About

Andrea M. Gomez, PhD, is the Principal Investigator of the Gomez Lab at the University of California, Berkeley, where she started her lab in 2020. Born and raised in Las Cruces, New Mexico, she is both Laguna Pueblo and Chicana. Dr. Gomez earned her Ph.D. in Developmental Genetics from New York University and completed postdoctoral research at the University of Basel in Switzerland. Her research focuses on developmental genetics and neuroplasticity, with a particular interest in understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying brain function and plasticity. Through her leadership at the Gomez Lab, she advances scientific knowledge in these areas, contributing to the broader field of neuroscience and genetics.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Psychology
• Obstetrics
• Internal medicine
• Environmental health
• Demography
• Sociology
• Biology
• Political Science
• Virology
• Clinical psychology
• Geography
• Gender studies
• Public relations
• Nursing
• Gerontology

Selected publications

• Moving Toward a Population Level Measure of Person-Centered Contraceptive Need in the United States

  Journal of Women s Health · 2026-01-07

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Background: Health care systems should be designed to provide the care that people need and want; person-centered metrics are therefore critical data inputs to this process. Materials and Methods: We used multiple national datasets to develop a more person-centered metric for estimating need for contraception, comparing results made using a conventional approach with this new approach. The conventional metric estimates the number of individuals who have a likely need for contraceptive services based on their sexual experience and presumed risk for pregnancy. The new metric estimates the number of individuals who have a self-defined need for contraceptive services based on their current or recent contraceptive method or service use or their expressed desires to use contraception. Results: We found that the overall number of individuals considered to have a need for contraceptive services is roughly similar when comparing the conventional approach (37.8 million) with the new approach (38.3 million or 39.2 million, depending on the survey). However, these numbers represent somewhat different people according to each metric, with the traditional metric misclassifying some individuals who themselves desire to use or not use contraception. Implications: A new, more person-centered metric will better align measurement of contraceptive service need with what people want and will improve estimates of potential demand for care and how many individuals are likely to seek care. This paper provides policymakers and program planners with the thorough methodology and justification for the new metric that will be needed if the new metric is to be accepted and adopted for wide use.

  PublisherDOI

• No strings attached: a mixed methods evaluation of the acceptability of the San Francisco Abundant Birth Project, a perinatal guaranteed income program

  BMC Public Health · 2026-01-22

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Economic insecurity during pregnancy is a critical social determinant of maternal and infant health. Traditional public assistance programs often fail to meet the needs of marginalized communities, particularly Black and Pacific Islander (Pasifika) pregnant women and people. Guaranteed income (GI)–unconditional cash transfers for specific populations–has emerged as a potential solution, but little is known about the experiences of participants accessing perinatal GI programs. The current study describes the implementation and acceptability of the San Francisco Abundant Birth Project (ABP), the first perinatal GI pilot program in the U.S. ABP provided $1,000 per month for up to 14 months to 151 Black and Pasifika pregnant individuals in San Francisco, CA, between 2021 and 2024. We conducted a mixed-methods participatory evaluation with a subset of program participants (116 survey and 21 interview participants), and asked about program satisfaction, trust, and experience. Community researchers co-led the study design, data collection, and analysis. Participants reported being very satisfied (95.7%) with ABP and felt very respected by the staff (95.7%). A majority (77.5%) trusted ABP to act in their best interest, compared to 9.0% who trusted the government to do the same. While some participants initially doubted that the funds from ABP were unconditional, trust grew over time. Qualitative findings emphasized the importance of ABP’s community-centered design and culturally aligned staff in building trust. Findings highlight the value of community-rooted GI programs in fostering trust, dignity, and reimagined models of pregnancy support.

  PublisherDOI

• Strategies to recruit and retain Black and Latina/x women and birthing people in a biospecimen research study

  Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare · 2026-05-04

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  The Supporting Our Ladies And Reducing Stress to prevent preterm birth (SOLARS) Feasibility Study utilized three strategies to recruit Black and Latina/x women in a biospecimen study: individual (warm hand-off from community partner); group (attend group sessions to discuss study), and tabling (setting up a table at a clinic or community event). Additionally, we combined individual + group and individual + group + tabling strategies. Using these strategies, 35 women were recruited, where 32 completed survey and biospecimen at two timepoints across their pregnancies. Findings from our study support that using a reproductive justice framework is an effective strategy to build trust and increase participation in biospecimen studies among communities of color.

