Renee Mehra, PhD, MS

Dr. Mehra is an ACTIONS Postdoctoral Fellow. Her research explores how social and psychosocial factors influence inequities in maternal and infant health. Using ecosocial and intersectionality frameworks, her research examines mechanistic pathways and health and social policies that may reduce these health inequities. In particular, Dr. Mehra uses mixed methods research to examine and advocate for healthcare models and health policies to improve access and adequacy of prenatal care, such as sustainability of community health worker programs for reproductive-age women and expansion of Medicaid coverage for doulas.

 
Publications: 
  1. "'Oh gosh, why go?' cause they are going to look at me and not hire": intersectional experiences of black women navigating employment during pregnancy and parenting. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2023 Jan 10; 23(1):17. Mehra R, Alspaugh A, Dunn JT, Franck LS, McLemore MR, Keene DE, Kershaw TS, Ickovics JR. PMID: 36627577; PMCID: PMC9830615.
    View in: PubMed   Mentions:    Fields:    Translation:Humans
  2. Racism is a motivator and a barrier for people of color aspiring to become midwives in the United States. Health Serv Res. 2023 Feb; 58(1):40-50. Mehra R, Alspaugh A, Joseph J, Golden B, Lanshaw N, McLemore MR, Franck LS. PMID: 35841130; PMCID: PMC9836944.
    View in: PubMed   Mentions: 2     Fields:    Translation:Humans
  3. "Police shootings, now that seems to be the main issue" - Black pregnant women's anticipation of police brutality towards their children. BMC Public Health. 2022 01 20; 22(1):146. Mehra R, Alspaugh A, Franck LS, McLemore MR, Kershaw TS, Ickovics JR, Keene DE, Sewell AA. PMID: 35057776; PMCID: PMC8781435.
    View in: PubMed   Mentions: 1     Fields:    Translation:Humans
  4. The Space in the Middle: Attitudes of Women's Health and Neonatal Nurses in the United States about Abortion. Womens Health Issues. 2022 Mar-Apr; 32(2):130-139. Alspaugh A, Mehra R, Coleman-Minahan K, Hoffmann TJ, Burton CW, Eagen-Torkko M, Bond TM, Franck LS, Olseon LC, Lanshaw N, Rychnovsky JD, McLemore MR. PMID: 34844851.
    View in: PubMed   Mentions:    Fields:    Translation:Humans
  5. Structural racism and social distancing: Implications for COVID-19. EClinicalMedicine. 2021 May; 35:100869. Mehra R, Franck LS. PMID: 34027330; PMCID: PMC8121994.
    View in: PubMed   Mentions:
  6. Considerations to promote sustainability of community health worker programs to improve maternal health. Journal of Primary Care and Community Health. 2020; 11:1-8. Mehra R, Boyd LM, Lewis J, Cunningham SD. View Publication.
  7. Black pregnant women “get the most judgment”: a qualitative study of the experiences of Black women at the intersection of race, gender, and pregnancy. Women’s Health Issues. 2020. Mehra R, Boyd LM, Magriples U, Kershaw TS, Ickovics JR, Keene DE. View Publication.
  8. Racial and ethnic disparities in adverse birth outcomes: Differences by racial residential segregation. SSM Population Health. 2019; 8. Mehra R, Keene DE, Kershaw TS, Ickovics JR, Warren JL. View Publication.
  9. Area-level deprivation and preterm birth: cross-sectional results from a national, commercially-insured population. BMC Public Health. 2019; 19(1):236. Mehra R, Shebl FM, Cunningham SD, Magriples U, Barrette E, Herrera C, Kozhimannil KB, Ickovics JR. View Publication.
  10. Recommendations for the pilot expansion of Medicaid coverage for doulas in New York State. American Journal of Public Health. 2019; 109(2):217-219. Mehra R, Cunningham SD, Lewis JB, Thomas JL, Ickovics JR. View Publication.
  11. Combining phylogenetic and network approaches to identify HIV-1 transmission links in San Mateo County, California. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2018; 9:2799. Dalai SC, Junqueira DM, Wilkinson E, Mehra R, Kosakovsky Pond SL, Levy V, Israelski D, de Oliveira T, Katzenstein D. View Publication.
  12. Why people smoke: addressing the ‘causes of causes’ of health inequities. 2018. Mehra R. View Publication.
  13. Trump’s housing cuts put Americans’ health at risk. 2018. Mehra R. View Publication.
  14. Racial residential segregation and adverse birth outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Social Science & Medicine. 2017; 191:237-50. Mehra R, Boyd LM, Ickovics JR. View Publication.
  15. Anemia in older persons: etiology and evaluation. Blood Cells, Molecules, and Diseases. 2011; 46(2):159-65. Price EA, Mehra R, Holmes TH, Schrier SL. View Publication.