University of California San Francisco
UCSF School of Medicine UCSF Medical Center

Stories of the Reproductive Journey: Why Your Past Shapes Your Future and What You Can Do About It

Wednesday, May 20 at 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm Add to Calendar 2026-05-20 12:00:00 2026-05-20 13:30:00 Stories of the Reproductive Journey: Why Your Past Shapes Your Future and What You Can Do About It Join Us for A Free 3-Part Virtual Conversation: Stories of the Reproductive Journey We know this: your grandmother's stress during pregnancy, your childhood neighborhood, the schools you attended, the jobs your parents could access, whether you could see a doctor when you needed one these aren't just memories. They're written into your body. This isn't theory. It's the Life Course Perspective, and it's how researchers are finally explaining what Black families have always known: our health outcomes aren't accidents or individual failures. They're the result of systems, timing, and decades of accumulated pressure. Join us for an honest conversation about how your entire life (from before you were born to right now) shapes your reproductive and maternal health. We'll explore: Timing matters. Why certain windows in your life have outsized effects on your long-term health Your environment is part of your biology. How neighborhoods, stress, access, and safety literally get under your skin It's cumulative. One bad experience isn't the problem, it's the weight of many, across years Turning points are real. Where change is possible, and how to recognize those moments We inherit more than DNA. How health patterns move across generations and why that matters for your kids. Dr. Cassie Marshall, a researcher who studies maternal and child health through an equity lens, will break down what this actually means for Black mothers, Black families, and Black health. She'll share real research and ask the questions that matter: What's being measured? Who benefits from understanding this? How do we use this knowledge to push back? Because here's the truth: When we stop seeing health as isolated moments a high blood pressure reading here, a difficult pregnancy there and start seeing it as a story, everything changes. We start asking not just "what happened?" but "why did it happen?" and most importantly: "how do we write a different ending?" What is Life Course Perspective (LCP)? Life Course Perspective (LCP) helps us understand how our life experiences from childhood to adulthood shape our health and opportunities over time. It shows how things like family, environment, and major events (like economic shifts) all play a role in where we are today. Our health tells a story, one written across a lifetime. Step into a space to discover, understand, and honor your journey. [email protected] America/Los_Angeles public

Join Us for A Free 3-Part Virtual Conversation: Stories of the Reproductive Journey

We know this: your grandmother's stress during pregnancy, your childhood neighborhood, the schools you attended, the jobs your parents could access, whether you could see a doctor when you needed one these aren't just memories. They're written into your body.

This isn't theory. It's the Life Course Perspective, and it's how researchers are finally explaining what Black families have always known: our health outcomes aren't accidents or individual failures. They're the result of systems, timing, and decades of accumulated pressure.

Join us for an honest conversation about how your entire life (from before you were born to right now) shapes your reproductive and maternal health. We'll explore:

Timing matters. Why certain windows in your life have outsized effects on your long-term health
Your environment is part of your biology. How neighborhoods, stress, access, and safety literally get under your skin
It's cumulative. One bad experience isn't the problem, it's the weight of many, across years
Turning points are real. Where change is possible, and how to recognize those moments
We inherit more than DNA. How health patterns move across generations and why that matters for your kids.


Dr. Cassie Marshall, a researcher who studies maternal and child health through an equity lens, will break down what this actually means for Black mothers, Black families, and Black health. She'll share real research and ask the questions that matter: What's being measured? Who benefits from understanding this? How do we use this knowledge to push back?

Because here's the truth: When we stop seeing health as isolated moments a high blood pressure reading here, a difficult pregnancy there and start seeing it as a story, everything changes. We start asking not just "what happened?" but "why did it happen?" and most importantly: "how do we write a different ending?"

What is Life Course Perspective (LCP)?

Life Course Perspective (LCP) helps us understand how our life experiences from childhood to adulthood shape our health and opportunities over time. It shows how things like family, environment, and major events (like economic shifts) all play a role in where we are today. Our health tells a story, one written across a lifetime. Step into a space to discover, understand, and honor your journey.