Alison Gemmill is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology at the UCLA School of Public Health and a nationally recognized expert in perinatal epidemiology and fertility. Her research leverages large-scale data and natural experiments to understand how structural and political determinants—such as policies, economic shocks, and social stressors—shape maternal, infant, and reproductive health outcomes, including preterm birth, fetal loss, and maternal complications.
Education
- PhD, Demography, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
- MA, Demography, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
- MPH, Maternal and Child Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
- BA, Geography, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
KPCC-FM (NPR) interviewed Dr. Michael Jerrett, professor in the UCLA Fielding School's Department of Environmental Health Sciences, about research he has led that found that women who were pregnant at the time of the 2015-16 leak had babies with low birth weights at rates almost 50% higher than normal.
Women in their final trimester of pregnancy who lived within 6.2 miles of the Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Storage Field blowout — the largest uncontrolled release of toxic air pollutants from an underground gas storage facility in U.S. history — had a nearly 50% higher-than-expected chance of having a low–birth-weight baby, according to a new study by UCLA researchers.
An interdisciplinary team of public health and environmental science researchers from across the University of California have found that despite efforts by the state and local school districts, many public schools fall short of providing sufficient shade, much less natural playing surfaces, for the 5.8 million children they serve – especially in an era of extreme temperatures.
Kathryn Leifheit, PhD MSPH is a social epidemiologist who aims to identify policy levers to improve population health and health equity, with a focus on housing programs and policies. Her research has documented population health impacts of widespread housing insecurity and evictions, as well as health impacts of key housing policies.
Education
- PhD, Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, US
- MSPH, International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, US
- BA, Biochemistry and Latin American Studies, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME, US
A series of three related and recently published studies by an international team led by UCLA Fielding School of Public Health researchers found that COVID-19 vaccination during early pregnancy is not associated with an increased prevalence of major structural birth defects in infants.
CalMatters interviewed UCLA Fielding's Dr. Arturo Vargas Bustamante on the potential impact of federal decisions on health insurance funding, including the reality that when fewer young people enroll in coverage, premiums tend to go up for everyone.
“Then sick people who really need to get coverage pay the price," Vargas Bustamante said.
Dr. Naomi Zewde, assistant professor in the UCLA Fielding School Department of Health Policy and Management, was interviewed by NPR about her research into the potential impact of so-called "baby bonds."
A study published this month reveals that the health of children in the United States has significantly deteriorated across nearly every major health indicator over the past 17 years.
Dr. James Macinko, professor in the UCLA Fielding School departments of Health Policy and Management and Community Health Sciences, was interviewed by NPR about research into the impact of the U.S. Agency for International Development.