A headshot of Monica McLemore

Monica McLemore, PhD, MPH, RN

ANSIRH Affiliated Investigator

Monica McLemore is currently a Visiting Professor at the Rory Meyers College of Nursing at New York University. Her program of research is focused on understanding reproductive health and justice. To date, she has 145 peer reviewed articles, OpEds, and commentaries, and her research has been cited in the Huffington Post, Lavender Health, eight amicus briefs to the Supreme Court of the United States, four National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine reports, and a data visualization project entitled “How To Fix Maternal Mortality: The first step is to stop blaming women” that was published in the 2019 Future of Medicine edition of Scientific American.

Her work has also appeared in publications such as Dame Magazine, Politico, ProPublica/NPR, and she made a voice appearance in Terrance Nance’s HBO series Random Acts of Flyness. She is the recipient of numerous awards and is a past chair of the Sexual and Reproductive Health section of the American Public Health Association. She was inducted as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 2019. She became the Editor in Chief of Health Equity Journal in 2022.

Citations
  • Chambers-Butcher B, Arabia SE, Arcara J, Arega HA, Delgado A, Bell A, Camara T, Carrasco Z, Clary C, Robertson KC, Flowers E, Henderson JT, Jackson AV, Kitt B, Kober K, McKenzie-Sampson S, Mitchell A, Negrete G, Oseguera T, Taylor B, Scott KA, Stanley D, Sucher A, Waters S, Spellen SA, Cobbins A, McLemore MR, Manchikanti Gomez A. Strategies to recruit and retain Black and Latina/x women and birthing people in a biospecimen research study. Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare. May 2026; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.srhc.2026.101223.
  • McLemore MR, Crear-Perry J, Scott KA, Roberts SCM. Revisionist History is Not Helpful. A Response to Allen, et al., MCH and Abortion: Toward a Stronger Relationship. Maternal and Child Health Journal. February 2026; https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-026-04222-x.
  • Johnson ER, McLemore MR. Place Matters: Geographic Distribution of Abortion Fund Services. Health Equity. August 2025; https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1177/24731242251369612.
  • Austin K, Smith O, McLemore MR, Lewis S, McKenzie-Sampson S, Washington T, Rogers EE, Karvonen K. Staff perspectives on racial inequities in the neonatal intensive care unit: the REJOICE study. Journal of Perinatology. August 2025; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-025-02378-y.
  • McLemore MR. Understanding Hospitals as Sites of Care That Address Social Needs—Why It Matters. Jama Network Open. July 2025; https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.12402.
  • King LP, Eagen-Torkko M, Franck LS, Solis E, Suárez-Baquero D, McLemore MR. Why abortion is healthcare: Response to: “Abortion is healthcare: In what sense?”. Nursing Outlook. March 2025; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2025.102389.
  • McLemore MR. What Health Equity Journal Stands For. Journal of Health Economics. March 2025; https://doi.org/10.1089/heq.2025.0031.
  • Eagen-Torkko M, Altman MR, Chor J, Franck LS, Greenberg M, King LP, Solis E, Suárez-Baquero D, Alicia Swartz, RN, PNP, PhD candidate, McLemore MR. Why abortion is healthcare. Nursing Outlook. December 2024; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2024.102345.
  • Karvonen K, Smith O, Chambers-Butcher B, Afulani PA, Mathis-Perry T, Rangwalla K, McLemore MR, Rogers EE. Audio-diary reflections after community focus groups to address local racial inequities in the neonatal intensive care unit. Journal of Perinatology. November 2024; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-024-02176-y.
  • Jeffries-EL M, McLemore MR, Zelzer R, Moore T. Black women on the academic tightrope: four scholars weigh in. Nature Medicine. October 2024; https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-03342-0.
  • Quinones N, Liza Fuentes, DrPH, MPH, Hassan A, Hing AK, Samari G, McLemore MR. Society of Family Planning Research Practice Support: Strategies and considerations for addressing race and racism in quantitative family planning studies. Contraception. October 2024; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.contraception.2024.110534.
  • Chambers BD, Friedman IK, Scott KA, Clary C, Negrete G, McLemore MR. Insights into retrofitting fellowships in family planning with principles of equality, race, and cultural literacy. Contraception. August 2024; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.contraception.2024.110556.
  • Smith O, Karvonen K, Gonzales-Hinojosa M, Lewis-Zhao S, Washington T, McLemore MR, Rogers EE, Franck LS. Parents Experiences of Racism in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Journal of Patient Experience. August 2024; https://doi.org/10.1177/2374373524127.
