iMCH Learning Lab

The "I" is for Innovation.

“How can we make research as interesting for our students as is it for us?”

This is the question that MCH faculty continually ask themselves. And this was the motivation behind the creation of the iMCH Learning Lab. At our Center, we want students to have opportunities to participate in research projects that address current issues of importance in MCH and public health.

The GW Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health is a hub of research activity, conducted by both faculty and students.

Past projects include:

Part of a nationwide effort to collect data about wearing of facial masks. Officially called the Systematic Observation of Mask Adherence and Distancing (SOMAD), it was led by Dr. Deborah Cohen with Kaiser Permanente Research in Pasadena, CA. Our own Dr. Monica Ruiz had worked previously with Dr. Cohen and thus was able to bring this innovative and timely research project to our MCH students. Dr. Ruiz mentored 8 students who collected data twice weekly through on-site observations at a variety of community-based locations in the Washington, D.C. area. The project resulted in a published paper you can find here, and another article is currently under review. The amazing contributions of the SOMAD citizen scientists were also highlighted in GW Today and the GWSPH Press.

The center conducted a study to guide DFC’s new D.C. Maternal Health Fund which will support new/existing programs that address maternal health in D.C. The research study included clinic/CBO surveys; qualitative interviews with providers; focus groups with women; and a quantitative survey of women. Students worked on various aspects of this comprehensive study including literature reviews, analysis and presentation of existing maternal health data/indicators, developing study instruments/tools, data collection, and data analysis (qualitative and quantitative).

This project described 24-hour movement behaviors among pregnant women, involving literature reviews, chart reviews, submission of IRB, and primary data collection. Students were responsible for 1) examining differences in objective vs. self-report measures of behavior, 2) identifying demographic, socioeconomic and health predictors of guideline adherence, 3) examining maternal outcomes (e.g., gestational diabetes, plasma glucose) and/or neonatal outcomes, and 4) testing relationships between chronotype and movement behaviors.

Faculty mentor: Dr. Karen McDonnell

RAFT improves the level of care for sexual and domestic violence survivors by supporting advocates and organizations in building resilience to compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, and preventing burnout. Creating awareness of domestic and sexual violence is pivotal to ending it. Supporting survivors in rebuilding their lives, including men and boys in the conversation, and working with abusers are all necessary pieces of the puzzle. But the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of the advocate supporting the survivor must also be addressed. RAFT trains workers of sexual and domestic violence organizations to practice various scientifically-backed life management techniques, in order to better manage the pressures often associated with their line of work. A team of students will work on designing a logic model, evaluation plan, and conducting an evaluation of the program (using existing data, surveys, and qualitative methods ie. focus groups and interviews)

Faculty mentor: Dr. Monica Ruiz, Co-Director for Practice

Dr. Monica Ruiz and the GW MCH Program have had a long and fruitful relationship with Beacon House, an outstanding community-based organization that serves the needs of families, children and adolescents in the Edgewood neighborhood of Northeast Washington, D.C. The mission of Beacon House is to “provide a safe and nurturing community for children who come from economically disadvantaged families and help them improve their academics, discover their talents, and grow into healthy adults who achieve their greatest potential.”

The Building Resilient Youth through Connection and Empowerment (BRYCE) project is being conducted in partnership with our community partners at Beacon House to address opportunities that have been identified to improve the mental health and socio-emotional wellness among its youth population. “With this project, which is based on the excellent foundational work done by one of our MCH students during her Practicum, our MCH students will work in collaboration with the Beacon House team to develop a multi-tiered approach to improving organizational capacity to address youth mental health needs, including a staff training curriculum and programmatic activities for young people,” said Dr. Ruiz. “The various components of the BRYCE program will be pilot tested and evaluated in order to assess feasibility, cultural competence, effectiveness, and replicability. It is hoped that the program developed through this collaboration will be something that can not only be institutionalized and sustained at Beacon House, but also shared with other community organizations interested in addressing youth mental health issues and building youth resilience.”

South Asian American Women’s Health

Faculty Mentors: Dr. Amita Vyas & Dr. Nitasha Nagaraj

South Asian Americans are one of the fastest-growing populations in the U.S., yet data on the health and well-being of this immigrant and minority group remains limited. Previous research has shown that South Asian American women express significant concern about developing diabetes. Yet, many continue to follow cultural dietary practices that increase diabetes risk, coupled with low levels of physical activity. Additionally, recent studies highlight a rising prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) among South Asian American women, particularly those of Indian descent. Moreover, over 20% of South Asian women in the U.S. have reported experiencing violence in both childhood and adulthood. While chronic disease and violence have been studied separately in this population, the connection between these issues remains unexplored.

To address these gaps, this ongoing project will focus on two primary activities:

Investigate the relationship between physical health outcomes and mental health among South Asian American women: This involves both quantitative and qualitative methods, targeting adult women (18 and older) living in the U.S. who identify as South Asian.
Design and assess an intervention for South Asian American women: Building on previous work in this area, the team will review current best practices, develop an intervention tailored to the needs of South Asian American women, and gather qualitative feedback to refine the intervention components through focus groups and interviews.

Practice Fellowship Opportunities

Faculty mentor: Dr. Nitasha Nagaraj

The GW Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health Practice Fellowship is a competitive opportunity to support a few MCH students complete an internship (and optionally, their practicum) with our community partners. Applications typically go out at the end of the fall semester and fellowships are awarded for the spring semester. Read more here.

Other Research Opportunities

Over the course of the academic year, faculty members may advertise the availability of Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) positions. Students can apply and compete for opportunities to work with faculty members on one of their funded research studies. These positions are paid on an hourly basis and do not come with tuition assistance.

Student-Faculty Publications

Many students have the opportunities to publish their CEs with their advising professors. Check out some of our most recent from our program!

Laura Tiffany, Caitlin P. Bailey, Amita Vyas, Melissa A. Napolitano (2023). Do provider communication, race, or other demographic factors predict women’s perceptions of ideal gestational weight gain? Under Review (Maternal and Child Health Journal).
Monica Ruiz, Mercedes McMahon, Hannah Latif, Amita Vyas (2023). Masking and distancing in the District: A systematic Observational study of Adherence to COVID-19 Preventive Practices (SOMAD@GW). Under Review (Preventive Medicine Reports).
Monica Ruiz, Mercedes McMahon, Hannah Latif, Amita Vyas (2023). Maintaining Adherence to COVID-19 Preventive Practices and Policies: A Systematic Observational Study of Masking and Distancing in the District of Columbia and Other US States [published online ahead of print, 2023 Mar 7]. JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2023;10.2196/40138. doi:10.2196/40138
Elizabeth Cassidy, Caitlin P. Bailey, Melissa A. Napolitano, Amita Vyas (2023). Sleep duration and chronotype of pregnant women in the United States: an online cross-sectional survey study. Preventive Medicine Reports. 2023;31:102088. doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2022.102088
Diletta Mittone, Caitlin P. Bailey, Ebony Eddy, Melissa A. Napolitano, Amita Vyas (2022). Women’s satisfaction with telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional survey study. JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting. 17/09/2022:41356. PMID: 36125862