Chisomo Petross, RNM, MscIH

Chisomo Petross (MSc International Health, Registered Nurse Midwife) is a Fulbright scholar under the ‘Fulbright African research scholar program- Program and Curriculum Development Grants’ at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She is hosted by Professor Jill Marsteller in the Health Policy and Management (HPM) department. She comes from Malawi, where she is a lecturer at Kamuzu University of Health sciences, School of Global and Public health. She has passion for positive maternal health outcomes. She conducts research on stillbirth prevention and management, perinatal bereavement care, quality of care within health system innovative interventions –Performance Based Financing (PBF). Drawing on her hands on experience as a nurse-midwife in a busy maternity unit in Mangochi, Malawi, and research work in this area, she joins the Black Birthing Futures Project on Black Community Midwifery care. Her role is to analyze observation research data and write a research paper together with Dr Kaytura Felix on the Black Community Midwives care across maternal health spectrum.

Over the next 5 months, Chisomo will be working with colleagues in various Schools within Johns Hopkins (public heath, nursing and international health) to understand the Health Policy and Management (HPM) curriculum development process and delivery, and get new ideas on student’s research topics. Some of her activities include: (i) “Tour” of curriculum and curricular development process— via interviews/ meetings with those who run/ plan HPM curricula; (ii) Exposure to teaching/ syllabi –guest  access to Managing Health Service Organization (MHSO); (iii) Joins doctoral Organization Theory and Behavior seminars (offered monthly); (iv) Joins training sessions at the center for Promoting Embedded Research in the Learning Health System (PERLHS), participates in and critiques PERLHS asynchronous platform; (v) Exposure to Masters research/new research topic ideas; (vi) Give presentations to enrich Johns Hopkins community stemming from her experience working in the health system, research projects and academic activities, and (vii) present a guest lecture in MHSO and research work at Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research (CHSOR) seminar etc.

Chisomo is excited to connect with colleagues across JHU Schools. Currently, she is on desk 370A Ashland Building and can be reached directly via email at cpetros5@jh.edu.