The Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington (SPH-B) is pleased to announce that Ph.D. student Sophia Salem was recently named a Student Fellow of the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Section of the American Public Health Association (APHA). The highly competitive Fellowship is designed to foster connections with influential researchers and develop leaders who will impact public policy.
"My advisor…has been so supportive of my journey," Salem says of faculty member and mentor Cecilia Obeng, Ph.D. "She helped me with my application by writing a letter of nomination. She supports my ideas and career pathway. She understands the research I want to conduct and pushes me to do my best."
"Sophia has dedicated her education and career to championing the needs of women and children," Obeng elaborates. "As co-president of the SPH-B Maternal and Child Health Students Association, she exemplifies exceptional leadership. Sophia possesses not only intellectual acumen, but the ability to inspire her peers to make a significant impact in this critical field."
In the 2024–25 academic year, Salem leverages her broad expertise and role as a Fellow to lead and plan the midyear MCH Section meeting, as well as the APHA Annual Meeting and Expo—where scientists from around the country share their research. She will also influence national legislation and policy creation.
Meet the 2024–25 MCH Student Fellows
"I see myself working with the Section for a long time, aiming to eliminate health disparities among pregnant moms and improve access to high-quality prenatal care," Salem says. She adds that when she learned she had been granted the Fellowship, "I was actually in shock… I started crying right away, and then I called my mom to tell her the good news.
"Once the initial shock wore off, I was overjoyed and so excited."
Salem researches health disparities, social determinants of health, access to prenatal care for minority populations, and preeclampsia. Prior to her research at IU, she completed her bachelor and master's degrees in family, youth, and community sciences at the University of Florida. At the Florida Department of Health, she contributed to various initiatives including the Healthy Start program.
For more stories about SPH-B faculty, staff, and student success, visit go.iu.edu/48bx.