We’re pioneering a new strategy to reduce gun violence: educating America’s youth.

We believe pediatric gun violence is a preventable public health crisis.

The PLEDGE program was developed by the Chao Research Lab at the Stanford University School of Medicine to reduce firearm injury through school-based education.

This research lab supports the translation of scientific discoveries into practical applications. It studies injury prevention, pediatric trauma, and pediatric surgery. The primary research focuses on studying the societal and economic burden of pediatric trauma and trauma prevention, with a focus on firearm injuries and child abuse.

Our unique approach to reducing firearm injuries relies on inputs from students, parents, teachers, school officers, law enforcement, psychologists, pediatricians, and behavioral scientists.

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Meet the Team

  • Stephanie Chao, MD

    FOUNDER, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, SURGERY

  • Nathan Christensen

    MANAGING DIRECTOR

  • Vivien Sun, MD

    CLINICAL ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, PEDIATRICS

  • Suzame Tong

    MARKETING DIRECTOR

  • Samrawit Gebregziabher

    PROGRAM MANAGER

  • Elena Harnish

    CLINICAL RESEARCH COORDINATOR

  • Helene Nepomuceno, MD

    FELLOW

  • Hahn Nguyen

    FELLOW

  • Pamela Emengo, MD

    FELLOW

  • Carly Celebrezze, MD

    FELLOW

  • Enrique Herrera Castaneda

    UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT

Strategic Advisors

  • Arden Morris, MD, MPH

    PROFESSOR, SURGERY

  • Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, PhD

    PROFESSOR, PEDIATRICS

  • Denise Pope, PhD

    SENIOR LECTURER IN EDUCATION

Recognition & Press Coverage

  • Dr. Stephanie Chao was honored as a 2024 Presidential Leadership Scholar, a prestigious program developed in partnership with the presidential centers of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson.  This program brings together a diverse group of leaders to collaborate on addressing significant national and global challenges. Dr. Chao’s selection recognizes her commitment to reducing gun violence among youth through her P.L.E.D.G.E. Campaign, an educational initiative aimed at promoting firearm safety and mental health awareness in schools. Read more here.

  • On February 10, 2025, the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics published the following research letter produced by the PLEDGE team: Victim-Shooter Relationships in Mass Shootings Involving Child Victims

  • On March 26, 2025, Contemporary Pediatrics published a news article featuring Dr. Chao and her recent research that highlights a strong connection between domestic violence and mass shootings involving children, suggesting that homes might be more dangerous than schools. Dr. Chao stresses the importance of implementing policies and interventions focused on domestic settings to help decrease firearm-related deaths among children. Read more here.