Julienne N Rutherford

Dr. Julienne N Rutherford serves as Professor and John & Nell Mitchell Endowed Chair for Pediatric Nursing at the University of Arizona College of Nursing, where she directs a federally funded research program examining the intrauterine environment as a biosocial determinant of health. With over 20 years of expertise as a biological anthropologist, she integrates bioanthropological theory with biomedical science to investigate how maternal life history shapes developmental trajectories across generations.

Her educational foundation includes:

• Ph.D. in Biological Anthropology from Indiana University (2007)
• M.A. in Biological Anthropology from Indiana University (2004)
• B.A. in Anthropology and Zoology (double major) from Miami University (1994)

Dr. Rutherford's research centers on developmental origins of health and disease, employing innovative marmoset monkey models to study transgenerational effects of maternal experiences. Her work bridges biological anthropology with clinical obstetrics through investigations of placental biology, epigenetic mechanisms, and the impact of structural violence on maternal-child health outcomes. Justice-informed approaches characterize her studies on obstetric racism and pandemic-related disruptions to maternity care.

Recent publications (2023-2025) reveal three dominant research trajectories: (1) epigenetic consequences of genocide exposure across generations in Rwandan populations, (2) placental biomarkers for predicting postpartum hemorrhage, and (3) structural determinants of health disparities among pregnant Black individuals. Her marmoset research provides critical nonhuman primate data on developmental programming mechanisms.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• UIC Researcher of the Year Rising Star in Clinical Sciences
• American Society of Primatologists Legacy Awardee
• National Academy of Science Kavli Foundation Fellow
• American College of Nurse Midwives Excellence in Teaching Award
• Multiple University of Illinois at Chicago teaching awards

As a dedicated mentor, Dr. Rutherford guides nursing students and faculty through her Robert Wood Johnson Future of Nursing mentorship role. Her research program has secured over $6M in federal funding, including NICHD R01 and NIA R56 grants examining marmoset developmental genetics and intergenerational pregnancy outcomes. Current NIH submissions focus on implementing prospective studies of obstetric racism's physiological impacts.

She leads a multidisciplinary research team utilizing marmoset models to investigate developmental programming mechanisms, collaborating extensively with nurse midwifery scholars to translate findings into clinical practice improvements for maternal-child health equity.