Daniel Semenza, PhD (he/him/his)

Daniel Semenza, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Urban-Global Public Health at the Rutgers School of Public Health. He is also the director of research at the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center. 

Dr. Semenza is the current treasurer for the Research Society for the Prevention of Firearm-Related Harm. 

Dr. Semenza earned his Ph.D. in sociology at Emory University in 2018, specializing in criminology and the sociology of health and illness. He has published more than 150 peer-reviewed papers in journals across fields, including criminology, public health, sociology, and medicine. His first book, The Toll It Takes: Gun Violence and America’s Hidden Public Health Crisis, will be released with Princeton University Press in February 2027.

Dr. Semenza's research examines (1) the causes and consequences of gun violence and (2) the connections between health, criminal justice exposure, and violent victimization. The study of health disparities and inequality are central across both areas of research.