Tuskegee University Research Center for Rural Maternal, Child and Family Health
Tuskegee University Research Center for Rural Maternal, Child and Family Health
The Center for Rural Maternal Child and Family Health aims to reduce maternal, child and family health disparities in rural Alabama, focusing on Barbour, Bullock and Macon counties. The center will build research capacity through training, community engagement and meaningful partnerships.
Torhonda Lee, PhD
Principal Investigator
Center Goals
The goal of our research is to reduce maternal, child, and family health disparities in Alabama’s rural Black Belt by building research capacity and partnering with communities to develop data-driven, sustainable solutions that advance health.
This work addresses Alabama’s high rates of maternal and infant mortality—especially among Black mothers—by tackling root causes such as limited access to care, chronic disease, and social determinants of health.
Our work is based in three counties in Alabama’s rural Black Belt – Barbour, Bullock, and Macon. The Center has built strong community partnerships, trained local health workers and student researchers, launched a local maternal health data initiative, and is laying the groundwork for implementing community-led interventions that may improve rural maternal and family health outcomes.
