An update on sexual and reproductive justice advocacy, news, and scholarship from the SRJ Hub at CUNY SPH.
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Fall is in full swing at the SRJ Hub! Many of the exciting developments from the past few years have come to fruition this semester, starting with the welcoming of Dr. Alecia McGregor, who began her work at CUNY SPH this month as the Byllye Avery Professor of Sexual & Reproductive Justice. Named in honor of the visionary founder of the National Black Women’s Health Project, later renamed the Black Women's Health Imperative, this endowed professorship is the first of its kind. In addition to this achievement, many of the SRJ Hub’s faculty, students, and alumni continue to produce new work that furthers our commitment to exploring new methods for developing and implementing sexual and reproductive justice practice.
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Welcome, Dr. Alecia McGregor!
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Earlier this month we welcomed Dr. Alecia McGregor to the SRJ Hub as the inaugural Byllye Avery Professor of Sexual & Reproductive Justice. As the first endowed faculty role in a public health school focused on sexual and reproductive justice, it is a historic moment for the SRJ Hub and CUNY SPH. Dr. McGregor brings a wealth of public health expertise and experience to our community.
"I'm really excited to meet and join this faculty and to take on this professorship at a moment where we have an incredible opportunity to better articulate and to reframe the challenges we're facing and reframe what's possible," Dr. McGregor said at her welcome event. "We have the opportunity to bring the evidence to bear to solve our most urgent reproductive health inequities, and I think that all of us, all of the students, faculty, and collaborators here, are very well positioned to be a part of this effort."
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A study co-authored by CUNY SPH researchers examines clinical research efforts to support vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) through interventions focused on the social, institutional, and individual-level factors of birth decisions and outcomes. In the scoping review, doctoral candidate Nicola Tavella, Distinguished Professor Christian Grov, and Professor Angela Bianco at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, screened over 200 published studies on VBAC-focused interventions.
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A study by recent CUNY SPH PhD alum, Dr. Silpa Srinivasulu, examining staff attitudes toward medication abortion in primary care organizations across eight U.S. states found that while most staff believe medication abortion belongs in primary care, fewer feel ready to implement it. The findings underscore the importance of staff education and thoughtful implementation planning to expand access to medication abortion in primary care settings.
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A study led by Dr. Spring Cooper explores how bisexual and other bi+ femmes assess sexual health risks across different partnerships and relationship contexts. It's findings underscore bi+ femme-specific patterns of sexual risk assessment and the study highlights the need for more inclusive sexual health research and interventions that reflect the experiences of bi+ femmes.
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SRJ HUB STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
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PhD in Community Health and Health Policy
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A public health researcher dedicated to examining how structural inequities affect access to sexual and reproductive health care, Carolyn Brown-Kaiser, MPH (she/her) joins CUNY SPH’s Fall 2026 doctoral cohort as well as the Sexual and Reproductive Justice (SRJ) Hub, where she will explore global health, gender equality, and sexual and reproductive health and rights issues as a doctoral research assistant. We spoke with her about her decision to attend CUNY SPH and how family inspired her career focus.
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“My maternal grandmother went to CUNY. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, and she was one of three students in her graduating law class in the 1950s, and truly was a feminist before the word was even invented. That mindset of striving for women's rights and equality, or just gender equality more broadly, was passed along from my grandmother to my mom, to my sister and I.”
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-Carolyn Brown-Kaiser, PhD in Community Health and Healthy Policy
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CUNY SPH is excited to continue growing the MPH concentration in Sexual and Reproductive Justice & Health (MPH in SRJH), after welcoming its first cohort last semester.
This first-of-its-kind program at a school of public health reflects CUNY SPH's commitment to advancing equity and justice in public health. The degree will prepare future leaders to re-imagine sexual and reproductive health through a justice-centered, interdisciplinary lens. We couldn’t be prouder to see the SRJ Hub’s mission taking shape in the curriculum.
The program is currently accepting applications for the Spring 2027 semester. Interested students can find more info at: cunysph.me/MPHinSRJH
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Explore career opportunities and workforce support through the Cannabis NYC Career Training Program for job seekers and employers. Information sessions are available for prospective job seekers and licensed cannabis employers. The Cannabis NYC Career Training Program helps prepare New Yorkers for employment opportunities in the legal cannabis industry while helping licensed cannabis businesses recruit, train, and retain workers.
Register to attend a session in person at CUNY SPH or virtually via Zoom. Registration is free.
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Last month, the BMJ-CUNY SPH Collection on protecting global sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) was published in partnership with one of the world’s leading peer-reviewed medical journals, accompanied by a launch event in New York. Led by Professor and SRJ Hub Director Terry McGovern, global experts and the collection's authors joined to take part in the event's lively two-part panel discussions on multilateral SRHR architecture and meaningful civil society participation.
You can watch and share the full live stream here.
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WHAT'S BUZZING ON SOCIAL MEDIA
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“Shift the focus away from ‘what does this look like from a PR perspective’ to ‘let’s advocate for the victim.’”
Only 5% of reported cases of sexual assault at higher education institutions in New York State in 2024 resulted in a perpetrator being held responsible. Amid the Cornell Jane Doe case, a CUNY SPH student discusses how these institutions need to protect and prioritize victims. #stopsexualviolence #iamjanedoe #wearejanedoe
Sources:
NYSED, “Enough is Enough” Annual Aggregate Data Report, 1/28/26
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COPYRIGHT © 2026 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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