Cari R. Schmidt, PhD

Professional Background

Dr. Cari Schmidt is a Research Professor at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita and the director of the Research Division in the Department of Pediatrics. In 2017 she founded, and is currently the director of, the Center for Research for Infant Birth and Survival (CRIBS). CRIBS mission is to reduce infant mortality through innovative research and implementation networks.

Dr. Schmidt received her PhD in Community Psychology from Wichita State University. She then held a 9-month post-doctoral fellowship in the Office of Research at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita before taking a faculty position.

Through CRIBS, Dr. Schmidt directs several programs aimed at reducing infant mortality across the state. Baby Talk is a community collaborative prenatal education program that serves over 400 pregnant persons each year. Lifting Young Families Towards Excellence (LYFTE) provides targeted case management to support healthy birth outcomes. LYFTE serves nearly 400 families each year. She has received several awards for collaboration and community impact.

• BA, Kansas Wesleyan Univ.
• MA, Wichita State Univ.
• PhD, Wichita State Univ.
• Post Doctoral Fellowship, Research, Universit of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, Wichita, KS

Research

Overview

Dr. Schmidt’s research focus is on infant mortality prevention. As the director of CRIBS, she has been awarded grants and contracts for research and programs related to addressing key drivers of infant mortality. Areas of research interest include infant safe sleep promotion, tobacco cessation for pregnant persons and improving access to perinatal mental health care. All of Dr. Schmidt’s research is collaborative in nature, including multidisciplinary partnerships with investigators from other departments, institutions, and community-based organizations.

She served as the local evaluator for the Kansas Infant Death and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (KIDS) Network’s statewide safe sleep promotion initiatives. Dr. Schmidt is also the lead evaluator on three projects funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), KSKidsMAP, AYM HI and KEEP UP, all of which focus on workforce development around pediatric mental health.

She is a member of the Society for Pediatric Research, International Society for the Study and Prevention of Perinatal and Infant Death (ISPID), as well as several local projects and organizations focused on research and prevention.

Through her role as Research Division director, Dr. Schmidt supports the research of Pediatric faculty and residents and provides mentorship to medical students. She is also a section editor for the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) Pediatrics and Parenting.