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Joe Sakran, MD, MPH, MPA

@josephsakran.bsky.social

41K followers 320 following 400 posts

Trauma Surgeon @hopkinsmedicine | #GunViolence Survivor | Founder @ThisIsOurLane| Chair of Board and CMO @bradybuzz

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Joe Sakran, MD, MPH, MPA @josephsakran.bsky.social · Nov 16

Hello #BlueSky — Survivor turned Trauma Surgeon here. Working at the intersection of medicine, public health, and public policy. Look forward to connecting!

Here is my Why 👇🏽

He was shot in the throat. Now he saves gun victims as a trauma surgeon in Baltimore

Over the course of a 24-hour shift, Joseph Sakran bears witness to horror after horror. His experiences have driven him to become a national advocate and organizer against gun violence

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Joe Sakran, MD, MPH, MPA

Brady | United Against Gun Violence @bradyunited.org · 1d

Studies show that audiences adopt behaviors and attitudes of their favorite on-screen characters. Hollywood can save lives by modeling secure gun storage.

Big thanks to @hbo.bsky.social for working to #ShowGunSafety! We were proud to meet with them this past year. Learn more at showgunsafety.org.

Emmy Betz, MD, MPH @emmybetz.bsky.social · 8d

HBO's "Task" is a great show...and I especially loved this inclusion of secure gun storage! It's a a quick reference, but it helps normalize an important part of responsibile gun ownership that can save lives at home
@markruffalo.bsky.social
@meganranney.bsky.social

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Reposted by Joe Sakran, MD, MPH, MPA

This Is Our Lane @thisisourlane.org · 1d

Thrilled to join Drs. @docjorich.bsky.social, @josephsakran.bsky.social, @emmybetz.bsky.social, @mikeanestis.bsky.social, and Fabiola Plaza on Oct 14 at 6:30 p.m. ET to discuss the future of firearm safety research. Funding is at risk—learn what’s at stake and how to help.

Register now!

The Future of Firearm Safety Research: CDC & NIH Funding Under Threat

act.bradyunited.org

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Joe Sakran, MD, MPH, MPA @josephsakran.bsky.social · 10d

The SecDef telling our enemies to “FAFO” while addressing U.S. military leaders isn’t strength — it may sound bold, but it risks looking reckless. Real strength is measured, disciplined, and deliberate.

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Reposted by Joe Sakran, MD, MPH, MPA

Governor Wes Moore @govwesmoore.bsky.social · 15d

While the federal government’s mismanagement has caused confusion around vaccine policies, I want to reassure Marylanders: We will continue to follow science-based guidance to keep our people safe and healthy.

Maryland Department of Health @mdhealthdept.bsky.social · 20d

RELEASE: The Maryland Department of Health protects broad vaccine access for Marylanders - makes recommendations rooted in science. State issues guidance for clinicians, consumers and a statewide standing order for COVID-19 vaccines. Learn more: bit.ly/3Kct7jt.

News. Respiratory Vaccine Guidance, COVID-19 Vaccine Standing Order. September 19, 2025. The Maryland Department of Health has issued a standing order to ensure COVID-19 vaccine access. “The Maryland Department of Health is focused on using evidence-based science to make decisions that best serve the people of our state. Research continues to show that vaccines are an effective way to keep our communities healthy,” said Maryland Department of Health Secretary Meena Seshamani, MD, Ph.D.

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Joe Sakran, MD, MPH, MPA @josephsakran.bsky.social · 17d

31 years ago today, I was shot in the throat. I survived, but survival alone isn’t enough. It gave me purpose: to heal, to fight for others, and to push for change.

This @npr.org piece tells part of that journey. #GunViolenceAwareness

A Trauma Surgeon Who Survived Gun Violence Is Taking On The NRA

When Joseph Sakran was 17, he was shot in the throat after a high school football game. That experience inspired him to become a surgeon — and to speak out against gun violence.

www.npr.org

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Joe Sakran, MD, MPH, MPA @josephsakran.bsky.social · 17d

Thank you my friend, grateful to be here!

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Reposted by Joe Sakran, MD, MPH, MPA

Kris Brown | President, @BradyUnited.org @krisbrown.bradyunited.org · 17d

On this day, my friend and our chair @josephsakran.bsky.social was shot in the throat at age 17.

Joe survived against considerable odds, and today, is a leading trauma surgeon and a driving force within our movement.

I am grateful for his life, his leadership, and all that is to come.

A Trauma Surgeon Who Survived Gun Violence Is Taking On The NRA

When Joseph Sakran was 17, he was shot in the throat after a high school football game. That experience inspired him to become a surgeon — and to speak out against gun violence.

www.npr.org

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Reposted by Joe Sakran, MD, MPH, MPA

Joe Sakran, MD, MPH, MPA @josephsakran.bsky.social · 17d

Coffee didn’t cause cancer. Tylenol does not cause autism. Here’s why confounding matters 🧵

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Joe Sakran, MD, MPH, MPA @josephsakran.bsky.social · 17d

8/ Bottom line: Be skeptical of flashy headlines. Look for careful science. And remember — correlation is not causation.

