UCSF Maternal Child and Newborn Health Research Group

UCSF Maternal Child and Newborn Health Research Group

Dr. Dilys Walker leads the Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Research Cooperative in the Institute for Health Sciences at the University of California San Francisco. Our team is dedicated to improving the quality of care for mothers, newborns and children in developing countries. 

We believe it is possible to end preventable maternal and neonatal mortality and to do this; we must work with women and strengthen the health systems that serve them across their reproductive life from preconception, to pregnancy, the intrapartum and postnatal periods. 

Our portfolio of projects includes testing new interventions, implementing innovative approaches to increase the use of evidence-based practices, evaluating impact and processes, and influencing national polices that will improve the health and well-being of mothers and babies in low resource settings. 

A critical component to our success is the strong partnerships and collaborations we have developed around the globe. We bring together a broad set of stakeholders, including our philanthropic funders, government agencies, implementers, community organizations, and academic researchers, to develop a shared goal and vision. With the goal of transitioning programs to local ownership, we are committed to strengthening the skills and expertise of the research and provider teams, as well as the next generation of transdisciplinary leaders in our network. 

Our current portfolio includes key collaborators and funders in countries throughout sub-Saharan Africa, India and Latin America. Our largest presence is in East Africa, where we have developed long-term and robust partnerships with academic and government institutions through our collaboration on the Preterm Birth Initiative. 

Leadership
Maternal Newborn Child Health

Dilys Walker

Dr. Dilys Walker works jointly in the Obstetrics and Gynecology and Global Health Sciences Departments at UCSF. Dr. Walker is also affiliate faculty at UC Berkeley and a visiting Professor in Reproductive Health at the National Institute of Public Health in Mexico. Her principal research involves implementation trials addressing issues related to quality of antenatal and obstetric care, designing and implementing innovative provider training strategies using highly realistic simulation and team-training as well as group models of antenatal care. Dr.

Strategic Planning
Communications
Global Health Investments

Hannah Park

Hannah Park leads strategy, development and planning for a high-growth global research team focused on ending preventable maternal and neonatal mortality. She brings more than 20 years of experience building nonprofit and for-profit companies and managing large complex, international research projects. She is actively involved in a number of research grant programs including the UCSF Preterm Birth Initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Health and Applied Research Development Project funded by the United States Agency for International Development.