Maternal and Child Health Center of Excellence
The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Center of Excellence provides academic, research, and service-learning opportunities to public health students, researchers, and practitioners whose mission is to improve the lives of mothers, children, and families.
Kresge Building 6th-floor
677 Huntington Ave., Boston MA 02115
Maternal and Child Health Leadership Lab
The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Leadership Lab is a competitive fellowship offered to students pursuing the Interdisciplinary Concentration in MCH. This fellowship, granted through an application process each fall, offers unique opportunities for professional growth.
Admitted students receive tuition support (if eligible) which includes encouraged participation in a hands-on practicum, Center events, and networking/mentorship opportunities. All MCH students are encouraged to apply for the Leadership Lab during the fall semester. Students who are fully funded at the school (i.e., through scholarships, grants, etc.) may apply and participate in the Leadership Lab without tuition support provided by the Center.
To apply for the MCH Leadership Lab, students must concentrate in MCH. The Leadership Lab is open to both domestic and international students.
Application
The 2024-2025 MCH Leadership Lab application portal is now closed. The deadline was Thursday, October 3rd.
Details
To apply and participate, you must be a current student at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and must commit to completing the MCH concentration requirements. Additionally, the MCH Center of Excellence coordinates monthly meetings for the Leadership Lab, including alumni networking events, workshops in leadership skills, and mentorship opportunities. Admitted students are required to participate in these events.
The MCH Leadership Lab application opens each fall on our website and requires applicants to complete short essays and rank their project preferences. Project presentations from our partners occur within the first few weeks of the fall semester, during the MCH Seminar.
Students are typically matched with a maternal and child health (MCH)-related research or practice opportunity with one of our community partners. Students with their own MCH projects are encouraged to apply as well.
Eligible students admitted to the MCH Leadership Lab receive partial tuition support for their participation. Students who are fully funded by the School (i.e., through scholarships or grants) may still apply, though they will not be eligible for additional funding.
The MCH Leadership Lab aims to engage and train emerging leaders who are passionate about MCH-related issues, research, and topics. The Center’s goal is for all Leadership Lab students to maximize this opportunity by actively participating in Lab events, attending MCH-sponsored webinars and seminars, and building a strong network with fellow MCH students.
Delivery Decisions with TeamBirth | Ariadne Labs
Ariadne Labs is a joint center for health systems innovation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Ariadne Labs offers practicum opportunities in child birth working on Cesarean section. Practicum students work closely with the TeamBirth data collection, run analyses, write reports and interview stakeholders.
Belfort Neonatology Lab | Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Students will have an opportunity to collaborate research with 5 Boston-area NICUs to improve health and developmental outcomes of preterm infants and to help design and pilot-test a comprehensive parent-reported outcome assessment tool for preterm infants.
Birth Beyond Bars
The student will conduct a mixed-methods analysis of primary cohort data from mother and caregiver in-depth interviews on feeding practices and have the opportunity to review and analyze pregnancy and postpartum accommodation statutes and regulations for incarcerated women.
LIFT-UP with BetterBirth | Ariadne Labs
With the Low Birthweight and Preterm Infant Feeding Trial and Supportive Care Package Study (LIFT-UP), the student will create training materials for site partners, test and develop data collection tools, and conduct literature reviews while working to improve the quality of care, minimize complications, and end the preventable deaths of women and newborns through effective implementation of evidence-based, scalable solutions at the frontline of care.
Statewide Breastfeeding Plan | Rhode Island Department of Health
The student will gain experience in subject of state systems, breastfeeding support and strategic planning & policy development by assisting in documenting, organizing and enacting a one-year implementation plan (part of a larger five-year strategic plan) to increase breastfeeding rates and tackle breastfeeding inequities in the state of RI through strategies inclusive of communications, policy change, education etc.
Fertility Doula Training | San Antonio Black Doula Collective
The student will collaborate with both the San Antonio team and a local Boston doula to co-develop a curriculum for fertility doula training.
Families First
Families First offers programs in both Greater Boston and Western MA. Working with the team in Western MA, the student will help develop a 3-year strategic growth plan for the Power of Parenting Program. This includes conducting a SWOT analysis, participating in stakeholder interviews, and collaboration with the advisory board.
Beyond Survival with BetterBirth | Ariadne Labs
Beyond Survival aims to understand the experience of intrapartum and post-birth care through interviews with mothers, families, and health professionals to develop a quantitative tool to measure childbirth-related vulnerability and improve post-birth outcomes. The student will gain experience in qualitative analysis and synthesis and conduct literature reviews for manuscripts.
SteelSky Ventures
SteelSky Ventures invests in numerous tech-driven innovations that improve areas where women’s health is directly, indirectly, and disproportionately impacted. The project with SteelSky Ventures focuses on compiling peer-reviewed evidence and identifying potential grant opportunities for companies in their portfolio that address maternal and child health.
Bend Health
Bend Health is an evidence-based pediatric behavioral health platform that offers innovative solutions to improve mental health outcomes for children and adolescents. SteelSky Ventures (above) is one of its investors. The project involves a literature review and gathering relevant research to support the company’s ongoing efforts, which may include identifying funding sources to support Bend Health’s initiatives.