Dakota Staren, MPH

Senior Policy Associate

Dakota Staren, MPH, joined the Developing Brain Institute (DBI) in January 2023 as Senior Policy Associate of the Clark Parent & Child Network Prenatal-Neonatal Pillar. Dakota received her Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management from the George Washington University. She has over seven years of experience monitoring legislation, evaluating policy performance and managing complex projects.

The Clark Parent & Child Network

Prior to joining DBI, Dakota was a Research Analyst and Project Manager at Altarum, a non-profit research and consulting organization. In this role, she managed projects at the state and national level that addressed disparities in maternal and child health, workforce development, food security programs and reproductive health policies. Additionally, Dakota served as Project Manager for the National Coalition for Sexual Health’s Policy Action Group, monitoring legislation in real-time and developing policy priorities for the coalition. As DBI’s Senior Policy Associate, Dakota will help develop and implement the Clark Parent & Child Network policy priorities at the local and regional level. She is thrilled to join the team and is excited to contribute her passion for helping families living in and receiving health care in the District of Columbia.