Established in 2022, the purpose of the Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health (MCAH) student interest group (SIG) is to build a local peer network of students with a shared interest in MCAH. The MCAH SIG offers opportunities and events that engage in student-led dialogue, learning, and skill building. By connecting students interested in MCAH, the MCAH SIG will aim to create a professional network that can be leveraged post-graduation, both locally and nationally, as students move forward in their careers.
Current students are invited to complete this MCAH SIG interest form to stay up to date on the latest MCAH SIG events and meetings. For any questions related to MCAH SIG, please email mcahsig@berkeley.edu
Current MCAH SIG Leadership
Joel Rubio - MCAH MPH Class of 2024
I am a first-generation, Spanish-speaking, former foster youth, Latine graduate student with hidden disabilities, currently pursuing a Master's in Public Health with a concentration in Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health at the University of California, Berkeley.
As an adolescent separated from his parents, I aim to use my personal experiences, resilience, and determination to contribute to public health research, focusing on the critical issue of family separation. Having gone through this challenging experience myself, I believe I can provide unique insights into this subject. As an aspiring public health leader, I am passionate about transforming my past trauma into a career dedicated to supporting Latine undocumented and immigrant youth.
In my spare time, I enjoy traveling, painting, and camping with my lovely spouse and kitten!
Indira D'Souza - MCAH MPH Class of 2025
I am a Bay Area native and graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Global Disease Biology. My research focused on perinatal health and developmental psychology. At UC Davis, I facilitated campus reproductive health advocacy with Planned Parenthood and URGE. I served people who live outside and use drugs in a student-run clinic where we provided syringe exchange and primary care. I look forward to bringing reproductive justice, harm reduction, and One Health practices into my MPH -- with the goal of expanding reproductive health services for marginalized populations. I love cooking and hiking with my partner and our dog!
Former MCAH SIG Co-Directors
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Julia Hankin, MPH - Class of 2023
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Annalisa Watson, MPH - Class of 2023
UC Berkeley's MCAH SIG is a part of the Maternal & Child Health National Network (MCH-NN), which is a network of students and early career professionals ready to share information, opportunities, and actions initiated by and for students and alums of MCAH Centers of Excellence and Catalyst Programs.