The Health Disparities Research Scholars (HDRS) program at UW–Madison, led by Deborah Ehrenthal (Obstetrics and Gynecology; CDE affiliate) and training grant coordinator Lisa Scott, offers postdoctoral fellowships through a grant funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).
Housed in the division of reproductive and population health, a unit within the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the program fosters training opportunities for five scholars who are engaged in interdisciplinary research that addresses disparities in status and health outcomes among minority populations, with particular focus on maternal and child health. The HDRS program aims to attract and support early professionals from communities underrepresented in academic research careers.
Over the past decade, HDRS has developed a close relationship with other departments and units, including CDE. Currently, three center affiliates—Jenna Nobles (Sociology), Tiffany Green (Population Health Sciences; Obstetrics and Gynecology), and Stephanie Robert (Social Work)—join Deb Ehrenthal on the program’s executive committee. HDRS also supports two postdocs affiliated with CDE, Leigh Senderowicz and Brian Tuohy. Multiple CDE-affiliated faculty, including Tiffany Green, Chenoa Allen (University of Missouri), and Madelyne Greene (School of Nursing) have been supported by the HDRS program in the past. Senderowicz received her ScD in Global Health and Population at Harvard University. Her current research focuses on rights-based approaches to international sexual and reproductive health, studying the role of quantitative and structural factors in the production of reproductive health outcomes. Tuohy received his PhD in Sociology at the University of Chicago. His research examines how public policy programs shape the health and wellbeing of mixed-status immigrant families in the U.S.
The interdepartmental collaboration between HDRS and CDE, in the form of faculty mentorships, professional development opportunities through the Demography Seminar, and computing assistance from the Social Science Computing Cooperative, has helped train the next generation of scholars working at the intersection of demography and population health.
HDRS is now accepting applications for the 2021–22 academic year. Graduating PhDs from across the social sciences, health sciences, and behavioral sciences with interests in maternal, child, and adolescent health disparities are encouraged to apply.
For inquiries about positions with the HDRS scholars, please visit the HDRS homepage or contact Lisa Scott at lescott3@wisc.edu