Marie is a public health researcher with 35 years of experience conducting research focused on the behavioral, contextual, and policy aspects of unintended pregnancy, sexual behavior, and abortion among diverse populations of young adults.
The goal of her research has been to reduce disparities in risky sexual behavior and increase access to health services. She has published widely in the areas of risk and prevention of unintended pregnancy and STIs among high-risk women, men, and couples and the influence of relationship and contextual factors on protective behaviors and sexual risk-taking.
More recently she has extended her research focus to examine the impact of new health policies and health care reforms on women’s reproductive health, abortion, and contraceptive access. To that end, she recently served as PI on a six-year project funded by CDC that examined the impact of Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs) and Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on the health of women of reproductive age and infants in Oregon. Currently as PI on a three-year project funded by the Society of Family Planning, she is examining the impact of Medicaid expansion on access to and utilization of abortion services in Oregon.
She is dedicated to the use of research findings to inform policies and practices that improve the health of women, men, and families.