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 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, and we endeavor to address those inequities only with broader approaches, rigorous public health and social scientific methodologies, and community-informed perspectives.

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, abortion, and other health disparities. The division is also home to the Collaborative for Reproductive Equity (CORE) an initiative that supports and translates rigorous, policy-relevant research on reproductive health, equity, and autonomy in Wisconsin and beyond.

Our greatest strength exists within our diverse partnerships. Faculty and staff in the division collaborate with professionals across the UW-Madison campus. Connections include the Department of Anthropology Department of Gender and Women’s StudiesDepartment of Population Health Sciences, the School of Nursing, the UW-Madison Prevention Research Center, the Center for Demography and Ecology, and the La Follette School of Public Affairs.

Reproductive and Population Health Division News

Higgins, Green co-author commentary in Wisconsin Medical Journal

Jenny Higgins, PhD, MPH, director of the Division of Reproductive and Population Health and the Collaborative for Reproductive Equity, and Tiffany Green, PhD, associate professor in the Division of Reproductive and Population Health, co-authored a new commentary article published in the Wisconsin Medical Journal. Co-authors i... more

Division of Reproductive and Population Health, CORE bring expertise to Society of Family Planning annual meeting

In late 2024, members of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Division of Reproductive and Population Health and the UW Collaborative for Reproductive Equity, and more brought research to the Society of Family Planning annual meeting in Detriot, MI. Session:Mitigating participant fraud: Lessons from the field - Klaira ... more

Green discusses Sarto’s legacy and impact in WORT special broadcast

In early January, WORT FM aired An Obit Special: People we Lost In 2024. The program included a tribute to Gloria Sarto, MD, PhD, emerita professor in the UW Department of Ob-Gyn. Sarto passed away in June 2024. The program highlighted Sarto’s extensive contributions to health and health equity throughout her career. Learn mo... more

Higgins talks about abortion obstacles with Cap Times

Jenny Higgins, PhD, MPH, director of the UW Collaborative for Reproductive Equity (CORE) and the Division of Reproductive and Population Health, joined the Cap Times for a story about the future of abortion in Wisconsin in light of potential policy changes from the federal level.In “Wisconsin abortion providers brace for anot... more

Green adds perspective to article about implicit bias training in medicine

Tiffany Green, PhD, associate professor in the Division of Reproductive and Population Health, shared thoughts about the role of implicit bias training in addressing maternal health disparities in an article from Rebellious Magazine.In the article To Close Racial Gap in Maternal Health, Some States Take Aim at Implicit Bias, ... more