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Ushma Upadhyay 2021 Headshot

Ushma Upadhyay, PhD, MPH

Professor

Ushma Upadhyay, PhD, MPH is a public health Social Scientist trained in epidemiology and demography. She is also currently Director of Research of the University of California Global Health Institute’s Center of Expertise in Women’s Health, Gender, and Empowerment. Dr. Upadhyay has expertise in abortion safety, abortion access in the U.S., medication abortion, and state-level abortion restrictions. Her current research focuses on the safety, efficacy, and acceptability of telehealth for abortion care and the telehealth for reproductive health equity. Previously she was a writer at the Center for Communication Programs at Johns Hopkins University where she co-authored Family Planning: A Global Handbook for Providers, a Johns Hopkins/WHO/USAID publication. Subsequently, she was a Research Scientist at the New York City Department of Health and Hygiene, Division of Epidemiology. She has developed and validated two measures: the Reproductive Autonomy Scale and the Sexual and Reproductive Empowerment Scale for Adolescents and Young Adults, both of which researchers can use to quantitatively measure individual-level power in matters related to contraceptive use, pregnancy, and abortion. She earned a BA in Public Communication and International Studies from American University, her MPH from Columbia University, and her PhD from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

For a full list of Dr. Upadhyay's publications, awards, and presentations, click here.

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