Who We Are

Publications & Funding

Advancing the Margins of Knowledge | Research on Pregnancy & Birth Defects Publications

At the heart of the Center for Better Beginnings is an active pregnancy research program, including related publications, that help improve and advance our understanding of the causes of preventable birth defects. Our partners in these efforts include other universities, government agencies, non-profit organizations, hospitals, health care providers, biomedical research institutions and pharmaceutical companies. Our work is getting noticed on campus, in the community and around the world.

Leadership

Experts Like No Other

The Center for Better Beginnings leaders, Dr. Christina D. Chambers, Dr. Kenneth Lyons Jones, and Dr. Miguel del Campo, are involved in active clinical and epidemiological research programs at UC San Diego, and collaborate with scientists across the United States and internationally. They maintain a strong commitment to teaching at the undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral levels, and participate in many programs for trainees in the areas of pediatrics, dysmorphology, teratology, genetics, epidemiology, pharmacology and behavioral health. In addition, Dr. Kenneth Lyons Jones sees patients at UCSD Pediatric Associates and Dr. Miguel del Campo at Rady Children’s Hospital FASD Clinic.

History

From Breaking Ground to Groundbreaking Discoveries

When babies are born healthy, everyone thrives. The Center for Better Beginnings at UC San Diego has been organizing efforts since 1974 based on this vision of success. As a natural extension of the Department of Pediatrics, the history of the Center for Better Beginnings stems from early discoveries of how environmental factors can influence a baby’s development. Optimal prenatal care, the avoidance of harmful substances, and the prevention of illness in pregnancy requires improved healthcare and health practices, and we’re glad to be at the forefront of these activities through our illustrious past, groundbreaking present, and ambitious future.

Learn more about these early discoveries and the many contributions made to the field by the esteemed Center for Better Beginnings team.