At the Center for Birth Justice, research is not something we do to communities — it is something we do with them. Our work reimagines how research is designed, conducted, and shared by centering the leadership, knowledge, and lived experience of Black women and birthing people.
Through collaborative studies, innovative pilot projects, and intentional mentorship, we translate evidence into action — advancing both science and justice.
CBJ’s research model is guided by our Anti-Racist Research Framework, ensuring that every project is grounded in accountability, transparency, and shared decision-making with the communities most impacted.
We focus on understanding and addressing the structural, social, and biological factors that drive inequities in maternal and infant health — while uplifting community-led solutions that promote joy, healing, and thriving for Black families.
Our research priorities are co-developed with community members, clinicians, and scholars through processes like Research Prioritization by Affected Communities (RPAC), ensuring that every question we ask and every study we design has real-world relevance and impact.
The CBJ Seed Grants fund early-stage, community-guided research that advances birth justice through innovative ideas and partnerships. These awards support faculty, trainees, and community researchers in piloting projects, generating preliminary data, and strengthening collaboration between academic and community partners.
Past seed-funded projects have examined the impacts of obstetric racism, housing insecurity, and perinatal stress, as well as community-based strategies to improve birth outcomes.
The Community Innovators program trains community members with lived experience to become leaders in birth justice research. Using a community-based participatory action research model, participants learn qualitative or quantitative research methods, conduct studies on issues such as housing security and perinatal stress, and transform their findings into advocacy and policy action.
By positioning community members as researchers and decision-makers, this program ensures that research reflects the wisdom and priorities of those most impacted by birth inequities.
CBJ’s research portfolio includes interdisciplinary projects that translate community insight into measurable change.
Our current and past studies include:
Our research builds upon the decade-long work of the California Preterm Birth Initiative (PTBi), whose groundbreaking community partnerships and policy leadership laid the foundation for CBJ’s mission.
Through collaborative studies, innovative pilot projects, and intentional mentorship, we translate evidence into action — advancing both science and justice.