Kristin Tully, PhD, Research Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Collaborative for Maternal and Infant Health, UNC-Chapel Hill
Dr. Tully is a medical anthropologist who seeks to enable health by improving health care services over the “1,000 days” continuum of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. She is interested in understanding human needs around the perinatal period of the life course, from the perspectives of birthing parents, infants, and those supporting them. Her program of research addresses mechanisms underlying health outcomes, with topics spanning contributors to birth mode, breastfeeding outcomes, mother-infant safety, sleep practices, maternal health, and transitions through health care, to establish more patient- and family-centered care. The objective is advance equity by identifying metrics for accountability and continual improvement in health systems. Human-centered design offers a process for partnering with diverse stakeholders, for the defining problems, developing ways to transform care, and evaluation and dissemination. Together, we shift the culture of health by identifying unmet health needs and codeveloping real, sustainable solutions.
