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Bridget Spelke, MD | Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases

Bridget Spelke, MD

Assistant Professor, Global Women's Health, Department of Ob-Gyn, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chief Scientific Officer, UNC-Global Projects Zambia

Bridget-Spelke-IGHID-Profile

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Bridget Spelke, MD

Assistant Professor, Global Women's Health, Department of Ob-Gyn, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chief Scientific Officer, UNC-Global Projects Zambia

Areas of Interest

Postpartum hypertension, Postpartum mental health, Remote monitoring, Digital health, Maternal morbidity in resource-limited settings

About

As an OB-GYN and Global Women’s Health researcher based in Zambia, Dr. Spelke’s 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, she engages in academic research and on-the-ground study implementation and monitoring. With colleagues at the University of Zambia and other partner institutions, she has 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. She was awarded a K01 from the NIH Fogarty International Center to study postpartum health in LMICs. She is interested in the potential for digital solutions 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.

Education 

  • Undergraduate

    McGill University

  • Doctor of Medicine

    Emory University

  • ObGyn Residency

    Brown University

  • Global Women’s Health Fellowship

    University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill