Marian Jarlenski, PhD, MPH

Dr. Jarlenski is Associate Professor and Vice Chair for Practice in Health Policy and Management, and is Associate Director of the Center for Innovative Research on Gender Health Equity (CONVERGE@Pitt) at the University of Pittsburgh. The overarching goal of her research program is to expand the frontiers of knowledge about how health and healthcare policies can improve pregnancy and reproductive health outcomes. Dr. Jarlenski is an expert in Medicaid policies and programs, and has led a range of research focusing on substance use disorders in pregnancy and postpartum among low-income populations, and the effects of state Medicaid policies on pregnancy and reproductive health outcomes. This work has advanced our understanding of how access to evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorders in pregnancy can reduce the risk of overdose, and how health systems can ameliorate or exacerbate racial health inequities. She has authored or co-authored more than 90 peer-reviewed publications, and findings from her research have been cited in clinical quality improvement guidelines, state and national policy reports, and national news media. Currently, Dr. Jarlenski is Principal Investigator of 3 NIH-funded R01 projects and a PCORI-funded research project. She has served the field as a chartered NIH study section member, and as a mentor to a range of trainees including students, clinical fellows, and junior faculty. She is committed to contributing to a culture of intellectual curiosity, mentoring the next generation of researchers, cultivating an inclusive scientific community, and serving local and national policymaking bodies. Dr. Jarlenski earned her Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, M.P.H. from the Yale School of Public Health, and B.A. from Otterbein College.