  • Suárez-Baquero D, Joseph J, McLemore MR. Traditional Black Midwifery to Enhance Birth Justice. Journal of Obstetric Gynecologic Neonatal Nursing. August 2024; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jogn.2024.07.003.
  • Gichane MW, Asiodu I, Chambers BD, Clary C, Cooper N, Erhahon H, Negrete G, Jeffers KS, Young J, McLemore MR. Virtual Research Prioritization: Innovations for Research Agenda Development With Impacted Communities. International Journal of Qualitative Methods. May 2024; https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069241256550.
  • Golden B, Elrefaay S, McLemore MR, Alspaugh A, Baltzell K, Franck LS. Midwives’ experience of telehealth and remote care: a systematic mixed methods review. BMJ Open. March 2024; https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-082060.
  • Marshall C, Nguyen A, Arteaga S, Hubbard E, Armstead M, Peprah S, Britt S, McLemore MR, Manchikanti Gomez A. Building Capacity for Research on Community Doula Care: A Stakeholder-Engaged Process in California. Maternal and Child Health Journal. January 2024; https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-023-03883-2.
  • Karvonen K, Smith O, Chambers BD, Franck LS, Mckenzie-Simpson S, McLemore MR, Pantell M, Rogers EE. Parent and staff perceptions of racism in a single-center neonatal intensive care unit. Pediatric Research. January 2024; https://www.nature.com/articles/s41390-023-02980-w.
  • Alspaugh A, Suárez-Baquero D, Mehra R, Lanshaw N, Joseph J, Combs M, Spiller K, McLemore MR, Franck LS. “Patients want to see people that look like them”: Aspiring midwives of color as resistance to racism through concordant care in the United States. SSM - Qualitative Research in Health. February 2023; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmqr.2023.100226.
  • Mehra R, Alspaugh A, Dunn JT, Franck LS, McLemore MR, Keene DE, Kershaw TS, Ickovics JR. “‘Oh gosh, why go?’ cause they are going to look at me and not hire”: intersectional experiences of black women navigating employment during pregnancy and parenting. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. January 2023; https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-022-05268-9.
  • Golden B, Asiodu I, Franck LS, Ofori-Parku CY, Suárez-Baquero D, Youngston T, McLemore MR. Emerging approaches to redressing multi-level racism and reproductive health disparities. npj Digital Medicine. November 2022; DOI: 10.1038/s41746-022-00718-2.
  • Ogbu-Nwobodo L, Shim R, Vinson SY, Fitelson EM, Biggs MA, McLemore MR, Thomas M, Godzich M, Mangurian C. Mental Health Implications of Abortion Restrictions for Historically Marginalized Populations. New England Journal of Medicine. October 2022; DOI: 10.1056/NEJMms2211124.
  • McLemore MR, Robles J, Schubert KG, Whitt-Glover MC. How a Public Health Crisis Created an Impetus for Change: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's National Commission to Transform Public Health Data Systems. Health Equity. September 2022; DOI: 10.1089/heq.2022.29014.rtd.
  • Chen Z, Ma G, Zhang X, McLemore MR. Editorial: Community Engagement Is Key to Promoting Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Health. Health Equity. September 2022; DOI: 10.1089/heq.2022.0124.
  • Anand ST, Ryckman KK, Baer RJ, Charlton ME, Breheny PJ, Terry WW, McLemore MR, Karasek D, Jelliffe-Pawlowski LL, Chrischilles EA. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy among women with a history of leukemia or lymphoma. Pregnancy Hypertension. July 2022; DOI: 10.1016/j.preghy.2022.07.002.
  • Mehra R, Alspaugh A, Joseph J, Golden B, Lanshaw N, McLemore MR, Franck LS. Racism is a motivator and a barrier for people of color aspiring to become midwives in the United States. Health Services Research. July 2022; DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.14037.
  • Logan R, McLemore MR, Julian Z, Stoll K, Malhotra N, Vedam S. Coercion and non-consent during birth and newborn care in the United States. Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care. June 2022; DOI: 10.1111/birt.12641.
  • Brown K, Plummer M, Bell A, Combs M, Gates-Burgess B, Mitchell A, Sparks M, McLemore MR, Jackson AV. Black Women's Lived Experiences of Abortion. Qualitative Health Research. June 2022; DOI: 10.1177/104973232210976.
  • Chen Z, Ma G, McLemore MR. Health Equity Editorial Introduction. Health Equity. May 2022; DOI: 10.1089/heq.2022.0092.