  PublisherDOI

• Experiences of discrimination in reproductive healthcare: a psychometric evaluation of a discrimination measure for family planning settings

  Reproductive Health · 2026-02-27

  articleOpen access

  Experiences of discrimination in healthcare settings contribute to inequities in healthcare access and outcomes. Black, Latina, and Indigenous communities have lower levels of trust in reproductive healthcare due to a longstanding history of abuses. In this context, discriminatory behaviors by providers may be particularly problematic. This study aimed to test the psychometric properties of a nine-item measure of lifetime experiences of discrimination in family planning settings developed by Thorburn Bird and Bogart (2003). Data came from the nationally representative Person-Centered Contraceptive Access Metrics Survey (unweighted N = 3,059). We performed exploratory factor analysis using principal axis extraction and Promax rotation, assessed reliability using coefficient omega, and employed weighted linear regression to test known-groups validity. We identified two factors and retained seven scale items. The two factors, general healthcare discrimination and stereotype-based discrimination, were consistent with the scale’s original 2005 validation with African American women. The measure demonstrated strong reliability (coefficient omega 0.97) and goodness-of-fit (TLI = 0.988, RMSEA = 0.066). Known-groups validity testing indicated that people of color experienced higher levels of discrimination in family planning settings compared to white respondents. This updated validation with a nationally representative sample confirms the scale’s utility for assessing discrimination in family planning settings and identifying the relationship with healthcare outcomes. The measure provides a tool to support research on the prevalence of discrimination and its impact on reproductive autonomy, including preferred method use and access to care. The scale may aid the assessment of clinic procedures and interventions promoting equitable access to high-quality reproductive healthcare. Many people of color get treated badly when they visit doctors for birth control. Doctors might be rude to them or make wrong guesses about their personal lives. We tested a survey about how people were treated during birth control visits. The survey was first made in 2003 for Black women, but we wanted to see if it works for more types of people across the United States. We studied answers from people who had talked to doctors about birth control. The questions ask about two things: being treated badly (like being rude or not listening) and unfair assumptions (like wrongly guessing how many kids or sexual partners someone has). People of color faced more unfair treatment than white people. Black people faced the most, especially unfair assumptions about their lives. This survey can help researchers and hospitals spot discrimination in family planning care. It can be used to find problems, test if efforts to improve care are working, and make sure hospitals treat all patients fairly. While this tool cannot stop all unfair treatment by itself, it gives us a way to measure problems and see if things get better over time. The goal is fairer birth control care for everyone.

  PublisherDOI

• Perception of Having Enough Information to Make Contraceptive Decisions: A Novel Metric of Person-Centered Contraceptive Access

  Women s Health Issues · 2025-06-18 · 3 citations

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Relationship between experiencing a challenge or delay accessing contraception and contraceptive self-efficacy: Data from a 2022 nationally representative online survey

  Reproductive Health · 2025-04-15

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  BACKGROUND: Previous research has found self-efficacy is associated with reproductive health behaviors and outcomes. However, few studies have quantitatively examined the relationship between barriers accessing contraception and self-efficacy. In addition, existing population-level metrics of contraceptive access tend to focus on method availability, uptake, and use, rather than people's self-defined needs and preferences. This study uses person-centered metrics to assess the relationship between experiencing a recent challenge or delay obtaining desired contraception and two measures of contraceptive self-efficacy. METHODS: In 2022, we fielded a nationally representative survey in English and Spanish using NORC's AmeriSpeak panel, surveying non-sterile 15- to 44-year-olds assigned female sex at birth in the U.S. We describe common challenges and delays obtaining contraception and present the distribution of experiencing a challenge or delay obtaining contraception by key sociodemographic and reproductive health characteristics. We also conduct logistic regression analyses to investigate associations between experiencing a challenge/delay and two measures of contraceptive self-efficacy: confidence in obtaining a desired method when wanted and perceived ease of switching methods when wanted. RESULTS: Among the analytic sample of respondents who had ever used or tried to obtain a contraceptive product, device, or procedure (unweighted n = 2,771), about 14% experienced a challenge/delay obtaining desired contraception in the past year. The most common reasons for challenges or delays were related to logistics (transportation, childcare, scheduling; 38.2%) and cost/insurance coverage (35.8%). Among those who experienced a challenge/delay obtaining desired contraception (unweighted n = 301), higher proportions were younger, identified as non-heterosexual, had lower educational attainment, and could afford smaller emergency expenses compared to the subgroup that did not experience a challenge/delay. Experiencing a challenge/delay was associated with decreased odds of feeling very or somewhat confident in obtaining a desired method (aOR 0.14; 95% CI 0.07, 0.25) and decreased odds of feeling it would be very or somewhat easy to switch contraceptive methods (aOR 0.48; 95% CI 0.33, 0.71). CONCLUSIONS: Eliminating barriers to contraceptive care is crucial to achieving person-centered access. Our research suggests that experiencing a challenge/delay has implications not only for recent contraceptive access but also influences self-efficacy, potentially inhibiting future ability to obtain and use desired contraception.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• An Interprofessional Collaboration Between a Community‐Based Doula Organization and Clinical Partners: The Champion Dyad Initiative

