Center Director

Associate Professor

Fellow, Chiles Center for Women, Children and Families

Research Areas: MCH Oral Health, Family Planning, Health Literacy, Implementation Science

Center Associate Director

Research Assistant Professor

Director, Harrell Center for The Study of Family Violence

Fellow, Chiles Center for Women, Children and Families

Research Areas: Family Violence, Mixed Methods Research Designs, Structural Equation Modeling

Assistant Professor

Fellow, Chiles Center for Women, Children and Families

Research Areas: Maternal and Child Health, Sleep Epidemiology, Chronic Diseases

Professor

Associate Dean for Research, Practice, and Doctoral Training

Senior Fellow, Chiles Center for Women, Children and Families

Research Areas: Women's Health, Adolescent Health, Sexuality Education

Assistant Professor

Research Areas: Maternal and Child Health, Perinatal Substance Use, Birth Defects Research and Surveillance, Translational Research

USF Distinguished Professor and Marrell Endowed Chair

Strategic Area Lead, Population Health Sciences

Senior Fellow, Chiles Center for Women, Children and Families

Research Areas: Perinatal Epidemiology, Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Epidemiology and Prevention

Distinguished USF Health Professor

Strategic Area Lead, Policy, Practice, and Leadership

Director, Activist Lab

Research Areas: Child and Adolescent Injury Prevention, Unintentional Injury Prevention, Health Education, Program Planning and Evaluation, Violent Death Surveillance and Prevention

Professor

Senior Assistant Dean for Research, College of Nursing

Fellow, Chiles Center for Women, Children and Families

Research Areas: HIV/AIDS Prevention, Care and Services, Breastfeeding, Adolescent Sexual Health

Associate Professor

Strategic Area Lead, Interdisciplinary Science and Practice

Director of Planning & Evaluation, Sunshine Education and Research Center

Fellow, Chiles Center for Women, Children and Families

Research Areas: Child Health & Development, Developmental Disabilities, Community Based Research

Senior Associate Vice President, USF Health

Dean, College of Public Health

Professor

Research Areas: maternal and child health, educational innovation in public health, systems change and leadership, needs assessment

Associate Professor

Research Areas: Health disparities and community engaged research, Latino and immigrant health, Cancer survivorship and chronic disease management

Assistant Professor

Faculty Affiliation in Women's and Gender Studies

Research Areas: Maternal and Child Health, Father Involvement, Reproductive Justice, Political Economy of Health, Ethnographic Research

Associate Professor

Fellow, Chiles Center for Women, Children and Families

Research Areas: Maternal and Child Health, Birth Defects, Public Health Surveillance and Data Systems

Distinguished USF Professor

Director, Chiles Center for Women, Children and Families

Director, Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative

Research Areas: Maternal and Infant Health, Applied Epidemiology Practice, Health Data Linkages

Assistant Professor

Fellow, Chiles Center for Women, Children and Families

Research Areas: Maternal and Child Health, Community Engaged Research, Quality Improvement and Program Evaluation

Megan Barry is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health. She earned her master’s and PhD in maternal and child health at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her dissertation used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health to look at the association between pre-pregnancy cardiometabolic risk profiles and subsequent birth outcomes. During her time at UNC, she also worked at the Carolina Population Center. Prior, she worked in the reproductive health and family formation research area at Child Trends in Washington, DC

MPH Student, Maternal and Child Health & Epidemiology

Long before it became a discipline, MCH consisted of matriarchs in communities, breaking and pushing norms to ensure prosperity for generations to come. My devotion to MCH is of service to all those that created the foundation of community building, activism, and leadership. During my first year in the MPH program, I intentionally sought opportunities to learn and serve. I had the honor of working with the Hillsborough County Black Infant and Maternal Mortality Task Force in addressing the high maternal mortality rates. My role as the MCHSO President opened the door for me to join the work of community leaders who advocated declaring “Racism as a Public Health Crisis” in Hillsborough County. A highlight of this engagement was standing before the Board of County Commissioners to advocate for the approval of the County Equity Profile and the creation of a new Office of Equity and Access. Through community engagement, I have witnessed the impacts of mental health, criminal justice, housing, and environmental justice within the Black community - beyond my own narrative. Influenced by what was mentioned, my MCH interests are addressing health inequities for Black mothers and infants and their social supports. In addition, exploring the intergenerational differences in health outcomes for immigrant and refugee populations. My professional goal is to conduct research, critically evaluate, and formulate strategies to the benefit of every mom and baby for years to come. 

