Kristina Adams Waldorf, MD

Founder

Kristina Adams Waldorf, MD is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Adjunct Professor of Global Health at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She is an internationally recognized expert in how infections impact pregnancy and how vaccines and therapeutics protect the mother and fetus. She is Chair of the National Institutes of Health Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Biology Study Section. She is a member of the Center for Reproductive Sciences and the Center for Innate Immunity and Immune Diseases. Her grant support has come from the National Institutes of Health, the March of Dimes, Burroughs-Wellcome Fund, the Canadian Institute for Health Research and the Australian National Medical Research Council.

Isabelle Crary, MD

Research Team

Isabelle Crary graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Arts in Human Biology. She is now a 1st year resident in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Washington. She has been involved in research on anemia in pregnancy, breast cancer prevention and treatment, and adolescent nutrition. She is passionate about healthcare for individuals who are pregnant, reproductive justice, and nutrition education.

Carly Baxter, MD

Research Team

Carly Baxter graduated from the University of Puget Sound with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a minor in French studies. She is now a 1st year resident in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She has worked with the Maternal Mental Health Access group coordinated by the University of Washington and Washington Department of Health in an effort to reduce maternal mortality rates in Washington State. She is passionate about reproductive justice, equitable health care access and volunteering within her community at local health fairs.

Magali Sanchez, MPH

Research Team

Magali Sanchez is a first-year PhD student in public health at the University of Washington in the Department of Epidemiology. She has 10 years of experience working in public health including as a COVID-19 vaccination program manager for Seattle & King County Public Health and as a clinic manager for the White Center Clinic with Sea Mar Community Health Centers. Her interests in public health include vaccination epidemiology and health equity. For her MPH practicum project, she investigated vaccine hesitancy in Spanish-speaking Hispanic/ Latinx pregnant individuals in Washington State.

Celeste Coler, BA

Research Team - 1st Year Medical Student

Celeste Coler graduated from Claremont McKenna College with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and History. She is now a first year medical student at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Her research focuses on the mucosal response to SARS-CoV-2, the impact of resource scarcity on parasitic infection and immunity, and various aspects of maternal-fetal health. She is passionate about improving access to healthcare and is involved in efforts to advance programs that nurture youth of colors’ interest in healthcare careers.

Emma Every, BA

Research Team - 4th Year Medical Student

Emma Every graduated from Rice University with a Bachelor of Arts in English and minors in Biochemistry & Cell Biology and Medical Humanities. She is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She is involved in research on cerclages in high-risk pregnancies and volunteering with free clinics in her community. Prior to medical school, she worked as a community health worker, and is most proud of leading mass vaccination events in rural Alabama. She is ultimately interested providing full spectrum OB-GYN care in underserved areas.

Elana King-Nakaoka, BS

Research Team - 4th Year Medical Student

Elana King-Nakaoka graduated from Georgetown University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology of Global Health. She is now a fourth-year medical student at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Passionate about maternal and reproductive health, Elana has participated in research on SARS-CoV-2 infections in breastfeeding mothers and their infants, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and the impact of abortion laws on medical education.  Prior to medical school, she worked on the US-Mexico border providing legal aid for detained women and children asylum seekers. She is a Latinx health pathway scholar and ultimately aims to provide OB-GYN care for immigrant and refugee populations.

Catherine Lirtsman

Research Team - 2nd Year Undergraduate Student

Catherine Lirtsman is a second-year undergraduate at the University of California, Los Angeles pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology and Society. She has been involved in research on influenza virus receptor distribution in the placenta and the cytokine reaction to group B streptococcus in placental tissue. Currently, she volunteers in the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center Emergency Department. She is passionate about OB-GYN research and is dedicated to improving maternal and fetal survival rates.