Sarah Raifman, PhD, MSc
Project Director and Epidemiologist
Sarah Raifman is a Project Director and social epidemiologist at Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH). She uses rigorous quantitative and qualitative methods to explore state-level policies targeting alcohol and drug use during pregnancy; the experience of being denied a legal abortion in the US and Nepal; and the safety, effectiveness, and acceptability of alternative approaches to medication abortion service provision in the US. She received a bachelor’s degree from Brown University, a master’s degree in global health from the Harvard School of Public Health, and a PhD in epidemiology from UCSF.
For a full list of Dr. Raifman's publications, awards, and presentations, click here.
The latest research
See allMarch 28, 2026
Cohort profile: The Nepal Turnaway Study
Murro R, Raifman S, Boscardin WJ, Puri M, Karki S, Magar AA, Maharjan D, Rocca CH, Biggs MA, Diamond-Smith N, Foster DG. Cohort profile: The Nepal Turnaway Study. medRxiv. March 2026; https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.03.10.26348060.
November 29, 2025
Mandatory warning signs for alcohol use during pregnancy and birth and infant outcomes in southern United States: a quasi-experimental study
Roberts SCM, Alex Schulte, Raifman S, Liu G, Claudia Zaugg, MPH, Subbaraman MS. Mandatory warning signs for alcohol use during pregnancy and birth and infant outcomes in southern United States: a quasi-experimental study. Alcohol and Alcoholism. November 2025; https://doi.org/10.1093/alcalc/agaf076.
July 30, 2025
Alcohol and drug use and attainment of pregnancy preferences in the southwestern United States: A longitudinal cohort study
Raifman S, Roberts SCM, Rocca CH. Alcohol and drug use and attainment of pregnancy preferences in the southwestern United States: A longitudinal cohort study. Addiction. July 2025; https://doi.org/10.1111/add.70135.
January 24, 2025
Pregnant and Recently Pregnant People’s Views on Policies That Punish Pregnant People Who Use Cannabis
Biggs MA, Raifman S, Claudia Zaugg, MPH, Roberts SCM. Pregnant and Recently Pregnant People’s Views on Policies That Punish Pregnant People Who Use Cannabis. Substance Use & Misuse. January 2025; https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2025.2454660.
July 29, 2024
Amicus brief of over 300 reproductive health researchers supports mifepristone's safety and effectiveness
Barrow A, Cohen CR, Serpico J, Goodman M, Grossman D, Raifman S, Upadhyay UD. Amicus brief of over 300 reproductive health researchers supports mifepristone's safety and effectiveness. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. July 2024; https://doi.org/10.1111/psrh.12282.
July 29, 2024
Brief of over 300 reproductive health researchers as Amici Curiae in FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine
Barrow A, Cohen CR, Serpico J, Goodman M, Grossman D, Raifman S, Upadhyay UD. Brief of over 300 reproductive health researchers as Amici Curiae in FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. July 2024; https://doi.org/10.1111/psrh.12281.