  • Lett E, Adekunle D, McMurray P, Asabor EN, Irie W, Simon MA, Hardeman R, McLemore MR. Health Equity Tourism: Ravaging the Justice Landscape. DOI: 10.1007/s10916-022-01803-5. February 2022.
  • Mehra R, Alspaugh A, Franck LS, McLemore MR, Kershaw TS, Ickovics JR, Keene DE, Sewell AA. “Police shootings, now that seems to be the main issue” – Black pregnant women’s anticipation of police brutality towards their children. BMC Public Health. January 2022; 22, 146. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-12557-7.
  • Kimport K, McLemore MR. The Problem with “Justifying” Abortion: Why Real Reproductive Justice Cannot Be Achieved by Theorizing the Legitimacy of Abortion. Women's Reproductive Health. January 2022; DOI: 10.1080/03610926.2021.1999587.
  • Cooper N, Lyndon A, McLemore MR, Asiodu I. Social Construction of Target Populations: A Theoretical Framework for Understanding Policy Approaches to Perinatal Illicit Substance Screening. Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice. December 2021; doi: 10.1177/15271544211067781.
  • Alspaugh A, Mehra R, Coleman-Minahan K, Hoffmann TJ, Burton CW, Eagen-Torkko M, Bond T, Franck LS, Olseon LC, Lanshaw N, Rychnovsky JD, McLemore MR. The Space in the Middle: Attitudes of Women's Health and Neonatal Nurses in the United States about Abortion. Women's Health Issues. November 2021; DOI: 10.1016/j.whi.2021.10.011.
  • Foster V, Harrison JM, Williams CR, Asiodu I, Ayala S, Getrouw-Moore J, Davis NK, Davis W, Mahdi IK, Nedhari A, Niles PM, Peprah S, Perritt J, McLemore MR, Jackson FM. Reimagining Perinatal Mental Health: An Expansive Vision For Structural Change. Health Affairs. October 2021; 40:10, 1592-1596.
  • Moore JE, McLemore MR, Glenn N, Zivin K. Policy Opportunities To Improve Prevention, Diagnosis, And Treatment Of Perinatal Mental Health Conditions. Health Affairs. October 2021; 40:10, 1534-1542.
  • Karasek D, Baer RJ, McLemore MR, Bell AJ, Blebu BE, Casey JA, Coleman-Phox K, Costello JM, Felder JN, Flowers E, Fuchs J, Gomez AM, Karvonen K, Kuppermann M, Liang L, McKenzie-Sampson S, McCulloch CE, Oltman SP, Pantell MS, Piao X, Prather AA, Schmidt RJ, Scott KA, Spellen SA, Stookey JD, Tesfalul M, Rand L, Jelliffe-Pawlowski LL. The association of COVID-19 infection in pregnancy with preterm birth: A retrospective cohort study in California. The Lancet Regional Health - Americas. July 2021; doi: 10.1016/j.lana.2021.100027. [Epub ahead of print].
  • McLemore MR. Reimagining methodological considerations for research studies using 'big' administrative data sets. Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology. June 2021; 35(4):491-492.
  • Bray SRM, McLemore MR. Demolishing the Myth of the Default Human That Is Killing Black Mothers. Frontiers in Public Health. May 2021; 9:630-640.
  • Anand ST, Chrischilles EA, Baer RJ, Charlton ME, Breheny PJ, Terry WW, McLemore MR, Karasek D, Jelliffe-Pawlowski LL, Ryckman KK. The risk of preterm birth among women with a history of leukemia or lymphoma. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. April 2021; [Epub ahead of print].
  • Chambers BD, Arega HA, Arabia SE, Taylor B, Barron R, Gates B, Scruggs-Leach L, Scott KA, McLemore MR. Black women’s perspectives on structural racism across the reproductive lifespan: A conceptual framework for measurement development. Maternal and Child Health Journal. January 2021; [Epub ahead of print].
  • Crear-Perry J, Correa-de-Araujo R, Johnson TL, McLemore MR, Neilson E, Wallace M. Social and structural determinants of health inequities in maternal health. Journal of Women's Health. November 2020; 30(2):230-235. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2020.8882.
  • Trainor L, Frickberg-Middleton E, McLemore MR, Franck L. Mexican-Born women’s experiences of perinatal care in the United States. Journal of Patient Experience. October 2020; doi:10.1177/2374373520966818.