  Journal of Midwifery & Women s Health · 2025-01-18 · 5 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  As access to doula services expands through state Medicaid coverage and specific initiatives aimed at improving maternal health equity, there is a need to build and improve upon relationships between the doula community, hospital leaders, and clinical staff. Previous research and reports suggest rapport-building, provider education, and forming partnerships between community-based organizations and hospitals can improve such relationships. However, few interventions or programs incorporating such approaches are described in the literature. This article describes the development and 5 core components of the Champion Dyad Initiative (CDI), a novel program that uses bidirectional feedback between SisterWeb, a community-based doula organization, and 5 clinical sites (4 hospitals and one birthing center) to ensure pregnant and birthing people receive fair and equitable treatment. We also describe implementation challenges related to documentation, funding, and institutional support. The CDI is a promising model for community-based doula organizations and health care institutions to develop collaborative partnerships, build respectful doula-provider relationships, and work toward improving the pregnancy-related care that Black, Indigenous, and people of color receive in hospital and birth center settings. It is our hope that this innovative initiative can serve as a model that can be adapted for other locales, organizations, and hospitals.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Call to action: Bringing sexual and reproductive health equity into how we quantify the impact of contraceptive access

  Contraception · 2025-10-15 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Increasing commercial coverage of doula services: perspectives from health plans and large employers in California

  Health Affairs Scholar · 2025-03-26

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Although Medicaid coverage of doula services has expanded since 2014, commercial coverage remains nascent. Little is known about what motivates private payers to cover doula support. Through qualitative interviews with staff members (n = 11) from health plans and employers that operate in California, we aimed to identify factors that could influence commercial coverage of doula services. In our first theme, we describe how a health plan or employer's commitment to birth equity can serve as a catalyst for commercial coverage of doula services. Second, participants noted that when considering new benefits, payers would review evidence related to doula support and weigh cost. The third theme centers on how consumer demand could impact a health plan or employer's appetite for adding a commercial doula benefit. The final theme highlights the operational considerations health plans and employers are contemplating, such as how to prioritize populations that could most benefit from doula support. Our findings suggest that the decision to cover doula support largely hinges on payer priorities. However, we found that health plans and employers interested in advancing birth equity were compelled by evidence supporting doula care, suggesting there may be opportunities to increase commercial coverage of doula services.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Designing the First Pregnancy Guaranteed Income Program in the United States: Qualitative Needs Assessment and Human-Centered Design to Develop the Abundant Birth Project

  JMIR Formative Research · 2025-01-27 · 3 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  BACKGROUND: Racial inequities in pregnancy outcomes persist despite investments in clinical, educational, and behavioral interventions, indicating that a new approach is needed to address the root causes of health disparities. Guaranteed income during pregnancy has the potential to narrow racial health inequities for birthing people and infants by alleviating financial stress. OBJECTIVE: We describe community-driven formative research to design the first pregnancy-guaranteed income program in the United States-the Abundant Birth Project (ABP). Informed by birth equity and social determinants of health perspectives, ABP targets upstream structural factors to improve racial disparities in maternal and infant health. METHODS: The research team included community researchers, community members with lived experience as Black or Pacific Islander pregnant, and parenting people in the San Francisco Bay Area. The team conducted needs assessment interviews and facilitated focus groups with participants using human-centered design methods. Needs assessment participants later served as co-designers of the ABP program and research, sharing their experiences with financial hardships and government benefits programs and providing recommendations on key program elements, including fund disbursement, eligibility, and amount. RESULTS: Housing affordability and the high cost of living in San Francisco emerged as significant sources of stress in pregnancy. Participants reported prohibitively low income eligibility thresholds and burdensome enrollment processes as challenges or barriers to existing social services. These insights guided the design of prototypes of ABP's program components, which were used in a design sprint to determine the final components. Based on this design process, the ABP program offered US $1000/month for 12 months to pregnant Black and Pacific Islander people, selected through a lottery called an abundance drawing. CONCLUSIONS: The formative design process maximized community input and shared decision-making to co-design a guaranteed income program for Black and Pacific Islander women and people. Our upstream approach and community research model can inform the development of public health and social service programs.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• A Couple-Level Approach to Preventing Unintended Pregnancy among Young Latinas

  NIH · $177k · 2012–2014

• A Couple-Level Approach to Preventing Unintended Pregnancy among Young Latinas

  NIH · $692k · 2014–2018

Frequent coauthors

• Cassondra Marshall

  University of California, Berkeley

  24 shared

• Jennet Arcara

  University of California, Berkeley

  19 shared

• Stephanie Arteaga

  University of California, Los Angeles

  17 shared

• Rebecca J. Baer

  University of California, San Diego

  14 shared

• Deborah Karasek

  12 shared

• Laura L. Jelliffe‐Pawlowski

  University of California, San Francisco

  11 shared

• Ilene S. Speizer

  10 shared

• Sky K. Feuer

  University of California, San Francisco

  10 shared

Labs

• The Gomez LABPI