Joe Sakran, MD, MPH, MPA @josephsakran.bsky.social · 17d

7/ Coffee didn’t cause cancer. Smoking did.

Tylenol may not cause autism either — but confounding factors like fever and infection could be driving the association.

We need science, not scare tactics.

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Joe Sakran, MD, MPH, MPA @josephsakran.bsky.social · 17d

6/ The real danger?

◾️ Scaring pregnant people away from the safest fever reducer we have.
◾️Distracting from what actually puts pregnancies at risk.
◾️Eroding trust in science when the story flips later.

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Joe Sakran, MD, MPH, MPA @josephsakran.bsky.social · 17d

5/ Just like coffee and cancer, if you don’t account for the confounders, you get a misleading story.

Association ≠ causation.

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Joe Sakran, MD, MPH, MPA @josephsakran.bsky.social · 17d

4/ Here’s what’s missing: pregnant people take Tylenol because they’re sick—fever, infection, pain.

➡️ But we know fever and infection themselves can increase risk for developmental problems.

Tylenol may just be standing in for those conditions.

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Joe Sakran, MD, MPH, MPA @josephsakran.bsky.social · 17d

3/ Fast forward to today: claims are spreading that Tylenol (acetaminophen) in pregnancy “causes” autism.

Sound familiar?

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Joe Sakran, MD, MPH, MPA @josephsakran.bsky.social · 17d

2/ When researchers controlled for smoking, the “coffee = cancer” link vanished. Coffee wasn’t the villain. Smoking was.

That episode is now a textbook example of how confounding can trick us into thinking correlation equals causation.

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Joe Sakran, MD, MPH, MPA @josephsakran.bsky.social · 17d

1/ In the 1980s, a study suggested coffee caused pancreatic cancer. Headlines ran wild. People panicked.

But here’s the problem: the study didn’t fully account for smoking. Coffee drinkers were also more likely to smoke, and smoking actually was the cancer driver.

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Joe Sakran, MD, MPH, MPA @josephsakran.bsky.social · 17d

Coffee didn’t cause cancer. Tylenol does not cause autism. Here’s why confounding matters 🧵

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Joe Sakran, MD, MPH, MPA @josephsakran.bsky.social · 17d

Let’s be clear: the danger in pregnancy is fever, not Tylenol.

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Joe Sakran, MD, MPH, MPA @josephsakran.bsky.social · 17d

Another day, another RFK Jr. conspiracy. 🚫

This time it’s Tylenol causes autism.
Let’s be clear: there is no credible evidence for this claim. The data are messy, full of confounding, and nowhere near proving causation.

What we do know: untreated fever or pain in pregnancy can be dangerous.

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Joe Sakran, MD, MPH, MPA @josephsakran.bsky.social · 19d

We’re witnessing a full-blown ‘Farmageddon’:

U.S. farmers facing steep costs, fewer buyers, financial ruin. Is this what “America First” looks like? 🌽🚜 #farmageddon #tariffs #FarmCrisis

‘Tidal wave of problems’: With harvest here, Trump’s trade war pushes some US farmers to the brink | CNN Politics

Farmers across the country are issuing increasingly urgent warnings that they’ll face grim consequences if they don’t get help selling this year’s bumper crop that many have begun harvesting.

www.cnn.com

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Reposted by Joe Sakran, MD, MPH, MPA

This Is Our Lane @thisisourlane.org · Aug 23

For decades, the CDC has been a backbone of gun violence research. Now sweeping cuts are gutting that work—layoffs, slashed budgets, even the dismantling of the injury prevention team and its vital data.

This research informs laws, prevention, & care nationwide.

CDC Data Is Helping Combat Gun Violence. But It’s at Risk of Disappearing.

As the Trump administration pushes deep cuts to the CDC, we’ve compiled 10 examples of how the agency’s gun violence work has shaped policy and prevention.

www.thetrace.org

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Joe Sakran, MD, MPH, MPA @josephsakran.bsky.social · 22d

Thank you my friend 🙏🏽

Reposted by Joe Sakran, MD, MPH, MPA

This Is Our Lane @thisisourlane.org · 23d

Join us tomorrow, Sept 18 at 6 PM, for Firearm Safety & Dementia: Protecting Loved Ones. Learn practical ways to keep older adults safe. Providers, caregivers, and family welcome.

Reserve your spot now: alz-org.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

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Reposted by Joe Sakran, MD, MPH, MPA

Brady | United Against Gun Violence @bradyunited.org · 22d

We are witnessing a deadly pattern of assassinations by firearm, including the recent murder of Charlie Kirk.

As a trauma surgeon in Baltimore and gun violence survivor, Brady’s @josephsakran.bsky.social joined Boris Sanchez on @cnn.com to share the danger of normalizing political violence.

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Reposted by Joe Sakran, MD, MPH, MPA

This Is Our Lane @thisisourlane.org · 23d

This piece by Dr. Mara Gordon reminds us that fear of violence is real for healthcare workers.

Physicians, nurses, and staff face workplace violence at rates higher than law enforcement, and many providers are also at risk for firearm suicide.

When the doctor fears the patient

And how it degrades the relationship for all of us

substack.com

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