Sophia  Garbarino

Sophia is a PhD student and Laney Fellow in the Department of Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences (BSHES) under the mentorship of Dr. Jessica Sales. Her interests are in implementation science, mixed methods, health equity, and sexual and reproductive health. She is particularly interested in leveraging behavioral theories, implementation frameworks, and safety net settings to improve quality of and access to family planning services among people who are medically underserved. Sophia has research experience spanning contraception, trauma-informed mental health services, social connectivity, maternal mortality, and clinical psychology. She previously worked at CDC's Division of Reproductive Health where she contributed to CDC and WHO contraception guidance for healthcare providers. 

Prior to doctoral studies, Sophia obtained a Master of Public Health in BSHES and a Certificate in Maternal and Child Health at Emory University. Her master's thesis used qualitative methods to explore Title X providers' experiences with CDC's contraception guidelines, for which she secured two student grants and received the 2024 Charles C. Shepard Award. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Gender Studies and Sociology from Stony Brook University.

Awards

• 2024-29 Laney Graduate School Fellowship
• 2022-24 Rollins Pathway Award (Emory)
• 2024 Charles C. Shepard Award (Emory)
• 2023 Outstanding APE Award (Emory)
• 2019-22 Presidential Merit Scholarship (Stony Brook)
• 2022 Jesse Tepper Award (Stony Brook)
• 2022 Activism and Academic Excellence Award (Stony Brook)
• 2022 Academic Achievement Award (Stony Brook)