Erin Taber is a maternal and reproductive health student pursuing her PhD in Epidemiology at the University of Iowa’s College of Public Health, and is affiliated with Iowa’s MCH Catalyst Program, where she was a 2025 MCH Scholar and the Co-President of the MCH Student Interest Group. Before beginning her PhD, she graduated with her BA and MPH from Iowa. She works as an Evaluation Researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, evaluating public health programs across Wisconsin. Erin is passionate about health equity, social justice, community-driven research, and reproductive justice. When she’s not studying or working, she can be found doing yoga/pilates, reading or traveling with her husband.
About Erin
- What do you want other MCH students to know about reproductive justice within our field?
The term “reproductive justice” is often used interchangeably with “reproductive rights,” but the concepts are distinct and mean different things. Reproductive rights refer to the specific human rights that relate to reproduction and sex, whereas reproductive justice is broader and includes the right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children and parent children in safe and sustainable communities. The term “reproductive justice” was invented in 1994 by Black women who named themselves Women of African Descent for Reproductive Justice (Sistersong, n.d.), and advocates today emphasize that reproductive justice is a human right, about access (not just individual choice) and more than just abortion (Center for Reproductive Rights, 2025).
- Why is it important for you to explore MCH (versus other disciplines or areas of public health)?
Iowa’s MCH Program Director Dr. Will Story, always says that ‘the foundation of healthy communities are healthy mothers and children,’ which I wholeheartedly believe in. Infancy and childhood are a critical time for health and development, but if mom is not healthy, the less likely her children will be, which can persist into adulthood. If we want to improve community health, we have to prioritize the MCH population.
- What are three words you’d use to describe yourself?
Driven, organized, analytical
Project or Practicum Experience
- Describe a specific project, practicum or internship you participated in. What was your role and what did you work on?
I work as a graduate research assistant (GRA) for Dr. Nichole Nidey’s lab. In this role, I’m part of numerous research projects that focus on maternal health, and specifically on the experiences of individuals with perinatal substance use. In one project, I’m leading the quantitative analysis and manuscript writing for the results of a survey that examined what words and phrases people with lived experience of substance use during pregnancy prefer their healthcare providers to use when discussing their care. The perinatal period is an important time for initiating pregnancy care and treating substance use disorders, but concerns about stigma, including the language healthcare providers use, can reduce care-seeking behaviors. The survey included 60 terms related to perinatal substance use, recovery, provider terminology and prior healthcare communication experiences. The survey and terminology decisions were co-developed in collaboration with the EMPOWER Project, a multi-state network of individuals with lived experience of substance use during pregnancy. I came onto the project after responses had been collected, and subsequently cleaned the data, ran the analyses (which included descriptive statistics and t-tests) and drafted the manuscript. We’re in the editing phase, so stay tuned for results!
- Which MCH Leadership Competency (or competencies) most connects to this work?
I think the competencies that most connect to this work are “Critical Thinking” (Competency 4) and “Community Expertise and Perspectives” (Competency 8) (MCH Navigator, n.d.). In this work, we collected data from those with lived experience to assess the needs of this population for research and to improve practice. We also used feedback from people with lived experience to develop and implement the survey, ensuring to recognize their perspectives. Once the results are finalized, we will be sharing back with the community, and follow their lead for next steps.
Reflection and Growth
- Explore the role of self-reflection in your growth as an MCH professional. How has reflecting on your learnings or experiences helped you align your career goals with the MCH competency/competencies you previously mentioned?
I reflect and practice reflexivity (examining your own assumptions, beliefs and judgment systems and thinking about how these influence your research) all the time (Jamieson, et al., 2023). I have not experienced pregnancy and substance use, both of which are the topics I research. Because of this, I aim to center the community expertise of those who have lived experience in everything I do. I also think critically about how my own assumptions and beliefs influence the research and conclusions I come to. That is another reason to prioritize the knowledge and experience of those with lived experience; community insights support critical, impactful and useful research.
- How do you define leadership in MCH, and what kind of leader do you hope to be?
I think being community-driven is absolutely imperative across public health, including MCH. MCH leaders should center the priorities of the communities they serve. In keeping with this, I also think MCH leaders should be justice-oriented, as they are working to improve the health of a vulnerable population that can be overlooked.
- How did mentorship, collaboration or interdisciplinary teamwork contribute to your learning?
I have really great mentors as a PhD student, including my advisor, Dr. Nidey. Her work with the EMPOWER Project has inspired me to be as community-driven as possible in my research and future career. In addition, Dr. Story and Dr. Platt have been great mentors, especially in my role as an MCH Scholar and Co-President of our MCH Student Interest Group.
- What is one insight you want to share with a prospective student considering joining the MCH field within public health at large?
Any health topic you’re interested in can relate to MCH in some way. From infectious disease to injury prevention, or health promotion and evaluation, if a person’s health can be impacted by it, so can a woman’s or child’s. MCH is truly for everyone.
References:
Center for Reproductive Justice (2025). What are reproductive rights? Accessed on February 24, 2026 from https://reproductiverights.org/resources/what-are-reproductive-rights/
MCH Navigator (n.d.) MCH competencies. National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health, Georgetown University. Accessed on February 24, 2026 from https://www.mchnavigator.org/trainings/competencies.php
Jamieson, M. K., Govaart, G. H., Pownall, M. (2023). Reflexivity in quantitative research: a rationale and beginner’s guide. Social and Personality Psychology Compass. Vol 17(4). https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12735
SisterSong (n.d.). Reproductive Justice. SisterSong, Inc. Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective. Accessed on February 24, 206 from https://www.sistersong.net/reproductive-justice
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