Principal Investigator

Lynn M. Yee MD, MPH

Thomas J. Watkins Memorial Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Associate Professor
Associate Chief of Maternal-Fetal Medicine for Research
Fellowship Program Director
lynn.yee@northwestern.edu
Twitter: @LynnYeeMD

Publications

Dr. Lynn Yee is the Thomas J. Watkins Memorial Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a tenured Associate Professor in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. As a clinician at Northwestern Medicine, she cares for patients with a wide range of maternal and fetal complications during pregnancy.

Dr. Yee’s research program addresses issues of health equity and health services in obstetrics. Her lab studies multiple areas of obstetrics-focused health disparities, implementation science, and patient-centered outcomes research. She has a particular interest in the intersections of health services, health equity, and social determinants of health.

She has clinical and research expertise in several areas, including diabetes during pregnancy, postpartum and interconception care, and perinatal HIV. In addition, she is the Fellowship Program Director at Northwestern and the PI of several large investigations, including the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network.

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MFM Research Program Manager

Brittney Williams, MPH

Brittney helps with planning, coordinating, and supervising activities for clinical research projects in the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine. She joined the OB-GYN research team at Northwestern in 2013. She has worked in various capacities in the department and has contributed to several Maternal Fetal Medicine studies. Her interests include cultivating health equity, eliminating health disparities through research, and improving reproductive health outcomes. She earned her MPH in Maternal and Child Health from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and her BS in Biology at Xavier University of Louisiana. She enjoys baking, traveling, and trying new restaurants!

Research Managers

Samantha Matos, PBT

Samantha Matos is working on the GOMOMs study. Her passion for healthcare lies with the impact she makes in patients' lives. She has been working in the health field for 17 years and found her calling in research. She has worked on a variety of studies within Maternal Fetal Medicine. As a minority she would love to work on improving the health disparities among the Latino community. She enjoy cycling, dancing and exploring the city.

Elizabeth Rangel, MSN, RN, CCRC

Elizabeth Rangel is a research nurse with extensive experience in women’s health. She joined the OB-GYN research team at Northwestern in 2011. Throughout her tenure, she has worked on numerous research projects. Her contributions include the nuMoM2b and nuMoM2b-Heart Health Study, the NFGS-ECHO Study, TXA, PACT, ALPS, and PASC-RECOVER Study. She is interested in contributing to breakthroughs in maternal and fetal medicine, cardiovascular health, and mental health. She earned a MS in Nursing from Drexel University and a research coordinator certificate from the ACRP. She enjoys traveling, nature walks, biking, and cooking and baking.

Trista Reynolds, MSN, RN

Trista is a Research Nurse working on multiple projects within the Yee lab, with a deeper focus on the PASC study and SLEEP study. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Anthropology and a Master's in Nursing. Before working on Dr. Yee's projects, she worked bedside in labor and delivery and the ICU. On weeknights and weekends, she works as a part time birth assistant at the Birth Center of Chicago, supporting labor and teaching courses. She loves advocating and educating patients and promoting birth equity. When she's not working, she loves to hike, bird watch, snuggle with her dog or enjoy a workout.

Research Coordinators

Ayla Morris, BS

Ayla Morris is committed to addressing disparities in underserved populations and communities. She is currently working on the Navigating New Motherhood 2 Study. She has a strong desire to improve health outcomes and wellness, specifically in minority groups. Before starting at the Yee lab, she worked on several clinical studies within the department of Preventive Medicine at Feinberg. She earned her BS in Biology at Saint Xavier University. In her free time, she enjoys yoga, traveling, volunteering, & spending time with family and friends.

Estefania Espinosa, BS

Estefania Espinosa earned her BS in Neuroscience with a concentration in Neurobiology and Chemistry. She is currently working on the CPOD study (Chicago Perinatal Origins of Disease). Her research interests include any type of research focused on equity, inclusion, and diversifying research. Some of her hobbies include skin care and watching movies & Netflix shows.

Frannie Kincaid, MS

Frannie Kincaid earned her BS in Biology from Indiana University in 2021 and her MS in Global Health from the University of California, San Francisco in 2022. She is working on the Chicago Perinatal Origins of Disease (CPOD) project. Her research interests include addressing disparities in maternal health and identifying barriers to accessing reproductive health care. Before starting in the Yee lab, she worked on several clinical studies in the Family Planning division at Feinberg. In her free time she loves baking, traveling, reading, and playing with her dogs!

