Jayna Moceri-Brooks

Faculty

Moceri-Brooks Headshot

Jayna Moceri-Brooks

PhD RN FAAN

1 212 998 9002

433 First Ave
New York, NY 10010
United States

Jayna Moceri-Brooks, PhD, RN, is a Clinical Assistant Professor. Her research focuses on firearm injury prevention, combat-related traumatic brain injuries, and risk factors for suicidal thoughts and behaviors among service members and Veterans, with a particular focus on military culture. Findings from her research have shaped federal policies aimed at reforming the care and recognition of service members with traumatic brain injuries.

Prof. Moceri-Brooks is a member of the Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium at the Rockefeller Institute of Government and serves on the community advisory board of the Harvard/Massachusetts General ReBlast research team. She has also maintained her practice as an Emergency Nurse for over 16 years.

Moceri-Brooks is currently engaged in research projects that examine factors influencing firearm storage practices among Veterans. She also continues to collaborate with members of Congress on policies related to blast overpressure injuries and firearm injury prevention within the military.

Prior to joining the faculty at NYU Meyers, Moceri-Brooks was a post-doctoral fellow at the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center at Rutgers University where she focused on firearm injury prevention among civilian and military populations and worked across a portfolio of Department of Defense-funded suicide prevention research projects.

PHD, Duquesne University
MN, University of Washington
BSN, Seattle Pacific University
Phi Kappa Phi
Sigma Theta Tau
Transcultural Nursing Society
Society for Prevention Research
The Society of Federal Health Professionals (AMSUS)
American Nurses Association
NYU Meyers Dean's Excellence in Policy Advocacy Award (2025)
Duquesne University’s Distinguished Dissertation Honorable Mention Award (2024)
Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society (2021)
Order of Saint Joan D’Arc (2020)
Order of the Family Spur, Fort Cavazos, TX (2020)
Soldier Family Readiness Group (SFRG) Awards for Volunteer Work (2007) (2008) (2012) (2019) (2020)
Duquesne School of Nursing PhD Scholarship (2019)
SFRG Distinguished Service Award, Fort Cavazos, TX (2019)
SFRG Volunteer of the Month, Fort Cavazos, TX (2019)
Daisy Award for Excellence in Patient Care Delivery (2012)

The Purple Heart and suicide risk in Post-9/11 U.S. Army Combat Veterans with a traumatic brain injury: A mixed methods study

Moceri-Brooks, J., Moceri-Brooks, J., Garand, L., Sekula, L. K. K., Zoucha, R., & Joiner, T. (2024). In Military psychology : the official journal of the Division of Military Psychology, American Psychological Association (Vols. 36, Issues 4, pp. 443-455).
Abstract
Abstract
Active service members and Veterans with a combat-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) are four times more likely to attempt suicide than those without a TBI. TBIs are the signature injuries of the Post-9/11 conflicts and Combat Veterans (i.e., current and former service members who deployed in support of a combat mission) with these injuries are entitled to receive the Purple Heart medal. However, potentially tens of thousands of Combat Veterans did not receive, or were denied the Purple Heart during the first decade of the Global War on Terrorism because a TBI was not documented during the deployment. To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the meaning of the Purple Heart and examine the impact of the Purple Heart on Army Combat Veterans with a combat-related TBI. Findings from this mixed methods study revealed that not receiving the Purple Heart is associated with increased suicide risk and lower quality of life after a brain injury. Additionally, thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and perceived military institutional betrayal are associated with increased suicide risk in Army Combat Veterans with a TBI. This mixed methods study provides important insights into how Army culture is perceived and the power of the Purple Heart among this high-risk group of Combat Veterans.

US Residents' Recognition of Proper Use of Firearm Cable Locks

Moceri-Brooks, J., Bandel, S. L., Moceri-Brooks, J., Bond, A. E., Semenza, D., & Anestis, M. D. (2024). In JAMA network open (Vols. 7, Issues 6, p. e2415064).
Abstract
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Veterans’ perspectives on firearm storage in and out of the home as it relates to suicide risk: Findings from a  nationally representative survey

Moceri-Brooks, J., Paruk, J., Bond, A. E., Bandel, S. L., & Anestis, M. D. (2024).
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Assessment of Firearm Storage Practices in the US, 2022

Moceri-Brooks, J., Anestis, M. D., Moceri-Brooks, J., Johnson, R. L., Bryan, C. J., Stanley, I. H., Buck-Atkinson, J. T., Baker, J. C., & Betz, M. E. (2023). In JAMA network open (Vols. 6, Issues 3, p. e231447).
Abstract
Abstract
Secure firearm storage may help reduce firearm injury and death. Broad implementation requires more granular assessments of firearm storage practices and greater clarity on circumstances that may prevent or promote the use of locking devices.

Determining who healthcare providers screen for firearm access in the United States

Moceri-Brooks, J., Bond, A. E., Moceri-Brooks, J., Rodriguez, T. R., Semenza, D., & Anestis, M. D. (2023). In Preventive medicine (Vols. 169, p. 107476).
Abstract
Abstract
Healthcare providers are well positioned to screen for firearm access to reduce risk of suicides, yet there is a limited understanding of how often and for whom firearm access screening occurs. The present study examined the extent to which providers screen for firearm access and sought to identify who has been screened in the past. The representative sample included 3510 residents from five US states who reported whether they have been asked about their access to firearms by a healthcare provider. The findings demonstrate that most participants have never been asked by a provider about firearm access. People who have been asked were more likely to be White, male, and firearm owners. Those with children under 17 years old in the home, that have been in mental health treatment, and report a history of suicidal ideation were more likely to be screened for firearm access. Although there are interventions for mitigating firearm related risks in healthcare settings, many providers may be missing the opportunity to implement these because they do not ask about firearm access.

Is there trafficking in your neighborhood?

Donley, R., & Moceri-Brooks, J. (2023). In Human trafficking: A global health emergency: Perspectives from nursing, criminal justice, and the social sciences (1st ed., pp. 83-90). Springer.
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America is fighting a shadow war against military suicide. New programs could help

Klein, S., & Moceri-Brooks, J. Men’s Health.

The military's "uniquely invisible" injuries

Harrison, R., & Moceri-Brooks, J.

Purple Heart May Protect Against Suicide

Moceri-Brooks, J.

Reducing TBI stigma in the Army requires a systemic overhaul of the promotion process. 

Moceri-Brooks, J., Rocklein, K., & Larkin, F.