Arkansas has the highest rate of maternal mortality in the nation, making maternal health a critical public health priority. Additionally, Arkansas is a majority rural state, leaving rural women and families to face more barriers when accessing care.
Our Mission
Awarded by the National Institutes of Health’s Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE), the Maternal and Reproductive Community Health Excellence (MaRCH) Center supports researchers in developing innovative, practical solutions to improve maternal health across Arkansas. The Center’s work focuses on building strong research programs, expanding access to effective interventions, and supporting early-stage investigators as they develop the skills and experience needed for their research careers.
To accomplish our mission, the MaRCH Center established dedicated cores in community partnership and digital health, alongside a robust mentoring and faculty development program for early-stage investigators. The center will also establish research cores in stakeholder & community engagement (SUCCEED) and digital health, as well as a robust mentoring and faculty development program for early-career researchers.
Administrative & Research Cores
The MaRCH Center comprises the Administrative, SUCCEED, and Digital Health cores to build on UAMS’ existing strengths in research coordination, community engagement, and digital health innovation. Together, these cores support a strong pool of investigators dedicated to enhancing maternal and reproductive health across Arkansas.
The Administrative Core provides coordinated, sustainable leadership across all MaRCH Center activities, stakeholders, committees, mentors, and investigators to ensure smooth integrations between the SUCCEED and Digital Health cores.
- Center Director: Pearl McElfish, Ph.D.
- Mentoring Program Director: Mario Schootman, Ph.D.
- Biostatistics & Methods: James Selig, Ph.D.
- SUCCEED Core Director: Kristie Hadden, Ph.D.
- Digital Health Core Director: Joeseph Sanford, MD & Melony Stokes, Ph.D.
- Administrative Directors: Kelsey Bounds & Tesse Graham-Livingston
The SUCCEED Core focuses on providing infrastructure, training, and customized support to investigators conducting community-informed research. The core also assists investigators with study design, community partnership strategies, and reporting strategies.
The Digital Health Core equips investigators with expert guidance and hands-on support to integrate telehealth, mobile health, and other digital health tools and resources into their research. By drawing on the strengths of the UAMS Institute for Digital Health and Innovation, the core helps researchers design and implement digital health strategies that work in diverse environments, particularly rural communities.
For more information or questions about the program, email MaRCHCenter@uams.edu.
Learn More
MaRCH Pilot Study Program
The pilot study program will support early-career investigators in building the foundational data and experience needed for future maternal and reproductive health research.
Pilot Study Program
MaRCH Research Projects Program
The Research Projects Program supports early-investigators in becoming Research Project Leaders.
Research Projects Program
The MaRCH Center is supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and the Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health under Award Number P20GM156684. The content of this website is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.