Five graduate students in the USF College of Public Health have joined the Maternal and Child Health Leadership Training Program. The program, funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration, provides leadership training in maternal and child health with a focus on cultural competence, family-centered care and interdisciplinary practice.

 

The grant, led by Dr. Martha Coulter, principal investigator, was recently renewed for another five-year term with an added post-doctoral component, led by Dr. Karen Liller.

The program is pleased to welcome the following scholarship recipients from the Department of Community and Family Health:

Maryouri Avendano is an MPH student with a dual concentration in epidemiology and maternal and child health. Avendano is interested in health disparities, particularly in infant mortality and preterm birth rates, and the association between periodontal disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

 

Shana Geary is an MPH student with a dual concentration in epidemiology and maternal and child health. Geary is interested in disease and mortality surveillance, as well as health disparities and infant mortality. She is particularly concerned about how surveillance data can be utilized in addressing infant mortality and related issues. She is also interested in preconception health and women’s reproductive health.

 

Nanah Fofanah is an MPH student with a concentration in maternal and child health. Fofanah’s specific area of focus is women’s health, as well as maternal health with attention to their reproductive health, social determinants of health, gender equality, human rights and policy.

 

Stacey Griner is a PhD student with a concentration in public health. Griner is primarily interested in sexually transmitted infections, unintended pregnancy, contraception and family violence, along with their relationship to other women’s health concerns. She is also concerned about advocacy, program planning, policy level factors and social determinants that influence the health of women and families.

 

Nathanael Stanley is a DrPH student with a concentration in maternal and child health. Stanley’s focus is on the genetics of infertility and social dimensions of assisted reproductive technology. He is also interested in online support communities that focus on infertility and assisted reproductive technology, healthcare ethics, and how the social construction of motherhood has changed over time. He will examine the social and biological effects that infertility has on a mother, such as stress, social stigma and healthcare accessibility.

Related story:
Maternal and Child Health Training Grant renewed with added postdoctoral component