  • McLemore MR, Berkowitz R, Oltman SP, Baer RJ, Franck L, Fuchs J, Karasek D, Kuppermann M, Mckenzie-Simpson S, Melbourne D, Taylor B, Williams S, Rand L, Chambers BD, Scott K, Jelliffe-Pawlowski LL. Risk and protective factors for preterm birth among black women in Oakland, California. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. October 2020; s40615-020-00889-2.
  • Scott KA, Chambers BD, Baer RJ, Ryckman KK, McLemore MR, Jelliffe-Pawlowski LL. Preterm birth and nativity among Black women with gestational diabetes in California, 2013-2017: a population-based retrospective cohort study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. October 2020; 20(1):593.
  • Swartz A, Hoffmann TJ, Cretti E, Burton CW, Eagen-Torkko M, Levi A, Aztlan EA, McLemore MR. Attitudes of California registered nurses about abortion. Journal of Obstetric Gynecologic Neonatal Nursing. August 2020; S0884-2175(20)30106-4.
  • Toquinto SM, Berglas NF, McLemore MR, Delgado A, Roberts SCM. Pregnant women's acceptability of alcohol, tobacco, and drug use screening and willingness to disclose use in prenatal care. Women's Health Issues. July 2020; 30(5):P345-352.
  • Altman MR, McLemore MR, Oseguera T, Lyndon A, Franck LS. Listening to women: Recommendations from women of color to improve experiences in pregnancy and birth care. Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health. June 2020; 65(4):466-473.
  • Coleman-Minahan K, Sheeder J, Arbet J, McLemore MR. Interest in medication and aspiration abortion training among Colorado nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, and physician assistants. Women's Health Issues. April 2020; 30(3):167-175.
  • Edwards BN, McLemore MR, Baltzell K, Hodgkin A, Nunez O, Franck LS. What about the men? Perinatal experiences of men of color whose partners were at risk for preterm birth, a qualitative study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. February 2020; 20(1):91.
  • Britton LE, Alspaugh A, Greene MZ, McLemore MR. CE: An Evidence-Based Update on Contraception. The American Journal of Nursing. February 2020; 120(2):22-33.
  • Franck LS, McLemore MR, Williams S, Millar K, Gordon AY, Williams S, Woods N, Edwards L, Pacheco T, Padilla A, Nelson F, Rand L. Research priorities of women at risk for preterm birth: findings and a call to action. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. January 2020; 20(1):10.
  • Chambers BD, Arabia SE, Arega HA, Altman MR, Berkowitz R, Feuer SK, Franck LS, Gomez AM, Kober K, Pacheco-Werner T, Paynter RA, Prather AA, Spellen SA, Stanley D, Jelliffe-Pawlowski LL, McLemore MR. Exposures to structural racism and racial discrimination among pregnant and early post-partum Black women living in Oakland, California. Stress & Health. January 2020; 36(2):213-219.
  • McLemore MR. Establishing an Evidence Base for Meeting the Reproductive Health Needs of Immigrants. Journal of Women's Health. November 2019; 28(11)1456-1457.
  • Altman MR, Osequera T, McLemore MR, Kantrowitz-Gordon I, Franck LS, Lyndon A. Information and power: Women of color's experiences interacting with health care providers in pregnancy and birth. Social Science & Medicine. October 2019; 238:112491.
  • McLemore MR, Choo EK. The right decisions need the right voices. The Lancet. September 2019; 394(10204):P1133.
  • McLemore MR, Asiodu I, Crear-Perry J, Davis DA, Drew M, Hardeman RR, Mendez DD, Roberts L, Scott KA. Race, Research, and Women's Health: Best Practice Guidelines for Investigators. Obstetrics & Gynecology. August 2019; 134(2):422-423.
  • Ross KM, Dunkel Schetter C, McLemore MR, Chambers BD, Paynter RA, Baer RJ, Feuer SK, Flowers E, Karasek D, Pantell M, Prather AA, Ryckman KK, Jelliffe-Pawlowski LL. Socioeconomic Status, Preeclampsia Risk and Gestational Length in Black and White Women. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. July 2019; 6(6):1182-1191.
  • Vedam S, Stoll K, Taiwo TK, Rubashkin N, Cheyney M, Strauss N, McLemore MR, Cadena M, Nethery E, Rushton E, Schummers L, Declercq E, GVTM-US Steering Council. The Giving Voice to Mothers study: inequity and mistreatment during pregnancy and childbirth in the United States. Reproductive Health. June 2019; 16(1):77.
  • Chambers BD, Baer RJ, McLemore MR, Jelliffe-Pawlowski LL. Using Index of Concentration at the Extremes as Indicators of Structural Racism to Evaluate the Association with Preterm Birth and Infant Mortality-California, 2011-2012. Journal of Urban Health. April 2019; 96(2):159-170.
