Heather Gould, MPH

Heather Gould, MPH is a Project Director for UCSF’s Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH). She oversees research that is redefining how we measure and understand pregnancy desires and decision-making and examining how health care providers navigate legal and institutional policies to support pregnant patients. A founding member of the ANSIRH Program from its inception in 2002, Heather has over two decades of experience co-designing, managing, and implementing qualitative and quantitative sexual and reproductive health research studies. Her research has helped shift the public’s understanding of how pregnancy and abortion impact people’s lives. She has co-authored more than 30 peer-reviewed publications in high-profile journals, such as Contraception and BMJ Open. Narratives from qualitative interviews she conducted are featured in the book, The Turnaway Study: Ten Years, A Thousand Women, and the Consequences of Having— or Being Denied— an Abortion. 

Prior to ANSIRH, Heather worked in prenatal care, family planning, and abortion care facilities, experiences which continue to inform her projects. Heather’ research is motivated by her strong commitment to research ethics, data security, and principles of reproductive justice. She received her MPH from the University of California, Berkeley, with a concentration on Maternal and Child Health.

For a full list of Heather Gould's publications, awards, and presentations, click here.