Yenupini Joyce Adams, an assistant professor of the practice and the global maternal research lead for the Eck Institute for Global Health, has been recognized by the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI) as an Emerging Leader. This recognition is given to members of the CTSI who demonstrate innovative advancements and exceptional dedication to addressing the state of Indiana’s most pressing health challenges.
Adams is the first at the University of Notre Dame to receive this recognition.
“I would say you need to figure out your why. If you know your why, your what will become easier,” Adams explains in the CTSI announcement. Adams discovered her why while pursuing her PhD in Nursing Science at Michigan State University. Her work centered on closing the gap in postpartum care, which contributes to the death of over 800 women every day around the globe.
Now, Adams leads Notre Dame’s global health commitment to advancing maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) research by implementing community-supported projects to bring increased access to health resources for mothers and families in Indiana and in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In 2021, she was awarded the CTSI’s Global Health Reciprocal Innovation Demonstration Award to pilot her innovative group postpartum care model known as Focused-Postpartum Care (Focused-PPC) in Ghana. With additional support provided in part by an Emerging Opportunities in Health grant through the University of Notre Dame Community Health and Clinical Partnerships, and in partnership with Beacon Health System, Adams is leveraging insights from the initial pilot in Ghana to develop and test a novel group postpartum care model in the state of Indiana.
Adams explains that her passion for continuing her work comes from the positive impact that she continues to make in the lives of the women that she serves. “I am grateful to receive this recognition as an Indiana CTSI Emerging Leader, and I hope that through it I can continue to highlight the importance of improving postpartum care and education within our local communities,” says Adams.
Dr. Bernard Nahlen, director of the Eck Institute for Global Health and professor of biological sciences, shared his thoughts with CTSI, applauding Adams’s “innovative research on reducing adverse health outcomes in the post-partum period,” and her commitment to translating this work from Ghana into a local setting.
In addition to her postpartum care work, Adams will also pilot the Pop Up Pregnancy & Family Village program, a monthly “one-stop shop” of existing, evidence-based programs that are currently operating in St. Joseph County communities. This initiative is expected to expand to other northern Indiana communities through support from Beacon Community Impact.
To learn more about the Indiana CTSI, please visit the website.
More information about recent work by Adams can be found on her website.
Contact:
Christine Grashorn, Communications Specialist
Notre Dame Research / University of Notre Dame
cgrashor@nd.edu / 574.631.4856
research.nd.edu / @UNDResearch
About the Eck Institute for Global Health
The Eck Institute for Global Health (EIGH), an integral part of Notre Dame Research, builds on the University’s historical strength in infectious disease research, including vector-borne diseases, while broadening the interdisciplinary expertise into other key global health areas including maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH); community health; mental health; nutrition and non-communicable diseases; the environment and health; health analytics and technologies; and health systems and organizations. Our team of interdisciplinary researchers and their students holistically address health disparities around the world. EIGH faculty affiliates recognize health as a fundamental human right and promote research, training, and service to advance health standards for all people, especially those in resource-poor countries who are disproportionately impacted by preventable diseases. The EIGH is training the next generation of global health researchers and leaders through undergraduate, Master of Science in Global Health, doctoral, and postdoctoral programs.
About the Indiana CTSI
Founded in 2008, the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI) is a statewide research partnership among Indiana University, Purdue University, the University of Notre Dame, and Regenstrief Institute, along with a number of life sciences organizations, governmental entities and community groups. The Indiana CTSI also engages with the public at every level of research—from basic science to patient care. It has been continuously funded by multimillion-dollar grants from the National Institutes of Health since the Indiana CTSI’s founding in 2008 and is housed at the Indiana University School of Medicine.