# The OMWaNA Study: Operationalizing kangaroo Mother care among clinically unstable low birth Weight Neonates in Africa

> **NIH NIH K23** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · 2020 · $189,538

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract:
 Career Goals: This is a resubmission for a K23 Career Development Award for Melissa Morgan, MD, MSc,
who is Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Her previous
research has centered on implementation of neonatal interventions in East Africa and India. In this award, she
aims to build on her preliminary work evaluating the use of kangaroo mother care (KMC) in clinically unstable
neonates in Uganda. Dr. Morgan is committed to a career in academic neonatology, focused on conducting
clinical trials and health systems research to improve newborn health in low-resource settings. The skills and
experience she will gain from this K23 award will prepare her to compete for an R01 proposal to conduct a
randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing the effect of KMC to incubator care on early mortality in clinically
unstable neonates ≤2000 grams, with an accompanying cost-effectiveness and economic evaluation.
 Environment: Dr. Morgan has the full and enthusiastic support of UCSF, which has a tradition of
excellence in clinical research and global health with many investigators pursuing innovative ideas in maternal
and child health in low and middle-income countries. UCSF provides substantial support for junior faculty.
 Key Elements of Research Career Development Plan: Dr. Morgan is a neonatologist with a strong
background in clinical research in low-resource settings. She has experience in study design, quantitative
and qualitative data analysis, scientific writing, and managing research teams. While these experiences have
provided a robust foundation, there are three areas where she requires additional training in order to achieve
her career goals, including 1) advanced training in KMC and implementation science, 2) skills in cost-
effectiveness and economic analysis, and 3) advanced training in statistical issues affecting clinical trials and
experience conducting a pilot trial. Dr. Morgan has assembled an outstanding training and mentoring team
led by her primary mentor, George Rutherford, MD, FAAP, Professor of Epidemiology, Preventive Medicine,
and Pediatrics, Vice Chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Director of the Prevention
and Public Health Group at UCSF, who has expertise in pediatric implementation science and epidemiology
in low-resource settings. Her co-mentors are Joy Lawn, MBBS, MPH, PhD, Professor and Director of the
Maternal, Adolescent, Reproductive, and Child Health (MARCH) Center at the London School of Hygiene
and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), who developed the evidence base to address the global burden of neonatal
mortality and played a leading role in evaluating KMC as a public health intervention, and Peter Waiswa,
MBChB, MPH, PhD, Associate Professor of Health Policy and Planning and Director of the Maternal and
Newborn Center of Excellence at Makerere University in Uganda, who has extensive experience employing
research interventions ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9734127
- **Project number:** 5K23HD092611-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
- **Principal Investigator:** Melissa Morgan Medvedev
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $189,538
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-07-01 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9734127

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9734127, The OMWaNA Study: Operationalizing kangaroo Mother care among clinically unstable low birth Weight Neonates in Africa (5K23HD092611-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9734127. Licensed CC0.

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