Reproductive, and child health research at UGA CPH widens the traditional lens of maternal and child health. Our research interests and expertise span the lab bench to global health policy, with an emphasis on integrating prevention, education, and treatment services. Our faculty studies sexually transmitted disease, birth defects, health disparities in prenatal care, male fertility, and preterm birth.
Faculty Experts
Andrea Swartzendruber
Sexually transmitted infection, reproductive justice
Chas Easley
Male infertility
Jose Cordero
Birth defects, preterm birth prevention
Paula Davis-Olwell
Breastfeeding, child malnutrition
Tamora Callands
Health disparities in prenatal care, global health policy
Selected Projects & Groups
Crisis Pregnancy Center Map
PIs: Andrea Swartzendruber & Danielle Lambert
CPC Map
With funding from multiple sources, Drs. Lambert and Swartzendruber developed and continue to maintain CPC Map, an online geolocated directory of all of the crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) operating in the United States. CPCs are religious anti-abortion organizations that do not adhere to national medical or ethical practice standards. The purpose of CPC Map is to help individuals looking for safe, evidence-based healthcare identify the centers and facilitate research about the centers. CPC Map is the most comprehensive, up-to-date, and rigorous directory of CPCs worldwide. This research about the locations of CPCs and changes over time has been featured by major international and national news outlets. This work has also informed position statements and guidelines issued by respected international and national public health and medicine organizations and congressional, state, and local legislative proposals.
Easley Lab
Work in the Easley Lab focuses on two major themes: 1) Impacts of Environmental Exposures and Lifestyle on Male Fertility and 2) Regenerative Medicine to treat Male Factor Infertility. The Easley lab primarily uses novel in vitro models of human spermatogenesis to investigate how environmental exposures, such as PFAS exposure, and lifestyle, such as cannabis use, impact male fertility and affect offspring health outcomes. In our regenerative medicine portfolio, we use non-human primate pluripotent stem cells as a platform to begin deriving stem cell-based therapies as potential future treatments for severe male factor infertility where currently no treatment options exist.
Puerto Rico Testsite for Exploring Contamination Threats (PROTECT) Center
Co-Director: Jose Cordero
Project Website
Supported with funding from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences’ Superfund Research Program, the PROTECT Center studies exposure to environmental contamination in Puerto Rico and its contribution to adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preterm birth (less than 37 completed weeks of gestation). Rates of preterm birth and infant mortality in Puerto Rico are among the highest of all US states and territories. The PROTECT Center seeks to understand the mechanisms by which exposure to mixtures of suspect chemicals contribute to adverse pregnancy outcomes. The Center also investigates the impacts of extreme weather events on contaminant transport and exposure, and new water treatment technologies are being developed for portable and robust water treatment systems.
Mama Watch
PI: Tamora Callands
Mama Watch is a study focused on determining whether it is feasible to use ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and wearable wrist devices (Garmin Watches) that monitor stress resulting from experiencing a discriminatory event (among pregnant African American women. EMA is a technique that assesses individuals’ current behaviors and experiences as they occur in real-time and in their natural environment. In addition, we want to understand the degree to which discriminatory events are captured at times of high stress. Studies show that African American women experience racial/ethnic health disparities in maternal mortality rates, poor birth outcomes, and pregnancy-related complications. Maternal mental health problems are a contributing factor to these health disparities. African American women who encounter racism and discrimination report higher rates of maternal mental health problems (i.e., depression, anxiety, and prenatal distress).
