Meet the Research Team
The Doula Research Team is composed of an outstanding group of researchers and students from Tufts University School of Medicine, Tufts University, and the Center for Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice. Together, we bring expertise in maternal health, public health, and community-engaged research. We are passionate about advancing maternal and infant health through rigorous research.
Meet the Team
Heather Olden , DrPH, MPH
Principal Investigator
Dr. Olden is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Center for Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice tackling racial disparities in severe maternal mortality. She recently matriculated from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, with a dissertation focused on hospital readiness for Medicaid expansion covering doula services in Massachusetts. She specializes in qualitative data collection and analysis, organizational strategic planning, and community and patient engagement.
Founder of the Center of Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice
Dr. Amutah-Onukagha is the Founder and Director of the Center of Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice and of the Maternal Outcomes of Translational Health Equity Research (MOTHER) Lab at Tufts University School of Medicine. An active scholar, Dr. Amutah-Onukagha’s research investigates maternal health disparities, infant mortality, reproductive health and social justice, and HIV/AIDS as experienced by Black women. She served as the Principal Investigator of the MassHealth Doula Enrollment Toolkit initiative and now eagerly supports this research study through her expertise.
Madelin Brown
Lead Student Researcher
Madelin Brown is a member of the Tufts University School of Medicine MD class of 2026. As a medical student and a doula, her experience brings a clinical perspective and strong commitment to women’s health to the research team. Her drive to care for underserved populations enriches her contributions as a researcher and supports the study’s mission to improve maternal health outcomes through more just and accessible care. With future aspirations to become a full-spectrum family medicine physician, Madelin is dedicated to advancing equitable care practices and contributing to research that uplifts the needs and experiences of diverse communities.
Wooyon Choi
Lead Student Researcher
Wooyon Choi is an MD/MPH candidate in the class of 2026 at Tufts University School of Medicine. Since studying Global Health at Georgetown University, she has focused her work at the intersection of global and women’s health, including research on maternal-to-child HIV transmission in Ghana and reproductive health among immigrants in Malaysia. Her experience as a doula and her role in developing the Medical Students Doula Program at Tufts University School of Medicine inspired her involvement in this research study.
Jasmine Walker
Lead Student Researcher
Jasmine Walker is a medical student in the MD class of 2027 and Sam W. Ho Health Justice Scholar at Tufts University School of Medicine. With her background in biomedical sciences and experiences as a medical student and doula, Jasmine brings a patient-centered lens to her research. Her interests in health equity and community advocacy shape her commitment to understanding and addressing the structural factors that influence health and healthcare. She aims to elevate the experiences of historically marginalized communities and contribute to research that promotes equitable, culturally relevant care.
Sam Manasso
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Sam Manasso is an undergraduate student at Tufts University majoring in Community Health on the pre-med track. Sam's experiences across clinical, population health, and community outreach settings inform her community and patient-centered approach to research. Her interests include maternal health equity, translational research, and understanding how community interventions shape health.