Christina Chambers

Christina Chambers is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and Vice Chair of Clinical Research at UCSD and Rady Children’s Hospital. She co-directs the Center for Better Beginnings, directs the UCSD ACTRI Center for Life Course and Vulnerable Populations Research, and founded Mommy’s Milk, a national human milk biorepository. Her work focuses on environmental exposures during pregnancy and lactation, particularly recreational substances and medications, and their impact on birth defects and child development.

• Education: PhD in Public Health Epidemiology (UCSD/SDSU), MPH in Epidemiology (SDSU), BA in Anthropology (California State University, Fullerton)

Dr. Chambers has led over 25 national/international cohort studies and clinical trials, including NIH-funded projects on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), pharmacokinetics of medications in lactation, and teratogen risk assessment. Her research has redefined safety guidelines for prenatal drug use and advanced early FASD detection.

Her recent publications span maternal-fetal SARS-CoV-2 transmission, miRNA biomarkers for alcohol-related outcomes, and socioeconomic drivers of congenital heart disease disparities. Awards include the Teratology Society’s Patricia Rodier Mid-Career Award, NIH Mentor Honor, and San Diego Business Journal’s Women Who Mean Business recognition.