NDIDIAMAKA AMUTAH ONUKAGHA, PHD MPH

Lead Co-PI, Tufts University

Dr. Amutah Onukagha is an associate professor of public health at the Tufts University School of Medicine. She is an accomplished, maternal and child health disparities researcher with widely disseminated literature on Black women’s health, reproductive health, and health disparities.

JUDITH JEANTY, MPH

Be A Mom Project Manager, Tufts University

Judith Jeanty MPH has a background in public health, focusing on health equity, community health and maternal and child health. She is an accomplished program manager who served as the former program management officer for state-funded doula programs in New Jersey. 

EUGENE DECLERQ, PhD MBA

Co-PI

Eugene Declercq PhD M.B.A. is a professor of community health sciences at the Boston University School of Public Health and professor on the faculty of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Boston University School of Medicine. His current research focuses primarily on maternal mortality and morbidity. He is part of the team that has produced six reports on women’s experiences in childbirth, Listening to Mothers. He is a current member of the Massachusetts Maternal Mortality Review Committee and on the board of March for Moms. He is the founder of the website www.birthbythenumbers.org, where additional data on maternal mortality and other maternal and infant health outcomes can be found.  

HAFSATOU DIOP, MD MPH

Co-PI

Dr. Hafsatou Diop MD, MPH is the Office of Data Translation Director at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. She serves as the State Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Epidemiologist and the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) Program Director. Dr. Diop is also the Director for the Massachusetts Pregnancy to Early Life Longitudinal (PELL) project. She is an accomplished researcher with widely disseminated literature.  

HOWARD CABRAL, PHD

Co-I

Dr. Howard Cabral PhD is Professor of Biostatistics at the Boston University School of Public Health. Dr. Cabral’s research spans both observational studies and randomized clinical trials, including well known studies in cardiovascular health and studies of the effects of substance use on human health across the life span, with over 320 peer-reviewed publications to-date. He has extensive experience in the analysis of longitudinal health data, especially those collected in urban areas with ethnic and socioeconomic diversity. 

AUDRA MEADOWS, MD MPH

Co-I, AIM 2 Bundles

Audra Meadows MD MPH is an Obstetrician and Gynecologist actively investigating strategies to prevent preterm birth and maternal morbidity and to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health and birth outcomes. Dr. Meadows currently leads the state perinatal quality improvement collaborative of Massachusetts and leads public health initiatives to implement programs in the clinical and community setting to improve birth outcomes. 

CHRISTINA GEBEL, MPH

Co-I, AIM 3 Doulas

Christina Gebel, MPH, LCCE, birth doula, is a maternal and child health consultant and researcher based in Durham, North Carolina where she lives with her husband, Dr. Raman Nohria, and their cat Stella. Christina is a co-founder of Accompany Doula Careand has authored numerous peer reviewed journal articles and one book chapter. Christina’s areas of expertise are integration of doula care into healthcare and payer systems, doula care access legislation, and the intersection of faith, spirituality, and pregnancy. Please connect with Christina here!

ELYSIA LARSON, PHD MPH

Co-I

Elysia Larson PhD MPH is a Staff Scientist in the OBGYN Department at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and an Instructor at Harvard Medical School. Her research interests focus on improving health system quality and responsiveness in both low- and middle-income countries and North America. She uses epidemiologic and econometric methods to measure quality of healthcare and evaluate health system interventions and reforms. Her areas of expertise include implementation science methods, primary data collection/field research, and quality of care. 

HEATHER OLDEN, MPH

Focus Group Facilitator

TONIA RHONES, M.S.

Administrative Assistant

KAYLA KINSLER

Research Assistant