2024 Cornell Intercampus Maternal Health Symposium

Preventing Maternal Mortality and Morbidity: Preconception through Pregnancy, the 4th Trimester, and Beyond
Verizon Executive Education Center, Roosevelt Island, New York, New York

October 20-21, 2024

Registration now open! Registration for this two-day event is free for Cornell faculty, trainees and staff. Travel and accommodations at the Graduate Hotel, Cornell Tech Campus, provided for all faculty, and available for graduate students, postdocs, and early career scientists who submit abstracts – until we reach capacity for the symposium. Please register today to secure a spot.

Call for Abstracts now open! Deadline for abstract submission: August 25th. Submit an abstract here.
We are pleased to announce the call for abstracts for our Early Career Poster Session. We invite submissions from early career researchers. The symposium aims to address the high maternal mortality rate in the US, focusing on preconception health, pregnancy, and the postpartum period (the "fourth trimester"). Abstracts (250 words) should align with this theme. All accepted abstracts will be eligible for our poster session over wine and cheese, and selected abstracts by graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and early career scientists will be considered for oral presentations and lightning talks during the symposium.

Symposium Chairs: Lauren Osborne and Julia Finkelstein

Organizing Team:
Lauren M. Osborne, MD
Associate Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Associate Professor of Psychiatry
Vice Chair for Clinical Research in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Weill Cornell Medicine

Julia Finkelstein, ScD MPH
Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition
Director, Maternal and Child Nutrition Training Program
Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University

Heather S. Lipkind, MD, MS
Director, Maternal Fetal Medicine
Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Weill Cornell Medicine

 Kimberly O. O’Brien, PhD
Professor of Nutritional Sciences
Division of Nutritional Sciences
Cornell University

Tanzeem Choudhury, PhD
Professor in Computing and Information Sciences
Roger and Joelle Burnell Chair in Integrated Health and Technology
Cornell University 

Program

Day 1: Monday, October 21, 2024

Welcome and Introductions

Session 1: Preconception
Co-Chairs: Julia Finkelstein, ScD MPH and Paula Cohen, PhD

  • Paula Cohen, PhD
    Professor of Genetics, Director, Center for Reproductive Genomics, Associate Vice Provost for Life Sciences, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education

  • Marianna Wolfner, PhD
    Goldwin Smith Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics

  • Marla Lujan PhD
    Associate Professor, Division of Nutritional Sciences

  • Julia Finkelstein, ScD MPH
    Associate Professor, Division of Nutritional Sciences

Coffee Break

Session 2: Pregnancy
Co-Chairs: Lauren Osborne MD and Kimberly O’Brien PhD

  • Heidi Stuhlmann, PhD
    Professor, Department of Cell & Developmental Biology

  • Harvey Klein
    Professor of Biomedical Sciences

  • Jyoti Mathad, MD MS

  • Moeun Son, MD

  • Eva Pressman, MD
    Adjunct Professor, Division of Nutritional Sciences, Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Professor University of Rochester

  • Kimberly O’Brien, PhD
    Professor, Division of Nutritional Sciences

Panel 1: Multifaceted Approaches to Enhancing Reproductive Health
Panelists: Laura Riley, Lauren Osborne, Julia Finkelstein, Paula Cohen
This panel brings together experts in molecular biology, nutrition, and immunology to explore multifaceted approaches to enhancing reproductive health. The panel examines the integration of diverse perspectives and discusses challenges, opportunities, and future directions in reproductive health research. By fostering interdisciplinary dialogue, the panel aims to advance understanding and improve outcomes in reproductive health care, including the latest developments shaping the future of maternal and fetal well-being, foster collaboration across diverse fields, and drive forward research and practice in this critical area of healthcare.

Break

Poster Session with Refreshments (beer/wine and light snacks)

Keynote: Elizabeth Howell, MD, Chair, Department of Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania 
“Racial disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality”

Day 2: Tuesday, October 21, 2024

Breakfast

Session 3: Postpartum and Beyond
Co-Chairs: Heather Lipkind MD MS and Tanzeem Choudhury PhD

  • Heather Lipkind, MD, MS

  • Jonathan Power, MD
    Assistant Professor of Psychiatry

  • Andrea Temkin-Yu

Panel 2: Beyond Birth: Pioneering Approaches to Postpartum Well-being
Panelists: Jyoti Pathak, PhD FACMI, Professor of Medical Informatics; Vice Chair, Department of Population Health Sciences, Tanzeem Choudhury, Cori Green, Christine Pardo

Panelists explore the forefront of postpartum health research, integrating technology, biology, and medicine to enhance maternal and infant well-being. This panel offers a comprehensive exploration of innovative approaches and cutting-edge research shaping the future of postpartum care.

Breakouts on Collaborative Funding Opportunities

Working Lunch

Summary, Concluding Remarks, and Next Steps, Symposium Co-Chairs
 Lauren Osborne and Julia Finkelstein