Barbara ​Abrams, DrPH, RD

Professor of the Graduate School, Epidemiology, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, and Public Health Nutrition
Phone: (510) 642-4216
Address: 2121 Berkeley Way #5201-2
Berkeley, CA 94720

Biography

Barbara Abrams is a Professor in Epidemiology, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, and Public Health Nutrition. She currently leads a study of inter-relationships between early life adversity, pregnancy weight, racial disparities and obesity in women and their children. Dr. Abrams is also involved in studies that investigate the contribution of maternal obesity, gestational weight gain and Black-White Disparities in stillbirth, infant mortality and other adverse birth outcomes and randomized trials to prevent postpartum weight retention in low-income WIC women and to prevent excessive gestational weight gain in obese women. Dr. Abrams is also leading a study of 47 different countries around the world investigating national policies related to maternal weight before, during and after pregnancy. She previously led studies that tested a novel method designed to prevent maternal to child transmission of HIV through breastfeeding in sub-Saharan Africa.

Research Interests

  • Weight and weight gain in women during pregnancy, postpartum and menopause
  • Maternal weight, nutrition, social factors, and perinatal health outcomes
  • Could express and heat-treated breast milk prevent perinatal HIV transmission

Education

  • PhD – Nutrition
    University of California, Berkeley, 1985
  • MS – Epidemiology
    University of California, Berkeley, 1983
  • MPH – Nutrition
    University of California, Berkeley, 1975
  • BS – Nutrition & Dietetics
    Simmons College, 1974

Publications

Courses Taught

    • PH 150A
    • Introduction to Epidemiology
    • PH 207A
    • Maternal and Child Nutrition
    • PH 206C
    • Nutritional Epidemiology
    • PH 292
    • First Year Seminar for Epidemiology Biostatistics Program