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 2025-2026 MCH Leadership Lab application portal is now open! The deadline is Friday, September 26th at 9 am ET.
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.
International Student Guidance: If you apply for a project with Belfort Labs or Ariadne Labs, you do not need to receive special work authorization. If you apply for any of the other external projects outside of Belfort and Ariadne, you will need to obtain the Curricular Practical Training authorization for the work. Please reach out to your HIO contact to confirm that you can obtain this authorization, and we are here to support any student that wishes to do so! Please email mchconcentration@hsph.harvard.edu for assistance.
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.
Belfort Neonatology Lab | Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Description here (from ’24-’25)
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.
LIFT-UP and BetterBirth | 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.
Option 1: The LIFT-UP study is a multi-objective, multi-country research initiative in India, Malawi, and Tanzania designed to improve feeding and growth outcomes among low birthweight and/or preterm infants in low-resource settings. We are seeking a highly motivated student for an internship to support the LIFT-UP study team. This position offers the opportunity to contribute to a large, complex global research project and gain hands-on skills in implementation science, data management, and research translation.
Option 2: The BetterBirth project is a practicum opportunity which will enable a student to collaborate on an active and very complex global research project, engage with study partners in India, and participate in the preparation for study launch. The student will be involved in activities like the IRB submission, drafting the study protocol, study tools, tool guides, training materials, drafting the data dictionaries, supporting REDcap development and supporting other start-up activities.
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. The student will develop a catalog of lived experiences of TeamBirth, as told by doctors, midwives, nurses and hospital administrators across the country. Methods will include gathering past and current TeamBirth stories and conducting a thematic analysis to inform the cataloging process for the deliverable. Sources include recordings of past TeamBirth sessions, qualitative interviews, and TeamBirth sessions and coaching calls.
Families First
Option 1: Families First has translated materials for their parent-facing programs, but is now launching a project to provide communication directly with parents and on their website in these same languages. This project would involve researching options, determining a project plan, and support coordinating the implementation of the work. The student will collaborate with the Senior Program Director and the Program Team to implement this.
Option 2: Families First is exploring providing their curricula for a new age range (ages 9-12 years old). Currently, they have two curricula, one for parents of birth to three year olds and one for three to eight year olds. This project would involve supporting the preliminary stages of this work which includes research, and working the Senior Program Director to brainstorm and plan for the development of curriculum.
Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Option 1: Massachusetts Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Team (MMMRT): As an integral member of the MMMRT, the student will provide valuable support by increasing the team’s capacity to identify, gather information on, and review pregnancy-associated deaths and make actionable recommendations for preventing these tragic events. This will include continuous quality improvement activities to improve the efficiency, standardization, and timeliness of reviews of maternal deaths and assist in efforts to translate MMMRC recommendations into clinical, community-level and policy interventions.
Option 2: Maternal and Child Health Data Briefs: The student will work with
Division for Family Health Data and Analysis (DFHDA) staff to create fact sheets and data briefs using PRAMS data on topics including maternal and paternal mental health, social supports, social determinants of health and infant outcomes, prenatal care components, and barriers to healthcare. Other possible topics for fact sheets include but are not limited to prenatal substance use, interpersonal/intimate partner violence, factors associated with preterm birth, breastfeeding and hospital support, Family Medical Leave (maternity leave), and home visiting services.
MassHealth
MassHealth is Massachusetts’ Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program covering nearly 40% of births (roughly 25,000 births per year) in MA. Under the supervision of the Deputy Director of Perinatal and Maternal Health Policy and working closely with other teams, the student will support MassHealth’s efforts to bolster holistic perinatal behavioral health care including screening, referrals, treatment, and care coordination. The specific project scope will be determined based on MassHealth’s needs and the student’s particular interests and skillset and may include a focus on mental health and/or substance use disorder among pregnant and postpartum members.
MCPAP for Moms
MCPAP for Moms provides real-time, perinatal psychiatric consultation and resource and referral for obstetric, pediatric, primary care, psychiatric and substance use disorder providers. They also offer toolkits and resources for providers around perinatal mental health topics.The student will help create Doula Mental Health Guidelines in Partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
Rhode Island Department of Health
Option 1: Statewide Breastfeeding Strategic Plan Implementation: 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.
Option 2: The student will work with RI home visiting program on a Coordinated State Evaluation. RI’s home visiting program is participating in a multi-year evaluation with five other states to examine factors the influence family engagement in home visiting. As part of the family visiting coordinated state evaluation team, the student will assist in organizing, analyzing and interpreting the results of data collected for the coordinated state evaluation.
SteelSky Ventures
SteelSky Ventures is a leading technology venture fund investing in transformative healthcare companies that improve access, care, and outcomes, with a particular focus on women’s health, aging populations, and technology-enabled care. The intern will support the team on projects such as market landscaping and pipeline development, researching emerging companies, mapping the competitive landscape, and identifying new areas of investment opportunity. In addition, the role will involve research into key themes in healthcare innovation, including AI in healthcare, value-based care, and public health approaches to aging and women’s health.
The Basics, Inc.
Option 1: East Boston Community Case Study: The Basics is a community-level, cross-sector approach to supporting early childhood parenting, implemented locally in Boston and in dozens of communities across the U.S. Working with The Basics team, the student will develop a case study of The Basics in East Boston. The work includes stakeholder interviews (e.g., social service agencies, health centers, parent ambassadors), qualitative analysis to identify themes, and compilation and analysis of quantitative data from multiple sources. Findings will be written up as a case study that can be shared with local stakeholders as well as the broader Basics Learning Network.
Option 2: The Basics + Learn the Signs. Act Early (LTSAE) Toolkit Development: In several states, The Basics has been integrated with the CDC’s developmental monitoring program, Learn the Signs. Act Early (LTSAE). For this project, the student will develop a toolkit to support state LTSAE Ambassadors in integrating The Basics into their work. The project will involve conducting stakeholder interviews with several Ambassadors to identify their needs and creating prototype materials. This project is well suited for students interested in early childhood systems and public health strategies to promote healthy child development.
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.