Primary Research Focus
About the Strahm Lab
Lab Projects and News
Midwest Birth Outcome and Indigenous American Pregnancy study
Indigenous American pregnancies in the Midwest have disproportionally high rates of adverse outcomes, however little research has been done on how historical trauma and stress may impact these adverse outcomes. This project gathers data from pregnant Indigenous American women on their experiences with historical trauma, stress, and birth outcomes, as well as physiological data of how they respond to stress, to better understand the associations between these factors and the biological mechanisms underlying them. Understanding the mechanisms by which both historical and proximal stress "get under the skin" and influence pregnancy health and perinatal outcomes, will afford new targets of intervention to help reduce these IA health disparities.
Maternal Stress and Blood Sugar Metabolization During Pregnancy Study
The purpose of this study is to examine how women’s emotions and nutrition during pregnancy are associated with their blood sugar and overall pregnancy health. Results from this study may help us better understand how pregnant women respond to stress, which may enable us to help women in the future. This study is no longer recruiting and is in the data analysis phase.
Nurturing Equity in Screening for perinatal Treatment (NEST)
The purpose of this project is to further our understanding of gaps in depression screening during pregnancy in order to improve maternal mental health. NEST combines perinatal healthcare provider insights with the perceptions of patients to identify interventional pathways that meet our communities’ specific needs.
GLOW Study
This project is designed to examine connections among body image perception, eating behaviors, stress, and blood glucose metabolism, in the context of pregnancy. Data will be gathered via self-reported surveys and continuous glucose monitoring will further our understanding of the daily experiences of pregnant women.