Thanuja Suram, BS

Thanuja is currently working on the MASH study, which studies the association of social determinants of health with adverse pregnancy outcomes in pregnant women. She earned her BS in Neuroscience with a minor in Psychology from UT Dallas. Her research interests include socioeconomic disparities in healthcare access, global reproductive health, and infectious diseases involved in pregnancy. She hopes to pursue a future as a healthcare professional and address the barriers communities face in having accessible maternal and neonatal healthcare and education.

Isabel Uribe, BS

Isabel Uribe is a Research Study Coordinator in the Yee Research Lab, currently working on GOMOMs. She received her BS in Neuroscience from DePaul University. She is interested in pursuing research that intersects with the biomedical engineering field. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and playing violin.

Patient Navigators

Viridiana Carmona-Barrera

Viridiana Carmona-Barrera is passionate about working with the underserved population; through working different roles in the healthcare system she realized that her life calling is serving people. She is dedicated to providing a patient-centered approach and identify ways to help patients overcome their barriers to be able to thrive. She is fluent in Spanish. She is currently pursuing a degree in community health to understand and act upon the social determinants that impact human health and behavior. In her spare time she likes to spend time with her dogs, participate in different volunteer opportunities, and enjoy the culinary excellence in Chicago.

Laura Diaz, MPH

Laura Diaz is a Bilingual (Spanish and English) research professional skilled in coordinating community-based clinical trials. The core theme of her research experiences has been eliminating language barriers, engaging community stakeholders, and improving the health of marginalized communities. She has a strong desire to continue working with bilingual and bicultural underrepresented communities. She obtained her Master’s in Public Health with a concentration in Community Health Research at Northwestern. She earned her BS in Psychology at Loyola University Chicago. In her free time, she enjoys live music and attending sporting events!

Project Coordinator

Mercedes Ramos-Brinson, BS

Mercedes Ramos-Brinson earned her BS in Biology and minor in Chemistry. She loves to help people and started working for the Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit in 1994. Her interests lie in contributing to the reduction maternal, fetal and infant morbidity, fetal growth anomalies and maternal complications related to preterm birth. Throughout her years in the MFMU Network, she has taken on numerous roles that enabled her to broaden her skillset and create a meaningful impact in the field of women's health, bringing her genuine satisfaction. She enjoys listening to music, cracking jokes, laughing, dancing, sports and cooking/baking.

Statistical Analyst

Ying (Jennifer) Cheung, MS

Jennifer earned her BS in Biology from University of British Columbia in 2020 and her MS in Biostatistics from New York University in 2022. She is currently working on the Navigating New Motherhood2 study and the SWEET study. In her free time, she enjoys drawing, reading, and watching movies.

Research Assistants

Anthony Espinosa, BS

Anthony Espinosa is a research assistant at the Yee lab. He earned his BS degree from Dominican University in 2023, where he obtained a degree in natural science, with a concentration in health sciences, and a minor in biochemistry. He is excited to work/contribute to closing gaps and barriers in healthcare and making patient care experience a priority for underfunded/underrepresented communities. In his free time, Anthony enjoys binging shows, fitness, sightseeing, and cooking.

Audrey McMahon, BA

Audrey McMahon is a Research Assistant at the Yee Lab. She earned her BA from Wesleyan University in 2022, where she doubled majored in Biology and Neuroscience & Behavior. She is currently working on the PASC project, where she enjoys working to understand the long-term impacts of COVID-19 and connecting with individuals who desire to learn more about their own health. She is passionate about addressing the social determinants of health in urban communities and hopes to help eliminate health inequity in medicine. In her free time, she loves to play volleyball with her friends, rollerblade along the lakefront, and see live music.

Laher Oberoi, BS

Laher Oberoi is a Research Assistant at the Yee lab. She received her BS degree from Illinois State University, where she studied Public Health and minored in Health Coaching. Laher is currently working on GOMOMS, SLEEP, STRIVE, and HBCD. She is excited to utilize her skills in Public Health and Research to provide education and research opportunities to patients, with the goal to better their overall wellness during their pregnancy. Laher enjoys listening to music, exploring the city, and hanging out with friends!

Mia Sferra, BS

Mia is a Research Assistant at the Yee lab, working on various different studies, including SLEEP, STRIVE, GOMOMS and HBCD. She graduated from Loyola University Chicago in 2021 with a BS in Biology and previously worked in an oncology lab, before deciding to pursue her research interests at Northwestern. She has a passion for public health innovation and hopes to contribute to eliminating barriers to heath equity. In her free time, she likes to play soccer, snowboard, bike around the city and read!