Jeffrey S. A. Stringer
Clarke-Pearson Distinguished Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Associate Director for Research, Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine
Dr. Jeffrey Stringer has devoted his career to improving maternal healthcare in low-resource settings around the world. The director of UNC’s global women’s health division, Stringer does research focused on preterm birth, HIV/AIDS in women and children, and obstetrical outcomes where resources are scarce. He also serves as associate director for research at UNC’s Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases.
Stringer’s most recent innovation — a portable, battery-powered prenatal ultrasound device enhanced with artificial intelligence — addresses one of global health’s greatest challenges: access to diagnostic imaging during pregnancy. Designed for use by minimally trained providers, the device delivers vital fetal health information in remote and underserved areas. Supported by grants from the Gates Foundation and the Helmsley Charitable Trust, the instrument is already in use in maternity care deserts across Africa and Asia, with plans underway to bring the technology to rural North Carolina.
Previously Stringer co-founded and led the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, which has expanded maternal and child care to more than 1.6 million people across 350 sites. He is the author of nearly 300 peer-reviewed publications, including maternal HIV care research that has shaped worldwide guidelines. Stringer also co-founded the nation’s first global women’s health fellowship for obstetrician-gynecologists, training more than 180 early-career professionals from the U.S. and Zambia.
