User:Mfeli044/Laurie Schwab Zabin

Born on April 9, 1926, Dr. Laurie Schwab Zabin was a prominent public health researcher and professor who studied adolescent reproductive health, family planning, sexual behaviors, and abortion trends. Her research and advocacy work made her an international leading figure in this field. Dr. Zabin recently passed away at the age of 94 on May 11, 2020 due to kidney failure.

Personal Life
Laurie was born in New York City on 1926. Her mother and father were Carol Heilner and Armand Shwab, respectively. Armand immigrated to the United States from France and sold hats as an occupation.

Laurie married Lewis H. Strauss. Together they moved to Baltimore in 1948. At the time of their union, Strauss was a student at Johns Hopkins University who was studying physics. The two eventually divorced.

Laurie gave birth to her first child in 1951. It was during her pregnancy and child-bearing experience that she became well acquainted with her obstetrician, Alan Guttmacher. Dr. Guttmacher and Laurie established a friendship that eventually blossomed into a working professional relationship. The conversations they had about reproductive health sparked new interests in Laurie.

The day after Laurie gave birth, Dr. Guttmacher asked her if she would be willing to support him in his efforts to introduce more access to contraceptives for inner-city women in Baltimore. At the time, this was a pressing public health issue that required more attention. Laurie, having new interests in women's rights and healthcare rights, agreed to assist with this project by becoming a volunteer for Planned Parenthood.

Education
Dr. Zabin attended The Dalton School from kindergarten to the 12th grade. Afterwards, she attended Vassar College, earning a Bachelors of Arts in English Literature before expanding her education at Harvard University. At Harvard, she completed a thesis project on a Welsh poet named Dylan Thomas and earned her Masters of Arts. In 1948, she received a PhD in English from Johns Hopkins University.

Her professional pursuits shifted significantly after meeting with Dr. Guttmacher, so much so that she became an avid volunteer for Planned Parenthood of Maryland in 1951. After years of volunteering and assisting Dr. Guttmacher's endeavors in advancing healthcare rights for inner-city women, Laurie decided to pursue additional education within the realm of family planning and reproductive health at Johns Hopkins University.

Laurie pointed out that her education at Vassar College instilled a sense of curiosity in her, which ultimately encouraged her to explore new fields outside of Literature and English.

In 1975, she applied to the PhD program in Population Dynamics at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, formerly known as Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health at the time of her attendance. Despite not having a solid academic science background, Laurie had substantial credentials and leadership experiences as a long-time volunteer with Planned Parenthood. She even met the chair of the PhD program, W. Henry Mosley, to discuss her interests in gaining research and educational experience within the field of public health. She was accepted to the program and eventually earned her PhD in 1979 at the age of 53.

Research & Advocacy
Dr. Zabin's research at Johns Hopkins investigated trends in teenage pregnancies. Her dissertation revealed that approximately half of teenage pregnancies occur during the first 15 to 19 months after teenage girls become sexually active. Interestingly, she also found that teenage girls were not seeking services from clinics until roughly a year after becoming sexually active, suggesting that part of the issue dealt with timing of medical services.

Her findings were pivotal for vitalizing public health efforts to establish more family planning and contraceptive clinics across schools in the United States. Dr. Zabin and her colleagues began this initiative by establishing a family planning clinic near two high schools in Baltimore with the intent of providing better-quality education to high school teens about reproductive health. Dr. Zabin's work was vital for introducing the idea of schools providing reproductive education and services to teens.

In 1981, she helped establish the Social Science Fertility Research Unit in the Johns Hopkins OB/GYN division. She also taught public health students at Johns Hopkins as a professor and continued to publish research articles on reproductive health and family planning.

Leadership
In 1962, Dr. Zabin was invited to join the national board of Planned Parenhood due to her significant contributions as a volunteer. As a board member, she directed committees on policy development and also helped expand the national reach of Planned Parenthood.

Dr. Zabin served on the Adolescent Health Committee of the American College of Obstetrics/Gynecology. She also helped establish the Population and Reproductive Health division of the Bill & Melinda Gates Institute in 1999, serving as the director until 2002. During those years, she assisted in the training of over 850 scholars, fellows, and researchers from all across the globe with the aim of improving leadership and research skills in public health.

Recognitions

 * 1992 Irwin M. Cushner Award by the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association. This award recognizes healthcare providers, policymakers, and researchers who make notable contributions within the field of family planning.
 * In 2002, Johns Hopkins created a fellowship in Reproductive Health in her honor.
 * 2003 Carl A. Shultz Award of the American Public Health Association.
 * Planned Parenthood of Maryland Margaret Sanger Award.
 * 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award of Planned Parenthood.