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Funded Projects

Healthcare Experience Assessing Resilience, Toxic Stress and Prenatal Quality of Care (HEARTS-PQC)

Awarded in 2025
Postdoctoral Grant
Updated Dec 3, 2025

At a Glance

The project, Healthcare Experience Assessing Resilience, Toxic Stress and Prenatal Quality of Care (HEARTS-PQC), led by postdoctoral trainee Melissa Neal, PhD, MPH, seeks to better understand how to measure resilience, toxic stress and prenatal quality of care. Through clinical and community engagement, this African American/Black health initiative gathers perspectives of birthing people on what supportive, respectful and responsive prenatal care should look like, as well as the barriers and facilitators to assessing these factors in real-world settings. Kara Hoppe, DO, PhD, professor (CHS) and vice chair of clinical research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, serves as the supervising mentor.

More Funded Projects

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Community Impact Grant

The Reading for the Future Initiative

Awarded in 2025
The project, The Reading for the Future Initiative, led by Achieve Brown County Inc., is advancing a community-wide effort to ensure all children in Brown County are reading at grade level by the end of third grade. With nearly half of local third graders struggling with reading, the initiative brings together schools, healthcare providers, libraries, parents and community organizations to reduce barriers and make early literacy an everyday experience. By increasing early support and coordination across sectors, the initiative aims to help more children enter fourth grade as confident readers, laying the foundation for long-term academic, economic and health success.
community icon: shaking hands and group of people
Community Impact Grant

Roots and Wings Restorative Resilience Initiative

Awarded in 2025
The project, Roots and Wings Restorative Resilience Initiative, led by Mental Health America, aims to strengthen emotional wellness, peer connection and resilience among middle school students. Ground in restorative practices, social-emotional learning and trauma-informed principles, the program is equipping students and educators with shared tools for reflection, communication and problem-solving. This initiative seeks to enhance relationships and foster more connected and supportive school communities. Courtney Barry, PsyD, associate professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, serves as the academic partner.