  • Baer RJ, Berghella V, Muglia LJ, Norton ME, Rand L, Ryckman KK, Jelliffe-Pawlowski LL, McLemore MR. Previous Adverse Outcome of Term Pregnancy and Risk of Preterm Birth in Subsequent Pregnancy. Maternal and Child Health Journal. April 2019; 23(4):443–450.
  • Scott K, Britton L, McLemore MR. The Ethics of Perinatal Care for Black Women: Dismantling the Structural Racism in “Mother Blame” Narratives. The Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing. April 2019; 33(2):108-115.
  • Baer RJ, McLemore MR, Adler N, Oltman SP, Chambers BD, Kuppermann M, Pantell MS, Rogers EE, Ryckman KK, Sirota M, Rand L, Jelliffe-Pawlowski LL. Pre-pregnancy or first-trimester risk scoring to identify women at high risk of preterm birth. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology. December 2018; 231:235-240.
  • Baer RJ, Lessard LN, Jankowska M, Anderson JG, Block J, Chambers CD, Fuchs J, Kuppermann M, McLemore MR, Newel G, Oltman SP, Rogers EE, Ryckman KK, Steurer MA, Yang J-A, Franck LS, Rand L, Jelliffe-Pawlowski LL. Comparison of risk and protective factors for preterm birth in rural, suburban, and urban Fresno County, California. Journal of Epidemiological Research. August 2018; 4(2):50-58.
  • McLemore MR, Altman MR, Cooper N, Williams S, Rand L, Franck L. Health care experiences of pregnant, birthing and postnatal women of color at risk for preterm birth. Social Science & Medicine. March 2018; 201:127-135.
  • Franck LS, McLemore MR, Cooper N, De Castro B, Gordon AY, Williams S, Williams S, Rand L. A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting. Journal of Visual Experiments. January 2018; (131), e56220, doi:10.3791/56220.
  • Franck LS, McLemore MR, Cooper N, De Castro B, Gordon AY, Williams S, Williams S, Rand L. Research Prioritization by Affected Communities protocol. Video. January 2018.
  • McLemore MR, Aztlan EA. Retrospective Evaluation of the Procedural Sedation Practices of Expert Nurses During Abortion Care. Journal of Obstetric Gynecologic Neonatal Nursing. September 2017; 46(5):755-763.
  • McLemore MR, Levi A. Expanding Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Services Through Nursing Education. Journal of Obstetric Gynecologic Neonatal Nursing. September 2017; 46(5):e149-e156.
  • Aztlan-James EA, McLemore MR. Multiple Unintended Pregnancies in U.S. Women: A Systematic Review. Womens Health Issues. Women's Health Issues. July 2017; 27(4):407-413.
  • Baltzell K, McLemore MR, Mona Shattell, Rankin S. Impacts on Global Health from Nursing Research. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. February 2017; PMID: 28219991.
  • McLemore MR, Levi A, James EA. Strategies to Recruit and Retain Expert Nurses who Provide Abortion Care. Journal of Obstetric Gynecologic Neonatal Nursing. June 2015; 44(s1):S75-S75.
  • McLemore MR, Levi A, James EA. Recruitment and retention strategies for expert nurses in abortion care provision. Contraception. June 2015; 91(6):474-9.
  • McLemore MR, Kools S, Levi A. Calculus Formation: Nurses’ Decision-Making in Abortion-Related Care. Research in Nursing & Health. June 2015; 38(3):222-31.
  • Freedman LR, Battistelli M, Gerdts C, McLemore MR. Radical or routine? Nurse practitioners, nurse-midwives, and physician assistants as abortion providers. Reproductive Health Matters. May 2015; 23 (45):90-92.
  • McLemore MR, Desai S, Freedman LR, James EA, Taylor D. Women Know Best—Findings from a Thematic Analysis of 5,214 Surveys of Abortion Care Experience. Women's Health Issues. November 2014; 24(6):594-599.
  • McLemore MR, Kools S. Barriers and facilitators to the involvement of nurses in abortion care provision. Contraception. September 2013; 3(88):441-442.
  • McLemore MR, Levi A. Nurses and Care of Women Seeking Abortions, 1971 to 2011. Journal of Obstetric Gynecologic Neonatal Nursing. November/December 2011; 40(6):672–677.

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Strategies to recruit and retain Black and Latina/x women and birthing people in a biospecimen research study

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