UCSF California Preterm Birth Initiative

PTBi is dedicated to ending racial disparities in birth. We conduct and fund innovative birth research that centers BIPOC lived experiences and strives to dismantle the racist structures and beliefs driving the epidemic. We work with communities that are most impacted by the epidemic to generate evidence on promising interventions that can help prevent preterm birth and improve outcomes for babies born too soon. By improving outcomes for those who experience the worst outcomes, we can improve outcomes for everyone.

PTBi uses antiracist research justice protocols to remove the hierarchy so that experiential, cultural and spiritual knowledge has equal value to scientific knowledge. We work to ensure that people with lived experience lead research studies, collaborate in the formation of research questions, and partner in the decisions of who receives research funding. 

This approach can improve recruitment and retention, provide greater relevance and credibility, and accelerate the translation of results into clinical practice. Not only is the approach the right thing to do, it's better science