UC Berkeley's Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Program

08/16/2024

2024 Summer News from UCB MCAH -

Save the date for our annual Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health (MCAH) Alumni Networking & Community Building Event this fall:

04/04/2024

Birth By Us is a pregnancy & postpartum app that empowers Black mothers and birthing people to shape their own birthing experience while giving providers the insights and data to best support their birth. As it is co-founded by one of our alumni, Ijeoma Uche (MPH '23), we hope that our community can tap in to support them by voting at https://www.nba.com/kings/capitalizetech! 💞

03/15/2024

BIG THANKS -

Angie Zhao is a senior undergraduate student majoring in Public Health and double minoring in Global Poverty & Practice and Clinical & Counseling Psychology at UC Berkeley. Currently, she is a research intern at Kaiser Permanente, working on lifestyle medicine among medical professional populations,...

03/14/2024

Support MCAH students in doing their best work by donating to the UC Berkeley Special Fund! 🌟

ends 9 pm PST tonight! Donate any amount, big or small, at this link: http://tinyurl.com/mcah-biggive24 🤗

03/14/2024

Happening Now - Give Big to Support Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health -

Your gift will provide direct support to students including various events, trainings, and resources for MCAH students throughout the academic year.

03/13/2024

Starting Today at 9pm - Give Big to Support Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health -

Your gift will provide direct support to students including various events, trainings, and resources for MCAH students throughout the academic year.

12/14/2023

Hello MCAH Community,

As we know from research, Black birthing people are more likely to experience health complications during both the pregnancy and postpartum periods. A UC Berkeley doctoral student is currently seeking Black study participants from LA county to better understand their needs and desired innovations during these periods. The overall goal of the research is to contribute to improved health outcomes for Black birthing people within CA.

Study participants must meet four eligibility requirements:
(1) Black/African American
(2) 18 years or older
(3) Currently 1 week to 1 year post-delivery
(4) Reside in California

Eligible candidates who complete a one-hour virtual interview will receive $40 compensation. Eligible candidates may indicate their interest to participate here: https://tinyurl.com/postpartum-care

11/30/2023

Hello MCAH Community,

We'd like to bring your attention to a meaningful research study on maternal and child health, examining the effects of COVID-19 on working conditions for new moms in the retail and food service industries.

A PhD student is currently seeking participants—moms who gave birth in the US in 2022 and work in retail or hospitality. The study involves one-hour online interviews and participants will receive a $30 Amazon gift card.

Your support in sharing the online recruitment flyer would be highly appreciated. This research aims to shed light on how working conditions in these industries impact infant and maternal health. The more individuals reached, the more impactful the findings will be.

10/19/2023

The Maternal and Child Health Community Engaged Learning Lab (MCH CELL) for Community-Partnered Teaching presents:

“The Art of Evaluation: Building, Bridging and Broadening Program Impact through Community Engaged Courses."
Thurs. November 2, 2023 from 11:00 AM-1:00 PM (PT) / 2:00-4:00 PM (ET)

Workshop three of the MCH CELL for Community-Partnered Teaching will highlight a graduate-level public health program evaluation course at UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health. It will include an overview of the program evaluation course, the collaborative assignment, and the value of community-partnered evaluation courses for both students and public health organizations. For the first part of the session, there will be a recorded presentation. While the second part will be a group discussion to learn from one another on how others have engaged in similar partnerships and courses, including challenges and ways to overcome them.

Presenters:
* Julianna Deardorff, PhD – Associate Professor, UC Berkeley School of Public Health
* Kelechi Uwaezuoke, DrPH, MPH - Assistant Director for Diversity Inclusion and Community Partnerships, SF BUILD at San Francisco State University

REGISTER: https://georgetown.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAtdOqtrDosEt1c4pLX1lZawqm4-J1w_Sz7 #/registration

For participants who require closed captioning, automatically-generated captions will be available in: Chinese (Simplified; Beta), Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese (Beta), Korean (Beta), Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Ukrainian. Full viewing of the transcript is available through the in-meeting side panel and participants can also save fully closed captions/transcripts.

Questions? Contact Jessica Ross at [email protected]

This collaborative workshop series is supported by MCH Navigator, the Association of Teachers of Maternal & Child Health (ATMCH)'s Innovative Teaching Award, and HRSA's MCHB Centers of Excellence and Public Health Catalyst Programs.

02/08/2023

Are you subscribed to the MCAH quarterly newsletter? Get the latest news, research, and announcements from UC Berkeley faculty, students and alumni by subscribing here if you are not already: https://berkeley.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=08afa2c3b9beb84142ab9f115&id=5ec074532e

Be on the lookout for our winter issue, coming soon.

