Dr. Bridget Basile-Ibrahim is a nurse-scientist with over a decade of clinical experience working as a family nurse practitioner providing primary care to underserved communities in urban and rural areas of the United States and Canada, and a registered nurse in inpatient pediatric oncology and stem cell transplants. She also has experience in caring for women and their families as a doula and certified breastfeeding specialist. Prior to entering nursing, she worked as an anthropologist on international development projects funded by agencies such as the World Bank and USAID. Dr. Basile Ibrahim holds a PhD from Yale University, an MSN from the University of California Los Angeles, a BSN from The Johns Hopkins University, and a BA and MA in Anthropology from Boston University. She completed an NIH-funded Rural Health Equity Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
Dr. Joan Combellick is a certified nurse midwife and graduate of the Yale School of Nursing midwifery program. In addition to a master’s degree in nursing/midwifery from Yale, she holds a master’s degree in Global Public Health and a PhD from New York University. Her program of practice-based research includes her doctoral dissertation, which investigated the impact of common birth interventions on the neonate’s fecal microbiome. She has completed an Advanced Women’s Health Fellowship at the Veterans Health Administration in West Haven, CT. Her post-doctoral work focused on improving maternity and reproductive health care for high-risk individuals, particularly those who experience psychological trauma or whose care is suboptimal due to mental health problems. She also focuses on investigating care models and practices that promote and protect undisturbed biological, social, and psychological processes during pregnancy and birth.
Dr. Janene Batten is the Nursing Librarian for the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University. She works with clinical nurses on pressing clinical issues, and helps clinical nurse researchers with their research. Dr. Batten also works in the academic setting with faculty and students, assisting with research and integrating into nursing education. She received her Doctor of Education (EdD) from the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education. Her doctoral dissertation examined how school nurses perceive their value in K-12 education. She has a Master’s in Library Science (MLS) from the Southern Connecticut State University, and a Bachelor of Education (BEd) from Flinders University, South Australia.
Dr. Robyn Schafer is a nurse-midwife, educator, and scholar who is passionate about evidence-based, person-centered care. She is currently an Assistant Professor at Rutgers University (New Jersey, USA) in the School of Nursing, and Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, where she educates midwifery and advanced practice nursing students, trains obstetric residents, and provides perinatal care. Dr. Schafer holds a BA and EdM from Boston University, an MSN from Yale University, and a PhD from Vanderbilt University. She also has advanced certification as an Internationally Board-Certified Lactation Consultant and Certified Nurse Educator, and is a Fellow of the American College of Nurse-Midwives. Her research focuses on clinical decision-making, including risk perception, informed choice, and evidence-based practice in perinatal and reproductive health.
