Joan Combellick

Dr. Joan Combellick is an Assistant Professor and Co-Director of the Midwifery Department at Yale School of Nursing. She holds a PhD in Nursing from New York University (2017), an MPH in Global Public Health (2011), and an MSN from Yale (1993). Her research focuses on maternal mortality, trauma’s impact on pregnancy outcomes, and neonatal microbiome dynamics. Dr. Combellick’s work addresses disparities in perinatal care, particularly among veterans and trauma-exposed populations. She has collaborated on studies about vaginal seeding effects, opioid use in pregnancy, and postpartum mental health inequities.

• Education: PhD (NYU Nursing), MPH (NYU Public Health), MSN (Yale Nursing)
• Practice: Board-certified CNM practicing at Yale New Haven Hospital
• Labs/Teams: Midwifery Faculty Practice, VHA Maternal Mortality Research Group

Her research emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to improve maternal care quality, including designing trauma-informed practices and strengthening surveillance systems for severe maternal morbidity. She has published extensively on military-related health disparities and pandemic adaptations in perinatal care.