Erika Sabbath
Associate Professor
Biography
Erika L. Sabbath, ScD, is associate professor in the Health and Mental Health field of practice. She is a social and occupational epidemiologist studying the contribution of the work environment to population health and disparities. Across multiple funded research studies, she examines the role of public policy changes, organizational policies and practices, and work-related stressors on health and wellbeing of healthcare workers and other helping professionals. Professor Sabbath has two major research projects. First, along with Mara Buchbinder (UNC-Chapel Hill), she is principal investigator of the Study of OB-GYNs in Post-Roe America , a series of studies that aim to (1) characterize the personal and professional impacts for obstetrician-gynecologists (OB-GYNs) of practicing in a post-Dobbs v. Jackson policy context, and (2) develop and disseminate evidence-based recommendations to support OB-GYNs’ professional wellbeing in states with restrictive abortion policy climates. The project has received funding from the Greenwall Foundation (2023-2024) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health ( R01 OH012664 , 2024-2027). Second, since 2016, she has been the principal investigator of the NIOSH-funded Boston Hospital Workers Health Study (BHWHS) , a longitudinal study of over 27,000 nurses and nursing assistants in the Mass General Brigham hospital system. BHWHS is the flagship research project of the Harvard Center for Work, Health, and Wellbeing , of which Dr. Sabbath is the Co-Director and Multi-PI (along with Glorian Sorensen, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health). Professor Sabbath engages doctoral students and other trainees in all her projects and has a strong commitment to mentorship. She encourages students who are interested in collaborating with her to email her at erika.sabbath@bc.edu.