Conference Agenda, Keynote, and Plenary Speakers

Conference Agenda

The conference agenda will be posted in October 2012.

Keynote Speaker

Michael C. Lu, MD, MS, MPH

Michael C. Lu, MD, MS, MPH, was named associate administrator of maternal and child health (MCH Bureau Director) of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) on November 3, 2011. HRSA is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The mission of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) is to provide leadership, in partnership with key stakeholders, to improve the physical and mental health, safety and well-being of the maternal and child health (MCH) population. Through its Title V program, MCHB serves 40 million women, infants, children, adolescents, and their families each year, including fathers and children with special health care needs.

Dr. Lu joined HRSA from the University of California, Los Angeles Schools of Medicine and Public Health, where he was associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology and public health.

Dr. Lu brings years of experience in MCH research, practice, and policy to his post at HRSA. Prior to his appointment to head up MCHB, Dr. Lu chaired the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Infant Mortality. He has served on two Institute of Medicine (IOM) Committees (Committee on Understanding Premature Birth and Assuring Healthy Outcomes, and Committee to re-examine IOM Pregnancy Weight Guidelines), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Select Panel on Preconception Care.

While at UCLA, Dr. Lu was a lead investigator for the National Children’s Study. He also led a project to monitor and improve the quality and safety of maternity care in California. He was best known for his research on racial-ethnic disparities in birth outcomes, and his visionary leadership on life course. Dr. Lu taught obstetrics and gynecology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and maternal and child health at UCLA School of Public Health. He has received numerous awards for his teaching, including Excellence in Teaching Awards from the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics. As an obstetrician, Dr. Lu has attended over a thousand births, and has been voted one of the Best Doctors in America since 2005.

Dr. Lu received his bachelor’s degrees in political science and human biology from Stanford University, master’s degrees in health and medical sciences and public health from UC Berkeley, medical degree from UC San Francisco, and residency training in obstetrics & gynecology from UC Irvine.

Plenary Sessions and Speakers

The plenary sessions and speakers will be posted in September 2012.