Natalie Penhale Johnson is an Associate Director on the Training & Capacity Building team at HRiA. In this role, she leads operations for the Gun Violence Prevention Training Center for Excellence (TC4E). In partnership with UTEC, the TC4E provides training, technical assistance, and network-building to grantees across the state who are engaged in gun violence prevention work using a public health, racial equity, and positive youth development approach. Prior to joining HRiA, Natalie worked in sexual health education and research with adolescents in New York City.  Other previous work includes conducting qualitative research on peer leadership in teen dating violence prevention, creating communications strategies for reducing abortion stigma in men, and assisting with research to develop best practice guidelines for parenting transgender children. Natalie is interested in the interplay between youth development, future orientation and risk avoidance. She holds a Master of Public Health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Mount Holyoke College.