The 2025 Advancing Health Equity through Multidisciplinary Research and Training Symposium is being offered by the Perinatal Origin of Disparities (POD) Center in collaboration with the Center for Healthcare Policy and Research (CHPR) and the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing ReACH T32 Program on Friday, September 26th, from 10 AM – 5 PM at the UC Davis Health Education Building.

POD Center Co-Director Dr. Leigh Ann Simmons presents on how heart disease is the number one killer of women, and childbearing women are at increased risk – especially those who have had an adverse pregnancy outcome and/or live in low-resource communities. 

POD Center Co-Director Dr. Janine LaSalle answers questions about the fascinating field of epigenetics and its impact on health. In this Q&A from the Wellness Academy, Dr. LaSalle delves into complex topics, from the role of genetics and epigenetics in mental health to the effects of lifestyle choices on our DNA. Discover how environmental exposures, diet, exercise, and even sleep can influence genetic expression and impact long-term health. Gain valuable knowledge on how proactive choices today can influence your health and well-being tomorrow.

POD Center Co-Director Dr. Janine LaSalle, a leading expert in epigenetics from UC Davis, dives into the world of gene expression and how our environment, lifestyle, and choices affect our health on a genetic level. Dr. LaSalle explains the mechanisms behind epigenetics, the history of the field, and what it means for our long-term wellness. Discover how epigenetic changes can impact your risk for certain diseases and how science is moving toward personalized medicine through groundbreaking research.

As of November 2023, the POD Center's administrative home has moved to the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis. This occurred when POD Center Co-Director Dr. Leigh Ann Simmons started a new position on November 1, 2023 as a tenured professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis. 

While the POD Center has transitioned, we continue our mission statement's commitment to:

The POD Center Pilot Project Program (PPP) was established with support from the Office of Research to advance research that contributes to preventing health disparities early in life. Through this program the POD Center provides financial support for new or ongoing projects that aim to understand the multifactorial perinatal influences on health trajectories and disparities across the lifespan and/or to reduce the perinatal origins of disparities through innovative interventions. 

Please join us for this free screening of BIRTHING JUSTICE and learn how practitioners are improving the outcomes for pregnant Black women, one birth at a time. The screening will be followed by a panel of local experts on improving perinatal health outcomes for Black women.

A light dinner and refreshments will be served.

Register here.

Leigh Ann Simmons, professor and chair of the Department of Human Ecology, has won the inaugural Women & Philanthropy Impact Award at the University of California, Davis, in recognition of her work in mentorship and leadership, and efforts on behalf of women’s health.

(SACRAMENTO)

A new UC Davis Health trial is focusing on behavioral strategies to improve health care among racially and ethnically diverse patients with gestational diabetes.

A national 12-year study that enrolled a highly diverse group of pregnant women, including women in the Sacramento region, found rising exposure to chemicals from plastics and pesticides that may be harmful to development.