Lori Freedman, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences
Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH)​

Dr. Freedman researches the ways in which reproductive health care is shaped by our social structure and medical culture. Her book, Willing and Unable: Doctors’ Constraints in Abortion Care, is based upon 40 in-depth physician interviews. It examines how abortion politics affect medical practice, focusing on the challenges of integrating abortion into physician practice. Unexpected findings from these interviews led her to research and write about the intersection of religion and health care, especially in the case of Catholic-owned hospitals. This research experience has spawned her interest in how physician employers use conscience clauses in medical practice at individual and institutional levels.

Education:

  • University of Oregon, Bachelor's Degree
  • University of California, Davis, Doctorate in Sociology