Division of Reproductive and Population Health

The Division of Reproductive and Population Health (“Pop Health”), founded 2017, is committed to improving reproductive health, wellbeing, and equity through high-quality social science research and evidence-based programs. Our work recognizes that health is influenced not just by individual-level factors or healthcare service delivery, but also by the social and socioeconomic contexts in which people live. Reproductive health inequities overwhelmingly stem from these latter sociocultural factors. 

To address those inequities, members of this division conduct rigorous research, provide leadership to several public health initiatives, partner with diverse stakeholders, and endeavor to translate research into policy and practice through dissemination and implementation. Topic areas include birth equity, contraception, pregnancy and family planning, and abortion, among others. The division is also home to the Collaborative for Reproductive Equity (CORE), an initiative that supports and translates policy-relevant research on reproductive health, equity, and autonomy in Wisconsin and beyond, and the Reproduction Equity Action Lab, which conducts rigorous and cutting-edge research that identifies key structural inequities that stand in the way of reproductive autonomy across the lifespan. 

Green, Sobecki celebrated at SMPH Faculty Investiture Ceremony

The UW School of Medicine and Public Health hosted the 2025 SMPH Faculty Investiture Celebration on June 18. Two faculty in the Department of Ob-Gyn with recent appointments to endowed professorships and fellowships were celebrated during the ceremony.Tiffany Green, PhD, associate professor in the Division of Reproductive and... more

Cutler, Higgins talk about post-Dobbs research in Cap Times

Abigail Cutler, MD, MPH, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, was the lead author on a study published in JAMA Open Network about the impact of the Dobbs decision on the ability of ob-gyns in Wisconsin to provide adequate health care to patients with pregnancy risks or complications. Cutler a... more

Research and leadership at the AcademyHealth 2025 Annual Research Meeting

Faculty, scholars, and staff from the UW Department of Ob-Gyn brought research and provided leadership at the AcademyHealth 2025 Annual Research Meeting. AcademyHealth hosted the event in Minneapolis June 7-10, 2025. Podium presentations: Partnering with Community and Applying Evidence to Advance Reproductive Health - Tiffany... more

Presentations at Department Research Day 2025

On May 15, 2025, the UW Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology hosted Department Research Day, an annual presentation of graduating fellows’ thesis projects, research from members of the Department of Ob-Gyn, and posters showcasing a variety of ob-gyn and reproductive health research.Margareta Pisarska, MD, director of the D... more

Wendland publishes study about maternal mortality misinformation in Global Public Health

Claire Wendland, MD, PhD, professor in the Division of Reproductive and Population Health, co-authored a new study published in Global Public Health. Co-authors include Lynn Morgan.In “Debunking misinformation about abortion-related maternal mortality in Africa,” Wendland and co-authors noted how misinformation in Africa abo... more
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