The Maternal Health Research Coordinating Center (MHRCC) proudly hosted the 2025 Maternal Health Research Collaborative (MHRC) Annual Meeting and Training Institute June 10 –13, 2025 at Morgan State University’s Health and Human Services Center (HHSC). This was the second annual meeting of the 16 Research Centers that comprise the MHRC. Working under the theme “Creating a Culture of Maternal Health Research”, this gathering brought together more than 40 in-person attendees and 20 virtual participants from across the country — including representatives from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and leaders from each of the 16 funded MHRC Research Centers.
Over four days, attendees engaged in programming designed to strengthen maternal health research capacity, foster collaboration, and develop actionable strategies for sustainability. Plenary sessions featured timely and impactful topics such as strategic action and sustainability planning, community-engaged research models, secondary data sources and systems dynamics modeling, translation and implementation science, and the role of artificial intelligence in maternal health research. Dedicated working sessions allowed MHRC Research Centers to collaborate on refining their strategic plans, identifying community-driven solutions, and sharing lessons learned from their ongoing projects.
The event also highlighted the breadth of work occurring across the collaborative, with research updates from each center covering themes such as maternal mental health, paternal involvement, doulas and family planning, chronic disease predictive modeling, and innovative approaches to address maternal morbidity and mortality. These presentations reinforced the MHRC’s commitment to evidence-based, community-informed research.
Annual Meeting attendees tour the MSU Health and Human Services Center Nursing Lab
Beyond the formal sessions, the Annual Meeting created space for networking, relationship building, and recognition of the growth that has occurred over the first two years of the MHRC. The reception and award ceremony honored the dedication of partners and collaborators, while the tour of the HHSC gave attendees a firsthand look at the state-of-the-art MSU Nursing program facilities supporting this vital work.
As the meeting concluded, each Research Center left with a renewed sense of purpose and a set of actionable steps to advance their strategic plans. The success of the 2025 MHRC Annual Meeting reflects the power of collaboration, the strength of the MSU-led Coordinating Center, and the shared commitment to improving maternal health outcomes nationwide. The MHRCC extends its gratitude to all attendees, speakers, and partners for contributing to this vibrant, solution-focused convening — and looks forward to building on the momentum in the year ahead.
