Assistant Professor
Department of Environmental Health
Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University Atlanta, Georgia
stephanie.marie.eick@emory.edu
Fellowship Project: Cross-sectional study assessing sociopolitical stress
Stephanie Eick is an environmental and reproductive epidemiologist by training. Her research focuses on the health effects of environmental chemical and non-chemical (i.e., psychosocial) stressors during pregnancy. She has a particular interest in joint effects and understanding how non-chemical stressors can amplify the harmful effects of chemicals. She is also interested biomarkers of stress response, such as oxidative stress and inflammation, and better understanding the biological mechanisms leading to adverse pregnancy and child health outcomes. Prior to joining Emory, Dr. Eick was a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, San Francisco with the Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment. She received her PhD in epidemiology from the University of Georgia and her MPH in epidemiology from Emory University. She is involved with multiple ongoing, prospective birth cohorts.
Fellowship Project: Cross-sectional study assessing sociopolitical stress
This project investigates the impact of recent US legislative changes on women’s reproductive autonomy and associated stress levels. Following the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade, several states, particularly in the South and Midwest, have enacted stringent abortion restrictions. These laws not only limit abortion access but also potentially restrict general reproductive healthcare, which can lead to heightened psychosocial stress among women. Studies have linked such stress to negative emotions, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, with political climate identified as a major stressor and specific events like the 2016 presidential election correlating with increased anxiety and adverse birth outcomes in certain populations. The project will enroll a diverse group of pregnant and reproductive-age women from Atlanta to participate in a study measuring sociopolitical stress and its effects on mental health and birth outcomes, aiming to isolate specific stress factors and identify potential buffers.