Mahek Zaveri, MPH candidate in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health is the December feature of MCH Leads. In her blog entry, titled “The Mothers Who Shaped My Public Health Future,” Mahek shares extensive expertise as a dentist in India caring for pregnant women and patients through the lenses of MCH Competency 5 (Communication) and Competency 7 (Creating Responsive and Effective MCH Systems). “I never expected dentistry to reveal the deep social forces shaping maternal health, but each story pushed me closer to understanding why I felt so compelled to work with mothers, and why MCH resonated with me more than any other public health field ever could.”
Mahek Zaveri is an MPH candidate in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, graduating in Fall 2025. She is also affiliated with the Maternal Child Health Center of Excellence (MCOE) at Pitt, a HRSA-supported program committed to advancing equity, leadership, and interdisciplinary training in maternal and child health. With a clinical background as a dentist in India and extensive experience caring for pregnant women and patients navigating HIV and tuberculosis, Mahek is passionate about oral health equity, stigma reduction, and strengthening maternal health systems through culturally grounded care.
Learn more about Mahek’s contributions here!