MCH Research Scholars Program

MCH Research Scholars Program

Under the mentorship of the MCH Center faculty, selected scholars will participate in research projects covering a diverse range of timely topics, including environmental health, women's health, and MCH policy. This program not only enhances students' academic and professional experience but also offers a $4,000 stipend.

Under the mentorship of MCH Center faculty member Dr. Nitasha Nagaraj, student Brittany Pierce participated in research projects covering a diverse range of timely topics, including environmental health, women’s health, innovative maternal health interventions, female genital mutilation (FGM), and MCH policy.

Under Dr. Monica Ruiz and Dr. Jordan Kuiper, students Ashley Nkollo and Rebekah Bass were selected to examine how well the existing Restoring Our Own Through Transformation (ROOTT) theory explains disparities in Black maternal and child health in the District of Columbia. They used various publicly available sources, including geo-mapping data, city needs assessments, epidemiological data, and other information that sheds light on the built environments where birthing people and families experiencing disparities live.

Kanika Seth authored a research paper, under the guidance of Dr. Nitasha Nagaraj, examining how communication gaps and cultural value differences between immigrant parents and their college-age daughters relate to mental health outcomes. The study found that higher levels of acculturative family distancing (AFD) were significantly associated with increased depression, anxiety, and self-harm risk, underscoring the importance of family communication and cultural understanding in supporting the mental well-being of young women in this population.

Elizabeth Verhoff was selected to work alongside Dr. Karen McDonnell to develop and pilot a course on the epidemic of Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting (FGM/C) to exist within the preexisting pre-clinical Patients, Populations, and Systems Course of the MD program of George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in order to create recommendations on a nationally based course for FGM/C.

Collaborating with Dr. Anne Markus and Dr. Zoe Beckerman, Nina Lilley was chosen to inventory all of the budgetary, programmatic, and policy cuts enacted by the state legislatures of all 50 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico, which would affect children’s access to essential public health, health care, and social welfare benefits and ultimately their health. The project consists of two phases: (1) collection of new state laws as of Spring 2025 from the websites of state legislatures; and (2) analysis and organization of the content of these laws into themes and tables.