Sarah Roberts, PhD, MPH

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Sarah Roberts, PhD, MPH

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Research Epidemiologist
Professor, School of Medicine
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Biography

Sarah Roberts is a junior investigator in the Women’s Global Health Imperative (WGHI) within RTI International’s Social and Statistical Sciences Group. Her research focuses on the behavioral, social, and structural factors that increase the risk of HIV for women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa – particularly the role of gender inequality, male engagement, and gender-based violence (GBV) – and in the design of interventions to maximize uptake of and adherence to biomedical HIV prevention and treatment strategies. At RTI, Dr. Roberts is the Principal Investigator on a study that seeks to increase PrEP uptake and adherence among adolescent girls and young women in Kenya by addressing barriers related to experience of GBV, and a co-investigator for three additional protocols on HIV prevention and treatment among young African women. She also provides technical advice on the behavioral assessments for several similar projects. From 2005 to 2012, Dr. Roberts was based in Lusaka, Zambia, where she managed multiple clinical trials and observational studies, primarily on behavioral and biomedical HIV prevention strategies. She completed her PhD in Epidemiology in 2016, with dissertation research focused on gender-based violence and HIV risk among female sex workers and HIV-serodiscordant couples in Kenya and Uganda. Additional research experience includes mathematical modeling of antiretroviral therapy roll-out, clinical studies of TB diagnosis in HIV-infected persons, and malaria case-finding in rural areas.

