Serwaa S. Omowale, LMSW, joint PhD Social Work/MPH student, is the recipient of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) diversity supplement, which will support her work with Dr. Dara Mendez (Project PI), in the Department of Epidemiology in the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. Omowale’s diversity supplement grant is funded through 2021. Omowale’s work focuses on understanding, addressing, and improving maternal health and birth outcomes among Black women. This grant supports a training opportunity that will provide Omowale with advanced maternal and child health disparities knowledge, analytical skills, and research methodology skills to become an independent researcher in maternal and child health disparities. Her research project will focus on understanding the relationship between stress, discrimination, and adverse birth outcomes.
“Black women persistently experience the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in the United States," said Omowale. "My long-term career goals include utilizing various research methodologies to develop culturally appropriate interventions to improve maternal health outcomes of Black women and to achieve equity in infant mortality."
She added: "I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. John M. Wallace, Jr., David E. Epperson Chair and Professor, School of Social Work, Katz Graduate School of Business, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences (Sociology) for his continued support."