Lexie M. Contreras

Lexie M. Contreras, MPH is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Social, Behavioral, and Population Sciences at Tulane University’s Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Her interest in violence prevention is rooted in her experiences growing up in Stockton, California, and a commitment to understanding how place shapes health and safety. Her research focuses on youth firearm injury, with particular attention to the role of built and social environments. Using a mixed-methods approach, her dissertation examines how social support may serve as a protective factor in shaping youth firearm beliefs and behaviors.