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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Our Team

Stephanie Chao MD, FACS FAAP

Dr. Stephanie Chao is an Associate Professor and Associate Chair of Professional Development in the Department of Surgery at Stanford University. She also serves as the Trauma Medical Director at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford. Dr. Chao is a practicing pediatric surgeon caring for children from birth until adulthood. Dr. Chao is also the Principal Investigator of the Chao Lab which focuses on translational research to bridge research into prevention, informed by the lessons gained at the bedside. The Chao Lab has active studies in injury prevention and improving pediatric trauma care; the lab has two core focuses 1) improving child abuse detection and 2) reducing firearm injuries in children. Her approach involves implementing educational programs and fostering community-based activism to address the root causes. The lab’s P.L.E.D.G.E. campaign is a school-based curriculum for K-12 children focused on firearm safety, safe storage, and mental health awareness to reduce firearm related injury and death among children. The P.L.E.D.G.E Campaign challenges students to Prevent, Learn, Educate, Deter, Guard against, and Empower each other and their communities to improve gun safety. Dr. Chao firmly believes in the transformative power of education and community engagement. By emphasizing gun safety rather than focusing solely on gun control, she aims to bridge the political divide and promote a comprehensive strategy that protects young all people. For her work in the community, Dr. Chao was selected as one an honoree in the 2024 class of Presidential Leadership Scholars, a unique leadership development program and partnership among the presidential centers of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson. Dr. Chao has also been recognized as a National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC)Bay Area Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Honoree. She received her B.S. in Biological Sciences from Stanford University. She received her M.D. from the University of California San Francisco. This year she was honored as the UCSF Medical Alumni of the Year. She completed her General Surgery Residency training at Stanford, as well as, her Pediatric Surgery Fellowship.

  • 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.