Pregnant and postpartum women with opioid use disorder (OUD) are among the most vulnerable and underserved populations in our health care system − but they can greatly benefit from a more connected system of support and treatment.

As an alumnus of the USF’s College of Public Health, Lucas “Luca” Hicks has built a career focused on improving the health of communities. While his academic focus initially pointed toward medicine, his experiences outside the classroom reshaped his trajectory.

Let’s say you’re a young mother attending classes at USF, and your newborn is hungry. Where do you go to breastfeed or pump? A student researcher at the COPH hopes to make the choice more convenient by increasing the number of campus lactation stations and enhancing their access and quality.