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  1. Roberts SCM, Raifman S, Biggs MA. Relationship between mandatory warning signs for cannabis use during pregnancy policies and birth outcomes in the Western United States. Prev Med. 2022 11; 164:107297.
  2. Roberts SC, Zaugg C, Martinez N. Health care provider decision-making around prenatal substance use reporting. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2022 08 01; 237:109514.
  3. Zaugg C, Berglas NF, Johnson R, Roberts SCM. Reaching Consensus on Politicized Topics: A Convening of Public Health Professionals to Discuss Appropriate Abortion Activities for US Health Departments. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2022 Jul-Aug 01; 28(4):366-374.
  4. Woodruff K, Wingo E, Berglas NF, Roberts SCM. Abortion and the Mission of MCH: Perspectives of MCH and Family Planning Professionals in Health Departments. Matern Child Health J. 2022 Feb; 26(2):381-388.
  5. Woodruff K, Scott KA, Roberts SCM. Pregnant people's experiences discussing their cannabis use with prenatal care providers in a state with legalized cannabis. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2021 10 01; 227:108998.
  6. Roberts SCM, Thompson TA, Taylor KJ. Dismantling the legacy of failed policy approaches to pregnant people's use of alcohol and drugs. Int Rev Psychiatry. 2021 09; 33(6):502-513.
  7. Roberts SCM, Berglas NF, Schroeder R, Lingwall M, Grossman D, White K. Disruptions to Abortion Care in Louisiana During Early Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Am J Public Health. 2021 08; 111(8):1504-1512.
  8. Woodruff K, Berglas N, Herold S, Roberts SCM. Disseminating Evidence on Abortion Facilities to Health Departments: A Randomized Study of E-mail Strategies. Health Commun. 2023 Jan; 38(1):61-70.
  9. Sarah Callinan, Katherine J. Karriker-Jaffe, Sarah C. M. Roberts, Won Cook, Sandra Kuntsche, Ulrike Grittner, Kathryn Graham, Robin Room, Kim Bloomfield, TomK Greenfield, Sharon Wilsnack. A gender-focused multilevel analysis of how country, regional and individual level factors relate to harm from others’ drinking. Drugs Education Prevention and Policy. 2021 Mar 16; 1-8.
  10. Upadhyay UD, McCook AA, Bennett AH, Cartwright AF, Roberts SCM. State abortion policies and Medicaid coverage of abortion are associated with pregnancy outcomes among individuals seeking abortion recruited using Google Ads: A national cohort study. Soc Sci Med. 2021 04; 274:113747.
  11. Roberts SCM, Schroeder R, Joffe C. COVID-19 and Independent Abortion Providers: Findings from a Rapid-Response Survey. Perspect Sex Reprod Health. 2020 12; 52(4):217-225.
  12. Roberts SCM, Beam N, Liu G, Upadhyay UD, Leslie DL, Ba D, Kerns JL. Miscarriage Treatment-Related Morbidities and Adverse Events in Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgery Centers, and Office-Based Settings. J Patient Saf. 2020 12; 16(4):e317-e323.
  13. Upadhyay UD, Schroeder R, Roberts SCM. Adoption of no-test and telehealth medication abortion care among independent abortion providers in response to COVID-19. Contracept X. 2020; 2:100049.
  14. Sarah C. M. Roberts. Good Intentions Are Not Enough: Truly Supporting Pregnant Women With Substance Use Disorders Requires Evaluating the Impact of Our Policies and Practices. Women's Reproductive Health. 2020 Jul 2; 7(3):181-184.
  15. Roberts SCM, Wingo E, Kimport K. A qualitative exploration of women's experiences discovering pregnancies in the emergency department. Contracept X. 2020; 2:100024.
  16. Berglas NF, Wingo E, Woodruff K, Roberts SCM. Approaches, barriers, and facilitators to abortion-related work in U.S. health departments: perspectives of maternal and child heath�and family planning professionals. BMC Public Health. 2020 Mar 06; 20(1):299.
  17. Roberts SCM, Mericle AA, Subbaraman MS, Thomas S, Kerr W, Berglas NF. Variations by Education Status in Relationships Between Alcohol/Pregnancy Policies and Birth Outcomes and Prenatal Care Utilization: A Legal Epidemiology Study. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2020 Mar/Apr; 26 Suppl 2, Advancing Legal Epidemiology:S71-S83.
  18. Woodruff K, Schroeder R, Herold S, Roberts SCM, Berglas NF. Experiences of harassment and empowerment after sharing personal abortion stories publicly. Contracept X. 2020; 2:100021.
  19. Roberts SCM, Berglas NF, Kimport K. Complex situations: Economic insecurity, mental health, and substance use among pregnant women who consider - but do not have - abortions. PLoS One. 2020; 15(1):e0226004.
  20. Woodruff K, Roberts SCM. "My good friends on the other side of the aisle aren't bothered by those facts": U.S. State legislators' use of evidence in making policy on abortion. Contraception. 2020 04; 101(4):249-255.
  21. Sarah C. M. Roberts, Katrina Kimport, Rebecca Kriz, Jennifer Holl, Katrina Mark, Valerie Williams. Consideration of and Reasons for Not Obtaining Abortion Among Women Entering Prenatal Care in Southern Louisiana and Baltimore, Maryland. Sexuality Research and Social Policy. 2019 Dec 1; 16(4):476-487.
  22. Roberts SCM. The Presence and Consequences of Abortion Aversion in Scientific Research Related to Alcohol Use during Pregnancy. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 08 13; 16(16).
  23. Berglas NF, Kimport K, Williams V, Mark K, Roberts SCM. The Health and Social Service Needs of Pregnant Women Who Consider but Do Not Have Abortions. Womens Health Issues. 2019 Sep - Oct; 29(5):364-369.
  24. Roberts SCM, Johns NE, Williams V, Wingo E, Upadhyay UD. Estimating the proportion of Medicaid-eligible pregnant women in Louisiana who do not get abortions when Medicaid does not cover abortion. BMC Womens Health. 2019 06 19; 19(1):78.
  25. Roberts SCM, Berglas NF, Subbaraman MS, Mericle A, Thomas S, Kerr WC. Racial differences in the relationship between alcohol/pregnancy policies and birth outcomes and prenatal care utilization: A legal epidemiology study. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2019 08 01; 201:244-252.