Center of Excellence in Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Email Forms

01/04/2023

New in the Journal of Adolescent Health! Epidemiology PhD student Julia Acker and colleagues at Kaiser Permanente Division of Research NorCal, UC Berkeley School of Public Health, and UCSF's Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics link with earlier , a predictor of women's lifelong health. https://t.co/XwwN9OyQz3

12/08/2022

California Focus Group Opportunity❗🚨

Family Voices of California is interested in learning from people of color who live in low income households and are either pregnant or parents of young children to help inform a new 10-year child and family initiative philanthropic initiative.

The focus group will be 90 minutes long on Zoom either in the late afternoon on Saturday, December 17 or Sunday, December 18.

Participants will receive $175 (via check, direct deposit, or gift card) as a contribution for their time.

Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/gCxCbCXw

For questions, reach out to [email protected] or [email protected].

10/27/2022

We're just a couple days away from "Reconnecting Through MCAH Community" this Saturday, October 29th from 11am-1pm. It's not too late to buy a ticket and/or sponsor a current student. We hope to see you there! 😎

Join other UC Berkeley Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health (MCAH) alumni and current MCAH MPH students in reconnecting through community.

10/27/2022

2nd year Berkeley MPH MCAH students Mariah Jiles, Ijeoma Uche, and Gabriela Gonzalez each shared a reflection of their summer internship experiences on The Wallace Center website. Find their individual posts below:

Mariah Jiles: "I am deeply grateful for my time spent with the SHARE program this past summer, and the opportunity to work with this amazing team coming into the academic year. The mentorship, guidance and support I continue to receive from the team has made this an invaluable experience."
Mariah's post: https://lnkd.in/gFpfxc76

Ijeoma Uche: "This summer has been the most rewarding experience I have ever had as a student! Birth By Us went from a strong idea and wireframes to an executed plan for a viable product that addresses the specific needs of Black women and providers along with a strategy for funding, monetization, and business survival."
Ijeoma's post: https://lnkd.in/gERXheNN

Gabriela Gonzalez: "As someone interested in increasing access to community doulas, it was great to learn more about what doulas do, how to support and elevate doulas, and barriers mamas face in accessing their services."
Gabriela's post: https://lnkd.in/gdwdS-Kk

10/13/2022

What does self-managed abortion (SMA) look like in the digital age and post-Roe world? Join us via Zoom on October 20th @ 1pm PT to learn from the experts in health policy, health communication, and law as they discuss cutting-edge issues in state privacy and criminal law for SMA. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/CoEspeakerseries1

10/11/2022

Don’t forget! On October 19th MCH-NN will be hosting “Exploring Childhood Trauma and Disabilities with Dr. Catherine Corr” at 8PM EST / 7PM CST

Be sure to register today! Link in the bio

10/04/2022

Join the UC Berkeley Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health (MCAH) Program for an exciting event centered in strengthening our community by reuniting former MCAH students!

Our goal is to create a space where we can come together to reconnect with our MCAH colleagues, mentors, and friends who have been navigating work and personal life during a global pandemic and significant political changes. Enjoy a small-plate brunch as we gather outside on the new 5th floor terrace of the School of Public Health’s state-of-the-art building. Let’s enjoy food in community and reestablish our MCAH networks in-person.

Don't miss this opportunity--limited tickets available! Find tickets here: https://lnkd.in/g_rmAi-U

Whether you plan to attend the 2022 MCAH Alumni Event in person or if you are not available to attend this year, we invite our MCAH community to donate to support current MCAH students to attend the event. This can be done using the Eventbrite link shared above.

We hope to see you October 29th!

07/29/2022

Congratulations Professors Julianna Deardorff and Andres Cardenas 🙌 Check out the article below to learn more about their newly funded research ⬇️

UC Berkeley School of Public Health professors Julianna Deardorff and Andres Cardenas have been awarded a five-year, $2.7 million grant to study the impact of adverse childhood experiences on the […]

06/24/2022

Berkeley Public Health: This morning, Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court of the United States. We asked five experts in ethics, health technology and women's health at Berkeley Public Health to comment on the impact of the decision on women's health across the country, and the role of public health in preserving abortion access in America.
Here are their thoughts. http://ow.ly/J8jU50JGNZG

We asked experts at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health to comment on the immediate and long-term ramifications of this decision.

05/11/2022

In honor of National Women's Health Week, let's talk about how abortion is a healthcare issue. The recent news to overturn Roe v. Wade per the Supreme Court leak is a threat to reproductive care especially among communities of color, low-income groups, and the trans community. Abortion is a safe and common medical procedure. It becomes unsafe when performed under hazardous conditions and by someone lacking proper training. Unsafe abortions are one of the leading causes of maternal death and morbidity. This is preventable with accessible abortion care. Imposing these restrictions are not based on medical evidence, and instead are a threat to one's health and safety.

Check out these sources featuring our very own faculty from UC Berkeley:

➤ Challenging abortion disinformation online https://www.dailycal.org/2021/02/09/challenging-abortion-disinformation-online/

➤ Berkeley Law professor Khiara M. Bridges: ‘The past will be present when Roe falls’ https://news.berkeley.edu/2022/03/04/podcast-khiara-bridges-reproductive-justice/

04/29/2022

Congratulations to the UCB MCAH Class of 2022 on completing their capstones! 🥳 All 12 MPH candidates presented their research projects and we are all so proud of them and their amazing work! View their project titles below.

