9th Annual MCHRI Symposium
Thursday, October 22, 2026

Li Ka Shing Center, Berg Hall, 2nd Floor

9th Annual MCHRI Symposium
Thursday, October 22, 2026

Li Ka Shing Center, Berg Hall, 2nd Floor

Register for 2026 Symposium

**Those who register after 12 PM on 10/12 will not be guaranteed a lunch selection. Online registration will close at 12 PM on 10/16, but walk-in registration is available on the day of event. Lunch may not be available for walk-in registrants

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

For this year’s Symposium, we are bringing together experts in addressing this year’s central theme, “Correlations → Causation → Cures,” focusing on the journey from discovery to validation and implementation. (1) Correlations: generating high-dimensional signals and associations, (2) Causation: testing what is real and why, and (3) Cures: bringing evidence into policy and care delivery.

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Symposium Sessions

Poster Sessions

The 9th annual symposium will feature TWO poster sessions:

(1) 9:30am - 10:20am

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

    Session 1: Discovery: Generating High-Dimensional Signals and Associations

    • Kara Davis, DO, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Hematology/Oncology), Stanford School of Medicine
    • Andres Cardenas, PhD, Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford School of Medicine
    • Aydogan Ozcan, PhD, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Bioengineering, UCLA

    Keynote Speaker

    • Alan Tita, MD, PhD
    • UAB Mary Heersink Endowed Chair of Global Health, Director of the Mary Heersink Institute of Global Health and the Heersink School of Medicine

    Session 2: Causation: Testing What Is Real and Why

    • Manisha Desai, PhD, Professor of Medicine and of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford School of Medicine
    • Brian Bateman MD, MSc, Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine
    • Deirdre Lyell, MD, Professor of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine

    Session 3: Groundbreaking Research from Rising Scientists

    • Rachel Wyetzner, BS, Graduate Student, Stanford School of Medicine
    • Joi Gonzales, BS, Postbac, Stanford School of Medicine
    • Liu Yang, PhD, MS, Postdoc, Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine
    • Colwyn Headley, PhD, Instructor, Medicine - Cardiovascular Medicine; Instructor (By courtesy), Neurosurgery, Stanford School of Medicine
    • Zachary Dozier, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor, Pediatrics (Clinical Informatics) and of Medicine (Computational Medicine), Stanford School of Medicine

    Visionary Leadership Award

    • 2025 Award Recipient: Virginia Winn
    • 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.

    Session 4: Cures: Bringing Evidence Into Policy and Care Delivery.

    • Jochen Profit, MD, MPH, Professor of Pediatrics (Neonatology), Stanford School of Medicine

    • Benjamin Glicksberg, PhD, Associate Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Human Health, Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine

    •  

      Fyezah Jehan, MBBS, FCPS, MSc, Endowed Chair Professor of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Chairperson, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University

       

       

       

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    Abstract List
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