Research
The IRB number for this project is Continuation Protocol # 0021-24-25-26).
Research Project 1:
Community Care Home Visiting
Research Project 1 will use a Community Care Home Visiting model in the Mississippi Delta. Learn how this study contributes to understanding community-based approaches to postpartum care.
Research Project 2:
Empowering Women for Postpartum Care and Reproductive Health
Research Project 2 explores culture-based approaches to postpartum care and reproductive health. Discover how this research examines engagement and trust in healthcare settings.
Mississippi Delta Center for Excellence in Maternal Health & Affiliates
Scholarship and Creative Endeavors
Data Mosaic Competition
Tangbe, P. E., Fiemotonghan, B., Fiemotongha, P., Igbapike, D., & Francis, O. (2026, January 30). Listen to the whispers: Addressing the roles of traditional birth attendants in maternal and child health in Nigeria [Poster presentation]. Maternal Health Data Innovation & Coordination Hub. Virtual
Okoye, E., Memon, A., Straughter, T., & Shaw-Ridley, M. (2025, October 30). Association between health literacy and trust in healthcare providers among U.S. women of reproductive age. [Poster presentation]. Maternal Health Data Mosaic 2025. The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the Data Innovation Coordination Hub at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, United States.
Conference Presentations (Refereed)
Straughter, T., Shaw-Ridley, M., Okoye, E., Polk, B., & McKinney, S. (2026, February 28- March 2). Mississippi Delta MommyCare Postpartum (MCPP): Online mental health support groups [Conference presentation]. The XULA 19th Conference on Improving Health Outcomes, New Orleans, LA, United States.
Johnson, R., Shaw-Ridley, M., Baig, K., Omondi, A., & Leggett, S. (2026, March 31). An assessment of the relationship between food security classification, self-care management behaviors, and glycemic control among T2DM patients in Mississippi [Poster presentation]. American Academy of Health Behavior Annual Scientific Meeting, Austin, TX, United States.
Okoye, E., Baig, K., & Shaw, M. (2025). Identifying geographic inequities in family planning service uptake in Pakistan: A comparative study of PDHS 2006 and 2017 using cluster hotspot analysis [Poster presentation]. Mississippi Academy of Science, Biloxi Convention Center, Biloxi, MS, United States.
Okoye, E., Shaw, M., Omondi, A., Scott, J., & Straughter, T. (2025, February 24). Promoting postpartum care and reproductive health in Mississippi through a real-time mHealth app for health alerts [Poster presentation]. Mississippi Health Innovation Conference, Millsaps College, Jackson, MS, United States.
Nabors, B., Shaw-Ridley, M., & Perkins, J. (2025, May 27–30). The Southern paradox: Stigma, culture, and HIV prevention among African American MSM [Poster presentation]. Society for Prevention Research Annual Conference, Seattle, WA, United States.
Johnson, R., Curtis-Holloway, T., Bolton, K., & Shaw-Ridley, M. (2023, June 11-13). Assessing nutrition literacy among HIV/AIDS clients at a federally qualified health center (FQHC) in Mississippi [Conference presentation]. Association of State Public Health Nutritionists Annual Meeting, Denver, CO, United States.
Invited Presentations (Non-Refereed)
Atehortua, N. (2025, September 9). Dissemination strategies to inform postpartum care and policies [Webinar]. Penn Implementation Science Center (PISCE), Implementation Science Institute, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, United States.
Shaw, M. (2025, November 4). Responding to a growing crisis: Tackling maternal care deserts through policy, advocacy, and innovation [Panel presentation]. American Public Health Association Annual Meeting & Expo, Washington, DC, United States.
Shaw-Ridley, M. (2024, September 16). Elevating women’s voices to improve pregnancy and postpartum health [Panel presentation]. National Institute of Mental Health, Office of Disparities Research and Workforce Diversity, NIH Women’s Health Roundtable on Maternal Mental Health Research (Virtual).
Omondi, A. A., Mozingo, C., Shaw-Ridley, M., Polk, B., Whitt, A., … & Gelaye, B. (2024, October 15-16). Mississippi Delta Center of Excellence in Maternal Health: Advancing coordinated postpartum care and support in rural communities [Poster presentation]. National Institutes of Health IMPROVE 5th Anniversary Meeting, Bethesda, MD, United States.
Publications
Okoye, E., Bronson, J., Shaw, M., Breland, R., Omondi, A. (2026). Barriers to Health Equity and Contributors to Health Disparities Among Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Narrative Review. Future; 3. https://doi.org/10.3390/xxxxx
Atehortua, N., & Shaw-Ridley, M. (2026). Gun Violence and Maternal Mortality in the Mississippi Delta: A Dual Public Health Crisis. Journal of Public Health in the Deep South, 6(1), 3. DOI: https://doi.org/10.55533/2996-6833.1124
Okoye, E., Bronson, J., Breland, R., Omondi, A., & Shaw, M. (2025). Public health approaches to promote health equity for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities: A systematic review. Annals of Public Health & Epidemiology, 3(1), Article 000555. https://doi.org/10.33552/APHE.2025.03.000555
Baig, K., Okoye, E., & Shaw, M. (2024). Identifying geographic inequities in family planning service uptake in Pakistan: A comparative study of PDHS 2006 and 2017 using cluster hotspot analysis. Women, 4(4), 365–376. https://doi.org/10.3390/women4040028
Tangbe, P. E., Shaw-Ridley, M., Cannon-Smith, G., McKinney, S., Atehortua, N., & Bennett, R. (2023). Prenatal, delivery and postpartum care experiences among Black women in Mississippi during COVID-19 pandemic 2020–2021. Women, 3(2), 295–309. https://doi.org/10.3390/women3020022
Dissertation and Practicum Research Projects
Onumah, N., Fitzgerald, O., Pugh, R., & Shaw, M. (2023). An analysis of the potential impact of Medicaid postpartum healthcare expansion from 2 months to 12 months on maternal morbidity and mortality in Mississippi: Implications for poor and underserved women in Mississippi [Conference presentation]. Xavier University of Louisiana 16th Health Disparities Conference, New Orleans, LA.
King, E., Shaw, M., Baig, K., Omondi, A., Leggett, S., McKinney, S., (2025). Black Mothers’ Birthing Experiences in Mississippi Hospitals: An Exploratory Study. Jackson State University. (July 2025)
