Assistant Professor, Global Women's Health, Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; UNC -Global Projects Zambia, Zambia
Mae Bridget Spelke, MD, Assistant Professor of Global Women's Health, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As an OB-GYN and Global Women’s Health researcher based in Zambia, my work focuses on improving maternal and child health in resource-limited settings. As an Assistant Professor in the Division of Global Women’s Health at the University of North Carolina and the in-country scientific lead for UNC-Global Projects Zambia, I engage lead clinical research in obstetrics and am responsible for study implementation and monitoring in country. With colleagues at the University of Zambia and other partner institutions, I have served as the in-country lead for large-scale prospective pregnancy cohorts assessing antecedents of adverse birth outcomes, randomized trials on perinatal depression and COVID-19 vaccination, and qualitative studies of patients’ pregnancy and postpartum experiences and quality of life. I am passionate about improving postpartum health for people worldwide and I am fortunate to have been awarded a K01 from the NIH Fogarty International Center to study postpartum health in LMICs. I have a particular interest in the potential for digital technology to improve the quality, accessibility, and equitable reach of perinatal care in low-resource settings. My K01 assesses the feasibility of postpartum home vital sign monitoring with wearable sensors to reduce maternal morbidity. A qualitative study using an implementation science framework will identify potential barriers and facilitators to integrating digital health approaches in maternal care in Zambia.