03/24/2022

Hello MCAH Community,

We have received communication from alumni that people are concerned with gathering in-person due to COVID-19. In an effort to be inclusive we will be postponing this event until next fall. We are disappointed and we know you are too.

For those who purchased a ticket or donated to support a current student, you will receive a full refund (ticket/donation + Eventbrite fee).

Please let us know if you have any questions and we hope to see you in the fall!

Sincerely,
Julie Deardorff
Associate Professor
Program Head of the MCAH Program
Director of the Center of Excellence in MCAH

03/18/2022

🚨 𝟑/𝟐𝟒: 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐏𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐃 - The MCAH Alumni Networking Brunch has been postponed until the Fall. We hope that you can join us then!

📣 UC Berkeley’s Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health (MCAH) program is hosting an alumni networking brunch centered on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB). Come join us on Saturday, April 2nd from 11am-2pm in Berkeley Way West! You’ll have the opportunity to network with alumni, current students, and faculty of the MCAH program while enjoying a delicious brunch. Act fast, tickets are limited!

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/MCAHalumnievent

In order to accommodate more students, a donation section has been created at the ticket checkout of the Eventbrite. Funds raised will help cover the ticket fee for current MCAH students who need financial support to attend the event. Any amount is welcome and appreciated!

If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected].

POSTPONED - 2022 MCAH Alumni Networking Brunch

03/18/2022

📣 UC Berkeley’s Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health (MCAH) program is hosting an alumni networking brunch centered on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB). Come join us on Saturday, April 2nd from 11am-2pm in Berkeley Way West! You’ll have the opportunity to network with alumni, current students, and faculty of the MCAH program while enjoying a delicious brunch. Act fast, tickets are limited!

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/MCAHalumnievent

In order to accommodate more students, a donation section has been created at the ticket checkout of the Eventbrite. Funds raised will help cover the ticket fee for current MCAH students who need financial support to attend the event. Any amount is welcome and appreciated!

If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected].

2022 MCAH Alumni Networking Brunch

06/08/2021

MCAH professor Cassondra Marshall's NIH career development grant will allow her to work with a team of mentors on implementing strategies to reduce pregnancy-related risks for Black and Latinx patients of childbearing age with Type 2 diabetes.

“A career development award is really exciting because it allows for early-career researchers to not only conduct research that will really set you up, but it also provides that investment in training. It says this person needs protected time to only do this research and training, not just teaching and being on committees.” Read more: https://www.dailycal.org/2021/06/06/uc-berkeley-professor-cassondra-marshall-wins-national-institutes-of-health-grant/

About two years ago, Cassondra Marshall, UC Berkeley campus assistant professor of public health, began her application for the National Institutes of Health Mentored Research Scientist Career Development Award. Marshall said winning the award May 8 is only the beginning of her journey in research f...

06/04/2021

From the New York Times: MCAH alumna (MPH '06) Lauren Ralph, epidemiologist in reproductive medicine at UCSF, found in a national survey of 7,022 women aged 18 to 45 that 1.4 percent admitted to having tried to terminate a pregnancy without medical assistance. https://nyti.ms/3gaCWvB

Even as abortion is restricted, telemedicine allows some women to end unwanted pregnancies using legal medications.

05/25/2021

MCAH alumna Solaire Spellen, MPH '18, has been selected by the National Women’s Health Network as a 2021 Honoring Emerging Activists in Women’s Health Care awardee. Honors will be presented at their June 9th Spring Virtual Awards, a totally free and open-to-the-public appreciation event.

Solaire Spellen is the Associate Director of the California Preterm Birth Initiative at UCSF. As part of the executive leadership team, she is committed to advancing racial equity and birth justice in partnership with the community.

More info/register for the event: http://ow.ly/MGrn50EVbuP

05/20/2021

The California Health Care Foundation is launching the CHCF Health Equity Fellowship Program to identify, develop, and support emerging Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) leaders who have the capacity to become local and regional catalysts for health equity across California. More info: https://www.chcf.org/program/chcf-health-equity-fellowship-program/

Introducing the California Health Care Foundation Health Equity Fellowship Program To support our vision for health equity for all Californians, CHCF is launching the CHCF Health Equity Fellowship Program. The mission of this program is to identify, develop, and support emerging Black, Indigenous, a...

05/18/2021

Exciting news! Starting in summer 2021, our new grant-funded undergrad program at Berkeley Public Health will train underrepresented students in the field of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health. Read the news: https://publichealth.berkeley.edu/news-media/school-news/new-mcah-program-grant-will-serve-underrepresented-undergrads/

The MCAH Program has been awarded the MCH Leadership, Education, and Advancement in Undergraduate Pathways (LEAP) Training Program grant.