8th Annual MCHRI Symposium
Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Li Ka Shing Center, Berg Hall, 2nd Floor

This annual research symposium brought together faculty, trainees, students, and postdocs to explore the latest developments and innovations in maternal and child health research. 

This year’s central theme is “Healthy Mothers for Healthy Babies focusing on (1) Maternal-Fetal Correlates of Embryonic Development, (2) Population Biology / Epidemiology of Maternal-Fetal Development, and (3) Devices and Technologies to Assess and Treat Maternal-Fetal Disease.

This event is free and open to all.


Symposium Sessions

Poster Sessions

This year's symposium will feature TWO poster sesstions as we have received an overwhelming number of abstract submissions in recent years.

(1) 9:55am - 10:55am

(2) 12:35pm - 1:35pm

Maternal-Fetal Correlates of Human Development

  • Ruth Lathi, MD, Professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology (Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility), Stanford School of Medicine
  • Nima Aghaeepour, PhD, Associate Professor, Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine and Pediatrics (Neonatology)
  • David Rowitch, MD, ScD, FMedSci, FRS, Professor, Pediatrics (Neonatology) and Associate Director, Basic and Translational Research, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
  • Tiffany Scharschmidt, MD, Professor and Vice Chair, Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine

Population Biology / Epidemiology of Maternal-Fetal Development

  • Irogue Igbinosa, MD, MS, Assistant Professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology (Maternal Fetal Medicine), Stanford School of Medicine
  • Karl Sylvester, MD, Associate Dean Maternal Child Health (Research) and Professor, Surgery (Pediatric Surgery), Stanford School of Medicine, Director, Clinical Research Support Office, Stanford Medicine Children's Health
  • Cindy Wu, PhD, Director, Program and Policy Branch, Center For Family Health, Genetic Disease Screening Program, California Department of Public Health
  • Stephen Luby, MD, Lucy Becker Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Senior Fellow, Woods Institute for the Environment, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford School of Medicine

Devices and Technologies to Assess and Treat Maternal-Fetal Disease

  • Tippi Mackenzie, MD, Professor of Surgery, Benioff UCSF Professor of Children’s Health, Director, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCSF, Co-Director, Center for Maternal-Fetal Precision Medicine, John G. Bowes Distinguished Professor of Stem Cell and Tissue Biology
  • Karthik Balakrishnan, MD, MPH, FAAP, FACS, Professor, Otolaryngology (Head and Neck Surgery), Susan B. Ford Surgeon-in-Chief, Stanford Medicine Children's Health
  • Sheng Xu, PhD, Professor, Chemical and Nano Engineering, University of California, San Diego
  • Matteo A. Molè, PhD, Assistant Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology (Reproductive Biology)

Groundbreaking Research from Rising Scientists

  • To Be Announced - Selected from Submitted Abstracts

Visionary Leadership Award

  • 2025 Award Recipient: To Be Named
  • The annual MCHRI Visionary Leadership Award is a lifetime achievement award that spotlights individuals within the Stanford maternal and child health research community who have made long-lasting and impactful contributions.
  • SUBMIT TODAY! - Nominations now accepted through June 2, 2025!