Donna Cohen, Ph.D.

The Violence and Injury Prevention (VIP) Program is a multi-dimensional program developed to meet the needs of several groups impacted by homicide-suicide.

The program has grown out of the research of Dr. Donna Cohen and her colleagues, whose work in this area has brought the trauma of homicide-suicide to national attention. Dr. Cohen's research team includes Dr. Carl Eisdorfer and Dr. Maria Llorente at the University of Miami. Other collaborators include Medical Examiners and Directors of Operations in Florida's Medical Examiner Districts, as well as law enforcement officers throughout the state.

Dr. Cohen, head of the VIP Program, is a professor in the Department of Aging and Mental Health, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute at the University of South Florida. She is the leading authority on homicide-suicide in older persons and has written many books, articles and essays.

The VIP program provides a medium for continued research that will improve our ability to detect, intervene, and prevent suicide, homicide-suicide, and homicide in older persons.

As a result of the activities of the VIP program, resources are being developed and implemented which will aid forensic examiners, law-enforcement, medical and health professionals, and family survivors to deal with homicide-suicde in all age groups.

The VIP web-site is part of those efforts and is designed to make current research and resources accessible and available.