April Bell, PhD, MPH
Assistant Professor
Family Community Medicine
School of Medicine

She obtained her PhD in Epidemiology from the Indiana University School of Public Health at Bloomington. She received her MPH with a dual concentration in Epidemiology and Social & Behavioral Sciences from the Indiana University School of Medicine and her BA in Human Biology from Stanford University. Dr. Bell's research is focused on decreasing reproductive health inequities among women and youth by addressing the impacts of societal and structural biases on adverse birth outcomes, sexually transmitted infections, HIV acquisition, abortion access, and unintended pregnancy. Having worked extensively in both the US and across sub-Saharan Africa, she is interested in using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, including digital storytelling, to bridge the expanse between US and African settings.

She has conducted research and evaluated programs in domestic and international settings during her 10 years at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 5 years at AMPATH, one of the largest and most successful HIV treatment programs in sub-Saharan Africa; and 18 months in Ghana as a Fogarty Research Fellow conducting maternal/child health and reproductive/sexual health research under the auspices of the University of Michigan. Since 2016, she has focused her work in the United States. She is a Society for Family Planning Emerging Leader and was awarded a research grant to fund her pilot project aimed at assessing the impact of digital storytelling on abortion stigma.

Dr. Bell is Certified in Public Health and a Certified Clinical Research Professional. She is the Membership Chair for the Sexual and Reproductive Health Section of the American Public Health Association. Other professional affiliations include the Society of Family Planning, Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health, Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, and Society for Epidemiologic Research.

• Neonatal near-misses in Ghana: a prospective, observational, multi-center study.
  BMC pediatrics 2019 Bakari A, Bell AJ, Oppong SA, Bockarie Y, Wobil P, Plange-Rhule G, Goka BQ, Engmann CM, Adanu RM, Moyer CA
• Is abortion justified to save the life or health of a woman? Evidence of public opinion from Accra, Ghana.
  International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics 2019 Rominski SD, Bell AJ, Yawson AE, Nakua EK, Moyer CA
• 'This sickness is not hospital sickness': a qualitative study of the evil eye as a source of neonatal illness in Ghana.
  Journal of biosocial science 2019 Bell AJ, Arku Z, Bakari A, Oppong SA, Youngblood J, Adanu RM, Moyer CA
• "We call them miracle babies": How health care providers understand neonatal near-misses at three teaching hospitals in Ghana.
  PloS one 2018 Bell AJ, Wynn LV, Bakari A, Oppong SA, Youngblood J, Arku Z, Bockarie Y, Adu J, Wobil P, Plange-Rhule G, Goka B, Adanu RM, Moyer CA
• Predictors of stillbirths and neonatal deaths in rural western Uganda.
  International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics 2016 Moyer CA, Kolars CK, Oppong SA, Bakari A, Bell A, Busingye P
• "These are good problems to have…": establishing a collaborative research partnership in East Africa.
  Journal of general internal medicine 2013 Tierney WM, Nyandiko WN, Siika AM, Wools-Kaloustian K, Sidle JE, Kiplagat J, Bell A, Inui TS
• Experience implementing electronic health records in the antenatal clinic of a teaching and referral hospital in Kenya.
  Studies in health technology and informatics 2013 Chemwolo B, Caloia D, Wools-Kaloustian K, Sidle J, Spitzer RF, Were M, Bell A, Tierney WM
• Short-Term Rationing of Combination Antiretroviral Therapy: Impact on Morbidity, Mortality, and Loss to Follow-Up in a Large HIV Treatment Program in Western Kenya.
  AIDS research and treatment 2012 Bell AJ, Wools-Kaloustian K, Kimaiyo S, Liu H, Katschke A, Shen C, Simiyu G, Musick BS, Sidle JE, Siika A, Braitstein P
• Determinants of condom use among female sex workers in Kenya: a case-crossover analysis.
  Journal of women's health (2002) 2011 Gallo MF, Warner L, Bell AJ, Bukusi EA, Sharma A, Njoroge B, Ngugi E, Jamieson DJ, Eschenbach DA
• Assessment of changes in condom use among female sex workers in a prospective cohort study introducing diaphragm use for disease prevention.
  American journal of epidemiology 2010 Gallo MF, Warner L, Bell AJ, Wiener J, Eschenbach DA, Bukusi EA, Sharma A, Njoroge B, Ngugi E, Jamieson DJ
• Diaphragm for STI and HIV prevention: is it a safe method for women at high risk?
  Sexually transmitted diseases 2010 Njoroge B, Gallo MF, Sharma A, Bukusi EA, Nguti R, Bell AJ, Jamieson DJ, Williams D, Eschenbach DA
• Intravaginal practices among female sex workers in Kibera, Kenya.
  Sexually transmitted infections 2010 Gallo MF, Sharma A, Bukusi EA, Njoroge B, Nguti R, Jamieson DJ, Bell AJ, Eschenbach DA
• Adherence to diaphragm use for infection prevention: a prospective study of female sex workers in Kenya.
  Infectious diseases in obstetrics and gynecology 2010 Bukusi EA, Gallo MF, Sharma A, Njoroge B, Jamieson DJ, Nguti R, Bell AJ, Eschenbach DA
• Experience implementing electronic health records in three East African countries.
  Studies in health technology and informatics 2010 Tierney WM, Achieng M, Baker E, Bell A, Biondich P, Braitstein P, Kayiwa D, Kimaiyo S, Mamlin B, McKown B, Musinguzi N, Nyandiko W, Rotich J, Sidle J, Siika A, Were M, Wolfe B, Wools-Kaloustian K, …
• Promoting continuous use as a strategy for achieving adherence in a trial of the diaphragm with candidate microbicide.
  AIDS education and prevention : official publication of the International Society for AIDS Education 2009 Penman-Aguilar A, Swezey T, Turner AN, Bell AJ, Ramiandrisoa FN, Legardy-Williams J, Randrianasolo B, Van Damme K, Dulyx J, Behets F, Jamieson DJ
• Predictors of adherent use of diaphragms and microbicide gel in a four-arm, randomized pilot study among female sex workers in Madagascar.
  Sexually transmitted diseases 2009 Turner AN, Van Damme K, Jamieson DJ, Khan MR, Pettifor AE, Swezey TA, Bell AJ, Newman DR, Penman-Aguilar A, Raharinivo MS, Randrianasolo B, Ramiandrisoa FN, Behets FM, Mad STI Prevention Group
• Vaginal microbicide and diaphragm use for sexually transmitted infection prevention: a randomized acceptability and feasibility study among high-risk women in Madagascar.
  Sexually transmitted diseases 2008 Behets FM, Turner AN, Van Damme K, Rabenja NL, Ravelomanana N, Swezey TA, Bell AJ, Newman DR, Williams DL, Jamieson DJ, Mad STI Prevention Group
• Barriers to the use of modern contraceptives and implications for woman-controlled prevention of sexually transmitted infections in Madagascar.
  Journal of biosocial science 2008 Randrianasolo B, Swezey T, Van Damme K, Khan MR, Ravelomanana N, Lovaniaina Rabenja N, Raharinivo M, Bell AJ, Jamieson D, MAD STI Prevention Group, Behets F
• Phase I safety trial of two vaginal microbicide gels (Acidform or BufferGel) used with a diaphragm compared to KY jelly used with a diaphragm.
  Sexually transmitted diseases 2007 Williams DL, Newman DR, Ballagh SA, Creinin MD, Barnhart K, Weiner DH, Bell AJ, Jamieson DJ