Jody R. Lori

Jody R. Lori is a Professor at the University of Michigan School of Nursing and holds the Professor Sara H. & Robert B. Rothschild Endowed Professor in Global Nursing. Her work focuses on improving maternal and newborn health in low-resource countries through innovative care models and participatory action research. She serves as Director of the PAHO/WHO Collaborating Center and contributes to global health policy via leadership roles in WHO's Technical Advisory Group and the Center for Global Health Equity.

• Education:
  • PhD, University of Arizona (2009)
  • MS, University of Michigan (1992)
  • BSN, University of Michigan (1980)
  • AACN Wharton Executive Leadership Program, University of Pennsylvania (2015)

Her research addresses maternal mortality, reproductive rights, and health systems strengthening in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Current projects include NIH-funded trials of group antenatal care and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation initiatives leveraging WhatsApp for maternal health triage. Key implementation sites include Ghana, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Liberia, Mexico, and Zambia.

Recent publications highlight trends in maternity waiting homes, respectful maternity care frameworks, and socioeconomic interventions like SILCs. She has secured grants from NIH/Fogarty International Center, USAID, and private foundations to address the 300,000 annual maternal deaths and 2.8 million neonatal deaths globally.

• Scientific Awards:
  • Sarah Goddard Power Award, University of Michigan (2019)
  • Fellow, American Academy of Nursing (2012-present)
  • Fellow, American College of Nurse-Midwives (2010-present)

Dr. Lori teaches an inter-professional course (BA620) with medicine, pharmacy, and public health departments. Her work intersects with the World Health Organization Collaborating Centers for Nursing and Midwifery (2020-present) and the National Academies of Sciences' Committee on Reproductive Health Services (2016-2018).