Erica Sedlander, DrPH, MPH
Assistant Professor
Social and Behavioral Sciences, Institute for Health and Aging
School of Nursing

Dr. Sedlander is an Assistant Professor and Social Scientist who conducts research to help women achieve their fertility goals throughout the life course (from pregnancy prevention to infertility prevention). She also examines how social norms and gender norms affect attitudes and behavior using qualitative research and statistical modeling.

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Dr. Sedlander developed and validated the G-NORM, a gender norms scale, in India, Nepal, and Uganda. Based on qualitative research, Dr. Sedlander and colleagues also implemented a randomized controlled trial in India, the RANI Project, to improve nutritional behaviors among women using a social norms approach. She conducted the impact evaluation to examine which components of the intervention had the most effect on behavior. Recently, she’s examined how the belief that contraceptives cause infertility affects use in Ethiopia and Kenya. She also directs the DMPA-SC Self-injection Learning Exchange. The aim is to aggregate and synthesize contraceptive self-injection evidence across countries. She is also the co-leader of the Innovations for Choice and Autonomy (ICAN) mentorship program that strives to build capacity in early career investigators in sub-Saharan Africa.

Awards

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  • Society of Hellman Fellows Award, University of California, San Francisco, 2023-2024
  • UCSF Chancellors Fund Award, University of California, San Francisco, 2023
  • GWSPH Doctoral Professional Development Award, Milken Institute School of Public Health, 2019
  • Sigur Center Asian Research Fellow, The Elliott School of International Affairs, GWU, 2019
  • Clara Schiffer Fellow for Women's Health, The Jacobs Institute of Women's Health, GWU, 2019
  • Lori & Michael Milken Public Health Scholar Award, Milken Institute School of Public Health, 2016

Education & Training

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  • DrPH Health Behavior George Washington University
  • MPH Health, Behavior, and Society University of California, Berkeley
  • BA Sociology University of California, Santa Cruz

Interests

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  • Social Norms
  • Gender Norms
  • Infertility
  • Contraception
  • Mixed Methods

Publications (40)

Top publication keywords:
IronFamily Planning ServicesAnemia, Iron-DeficiencyContraceptive AgentsIndiaInfertilityAnemiaMass MediaWatchful WaitingSocial NormsReproductive HealthContraceptionQualitative ResearchDietary SupplementsContraception Behavior

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