Kaitlyn Stanhope

Dr. Kaitlyn Stanhope is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at Emory University. Her research focuses on understanding how stress, resilience, and adversity across the life course impact women’s health, particularly during and after pregnancy. She employs an ecosocial, life course perspective to investigate how structural adversity increases risks of cardiometabolic dysfunction during pregnancy and postpartum decline. Her work also emphasizes community and clinical collaborations to improve maternal outcomes in Southeast communities disproportionately affected by systemic challenges.

Education:

• PhD, Emory University
• MPH, Emory University
• BA, Brown University

Research Interests:

• Maternal and child health disparities
• Social epidemiology of structural inequities
• Impact of trauma and stress on cardiometabolic health
• Policy interventions addressing maternal health inequities

Research Trends in Articles: Dr. Stanhope’s work consistently examines structural drivers of maternal health outcomes, including policy impacts (e.g., eviction moratoria, immigration policies), trauma exposure timing, and historical legacies like slavery. She employs spatial epidemiology, Bayesian modeling, and randomized trials to assess interventions targeting postpartum care gaps and maternal morbidity.

Awards:

• Dean’s 2024 Pilot Innovation Award

Advising & Grants: While no advisees are listed, her work is funded through institutional grants and collaborations with community groups and clinical partners. Her projects emphasize translational research to bridge gaps between evidence and practice in maternal healthcare.

Collaborations: Engages with interdisciplinary teams to address systemic barriers in maternal health, including policy advocacy and community-driven interventions in underserved regions.