduce firearm-related harm.

Dr. Walsh earned her Ph.D. in developmental psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University. She also holds master’s degrees in psychology and education, reflecting her interdisciplinary training and commitment to bridging psychological science with public health and education.