Research /

Publications

Recent peer-reviewed research from WHIRC investigators.

Selected recent publications by WHIRC principal investigators on women’s health. WHIRC investigators are shown in bold. This list will grow as affiliated faculty and Affinity Research Teams publish new work.

2026

  • Alkhalaf Z, Mumford SL, Schisterman EF, Silver RM, Thoma ME. Periconception Maternal-Serum Vitamin D, Vaginal Bleeding, and Subchorionic Hemorrhage in Early Pregnancy. Nutrients. 2026. doi:10.3390/nu18142339

  • Ahrens KA, Thoma ME. How Should Researchers Study Consequences of Dobbs on Maternal Morbidity and Mortality? The Journal of Clinical Ethics. 2026. doi:10.1086/740424

  • Drew LB, Merchant JS, Thoma ME, Mane H, Yue X, Nguyen TTX. The association between state-level negative racial sentiment and maternal hypertension in the US from 2016 to 2021: An observational study using Twitter data. PLoS ONE. 2026. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0346564

  • Keum BT, Lewis JA. The Online Gendered Racism Scale for Women of Color: Development, validation, and links to mental health outcomes. Journal of Counseling Psychology. 2026. doi:10.1037/cou0000864

  • Watson‐Singleton NN, Lewis JA, Mekawi Y. Do gendered racial microaggressions predict hypervigilance over and above racial microaggressions among college-aged Black women over time? American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. 2026. doi:10.1037/ort0000920

  • Alkhalaf Z, Mumford SL, Schisterman EF, Silver RM, Thoma ME. Periconception Maternal Vitamin D Status on Nausea and Vomiting Symptoms in Early Pregnancy Among Women with a History of Pregnancy Loss. Nutrients. 2026. doi:10.3390/nu18040692

  • Spivey BN, Watson‐Singleton NN, Lavner JA, Brownlow BN, Lewis JA. Gendered Racism and Mental Health: A Test of the Mediating and Moderating Role of the Superwoman/Strong Black Woman Schema and John Henryism. Sex Roles. 2026. doi:10.1007/s11199-026-01640-7

  • Alkhalaf Z, Mumford SL, Shenassa ED, Schisterman EF, Silver RM, Thoma ME. Preconception vitamin D status and subsequent risk of preeclampsia: A secondary cohort analysis from the EAGeR trial. Pregnancy Hypertension. 2026. doi:10.1016/j.preghy.2026.101417

  • Steenland MW, Mercon K, Brown BP, Thoma ME. Pregnancy- and Abortion-Related Mortality in the US, 2018-2021. JAMA Network Open. 2026. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.54793

  • Drew LB, Polis CB, Cox CM, Tunçalp Ö, McLain AC, Thoma ME. The association between female genital cutting and time-to-pregnancy among women of reproductive age – applying the current duration approach in demographic and health survey data from Nigeria. Culture Health & Sexuality. 2026. doi:10.1080/13691058.2025.2604684

  • Sangha GS, Sapp RM, Weber CM, Torbit D, Rangachar N, Barnes A, et al.. Perivascular adipose tissue from female rats fed a high‐fat diet impaired mesenteric artery vasodilation. Physiological Reports. 2026. doi:10.14814/phy2.70746

2025

  • Ware MR, Ladd BA, Hall LM, Lewis JA, Mekawi Y. Effects of Gendered Racial Microaggressions and Racial Private Regard on Cognitive Inhibition in Black Women. Sex Roles. 2025. doi:10.1007/s11199-025-01631-0

  • Lewis JA, Ladd BA, Brown RD, Thomas MA, Ashai S. Beyond Surviving: Black Women’s Flourishing in the Face of Gendered Racial Microaggressions. The Counseling Psychologist. 2025. doi:10.1177/00110000251398886

  • Jones MK, Lewis JA. Advancing Toward the Psychology of Black Women: Honoring the Past, Present, and Future. Women & Therapy. 2025. doi:10.1080/02703149.2025.2523171

2024

  • Bell SO, Moreau C, Sarnak D, Kibira SPS, Anglewicz PA, Gichangi P, et al.. Measuring non-events: infertility estimation using cross-sectional, population-based data from four countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Human Reproduction. 2024. doi:10.1093/humrep/deae218

  • Watson‐Singleton NN, Spivey BN, Harrison E, Nelson T, Lewis JA. Double-Edged Sword or Outright Harmful?: Associations Between Strong Black Woman Schema and Resilience, Self-Efficacy, and Flourishing. Sex Roles. 2024. doi:10.1007/s11199-024-01503-z

  • Ibrahimi S, Thoma ME. The association between Afghan Women’s autonomy and experience of domestic violence, moderated by education status. Preventive Medicine. 2024. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2024.108039

  • Volpe VV, Collins AN, Ross JM, Ellis KR, Lewis JA, Ladd BA, et al.. Black Young Adult Superwomen in the Face of Gendered Racial Microaggressions: Contextualizing Challenges With Acceptance and Avoidance and Emotional Eating. Annals of Behavioral Medicine. 2024. doi:10.1093/abm/kaae017

  • Silva DAD, Anderson EA, Kim J, Lee MT, Thoma ME. The Association Between Prenatal Food Insecurity and Breastfeeding Initiation and Exclusive Breastfeeding Duration: A Longitudinal Study Using Oregon PRAMS and PRAMS-2, 2008–2015. Breastfeeding Medicine. 2024. doi:10.1089/bfm.2023.0126

  • Thoma ME, Mallick LM, Hodges L, Guthrie JF. Breastfeeding Initiation by WIC Receipt After Formula Shortages in 2022. JAMA. 2024. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.27081