Maternal Child Health
Our Maternal Child Health Research aligns with the life course perspective: Pregnancy and maternal health contribute to later life health and disease for both the pregnant person and child. PHS faculty focus on a variety of determinants, inequities and outcomes related to pregnancy and early childhood, both domestically and internationally.
Program Faculty:
Robert Block, MD, MPH
Co-investigator for 2 NIH-sponsored R01 projects that focus on MCH.
Ann Dozier, PhD, FAAN
Research focuses on breastfeeding programs; birth outcomes including maternal morbidity and mortality; evaluation of MCH programs.
Diana Fernandez, MD, MPH, PhD
Pregnancy related weight gain
Todd A. Jusko, MS, PhD
Immunotoxicity of early-life environmental exposures such as PCBs, PFAS, and metals. Neurodevelopmental consequences of lead exposure.
Prenatal exposures to endocrine disrupting chemicals and measures of social connectedness. Immune development: infant to early childhood.
Focus is on the law as a social determinant of health, and also on legal research methodology (from a “policymaking” perspective). My specialty is Medicaid for mothers, children and adolescents, as well as other MCH policies and programs such as lead poisoning testing, immunizations, family planning etc.
Air pollution exposure during pregnancy, fetal growth, and biomarkers of placental development, inflammation and oxidative stress, and metabolic deficiency
Air pollution exposure and triggering of acute cardiorespiratory events, and changes in cardiorespiratory biomarkers
Accountability studies examining effectiveness of local, regional, and national air quality policies
Neurotoxicity of toxic metals and biomarkers of potential mechanisms.
Genetic, nutritional, and sociodemographic modifiers of environmental toxicity.
Impact of a fish diet on health and development across the life span.