MPH Student, Maternal and Child Health

My passion for public health began during my undergraduate studies when I traveled abroad and studied health systems in Europe and compared them to the U.S. Upon graduating with my BSN in 2017, I became a Lumos Scholar and created my own research project in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. I was particularly interested in access to healthcare, most common congenital anomalies, how mental health was viewed and treated, and perinatal care. These experiences abroad gave me a new lens to see health and the importance of being culturally competent. In the US, I have worked as a pediatric nurse in an inpatient acute care setting serving hematology/oncology and stem cell transplant patients. I have also worked as a Public Health Nurse with the Nurse-Family Partnership Program in Colorado. While with NFP, I obtained my Lactation Counselor Certification, to better support my clients with breastfeeding. My interests in MCH lie in preconception health, perinatal care, infant and family mental health, and nutrition. I am currently President of Peer Health Educators and a member of the World Association for Infant Mental Health. I am also an Area Health Education Center Scholar, Women in Leadership and Philanthropy Scholar, and a member of the Chiles Center for Women, Children, and Families. When I obtain my MPH, I want to pursue a role as an MCH Program Officer and implement programs to promote the well-being of families. After being involved in leading programs, I hope to transition over to policy later in my career. A long-term goal of mine is to become fluent in Swahili and help lead MCH programs in Tanzania.  

MPH Student, Maternal and Child Health

MPH Student, Maternal and Child Health

My undergraduate international development class was my first formal introduction to public health, but I witnessed the effects of health inequities throughout my life growing up in New Mexico, living in Philadelphia, and working with refugees and disabled communities. I also participated in my university’s Maternal Mortality Social Venture Challenge and my team won funding to implement our project to help midwives keep track of expectant mothers in Uganda using a mobile app. During my time at USF, I have assisted the Birth Defects Surveillance Program’s community outreach team and the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Project. I have been the student lead for multiple Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative initiatives. Last year, I was part of the Executive Student Leadership Board and the Vice President of Peer Health Educators. This year, I am excited to serve as the MCHSO Research & Education Chair. For the last 4 years, I have been a home visitor with the United Way of Utah County’s Welcome Baby program. I volunteer with Postpartum Support International’s helpline and as both a local support coordinator for Florida and a specialized coordinator for disabled parents. I am interested in improving and implementing evidence-based perinatal care, community-based research, and addressing systemic issues to provide better support to families, patients, and providers. I hope to work in implementation science and quality improvement, and I am interested in becoming certified as a doula and lactation consultant to provide direct support as well.  

MPH Student, Maternal and Child Health & Epidemiology

From getting my undergraduate degree, volunteering, and entering the workforce, I have gained experience and passion for MCH. Being a Girl Scout instructor was my first exposure to finding my passion for MCH-related topics. Teaching these girls about health, friendship, the outdoors, and other various topics inspired my transition to study public health as a health educator and continuing my journey on a more global scale. During my next experience as a health educator for the United States Peace Corps in Panama, there was a lot of training and guidance spent on MCH populations. When I spent my time in Panama, I learned that mothers are usually the center of influence in households for behaviors. Children can also be educators for their parents and younger siblings. As I formed relationships with women in the community, we spoke about birth control and the meaning of family. This experience of learning about health systems in another culture inspired me to take that knowledge back to the United States and dedicate my professional career to understanding and advocating for the disparities that impact birthing people. The pandemic showed me the importance of positive change for women and families by becoming an advocate for these vulnerable communities. As an MCH scholar, I plan to focus my practice area on reproductive health and perinatal health. My goals post-graduation goals include becoming an advocate for health equity through the work of MCH epidemiology at the state and or federal level.   

MPH Student, Epidemiology

Originally, I intended to pursue a profession in public health to effectively reduce inequity and ensure no one in our community is left behind. In Sudan, mothers are the backbone of families, and eliminating inequity that affects mothers is necessary for achieving global sustainable development. I knew I had to become knowledgeable about maternity and child health to foster healthy communities. My main areas of interest in MCH include malignancies of the female reproductive system, pregnancy, childbirth, and early childhood. I had the privilege of working as a scribe at the maternity ward in Khartoum for a few years, documenting information on vaginal and cesarean deliveries, translating medical terminology, and verifying data. The scribing experience increased my affinity for the delicate nature of pregnancy and childbirth. As a future healthcare provider, I volunteer at Moffitt Cancer Center, shadowed several pediatricians, and was permitted to help with basic checkups. Recently, I was elected the Vice President of Peer Health Educators, and the organization has historically collaborated with REACHUP to gain their perspectives on how to promote and increase awareness of various preconception health-related issues at USF. Our REACHUP adviser has provided us with useful information about doulas, breastfeeding, and pregnancies, which we intend to share with our peers. My future career goals include providing and improving maternal health care in low-resource settings in rural villages in East Africa. I hope to become an OB/GYN and work to develop programs with public health organizations that seek to provide mothers and newborns with the care they need beyond childbirth to improve the quality of life for those families.