Faculty Profile
Safyer McKenzie-Sampson, PhD
- John G. Searle Assistant Professor, Health Behavior and Health Equity
Safyer McKenzie-Sampson is the John G. Searle Assistant Professor in the Department
of Health Behavior and Health Equity at the University of Michigan School of Public
Health. Dr. McKenzie-Sampson is a health equity researcher, focused on researching
the multi-level impacts of exposure to racial discrimination across the life course
on the risk of adverse perinatal outcomes in Black communities, with the goal of translating
findings into interventions to increase birth justice. Her research portfolio uniquely
interrogates the rates of adverse perinatal outcomes through the lens of maternal
nativity in the United States, highlighting the experiences of Black immigrants. She
was the principal investigator of the AZANIA study, a mixed methods pilot study which
collected data on the pregnancy and childbirth experiences of African immigrants in
California. In addition to her research, Dr. McKenzie-Sampson supports families as
a full-spectrum community doula.
- PhD, Epidemiology and Translational Science, University of California San Francisco
- MS, Public Health, McGill University
- BS, Biopharmaceutical Science, University of Ottawa
- Racial/ethnic health inequities
- Perinatal health outcomes
- Structural racism
- Immigrant health
- Reproductive justice
McKenzie-Sampson S, Baer RJ, Chambers Butcher BD, Jelliffe-Pawlowski LL, Karasek D,
Oltman SP, Riddell CA, Rogers EE, Torres JM, Blebu BE. Risk of Adverse Perinatal Outcomes
Among African-born Black Women in California, 2011-2020. Epidemiology. 2024; 35(4):517-526.
McKenzie-Sampson S, Baer RJ, Jelliffe-Pawlowski LL, Karasek D, Riddell CA, Torres JM, Blebu BE. Structural racism, nativity and risk of adverse perinatal outcomes among Black women. Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology. 2024; 38(1):89-97.
McKenzie-Sampson S, Baer RJ, Blebu BE, Karasek D, Oltman SP, Pantell MS, Rand L, Rogers EE, Torres JM, Jelliffe-Pawlowski LL, Scott KA, Chambers BD. Maternal nativity and risk of adverse perinatal outcomes among Black women residing in California, 2011-2017. Journal of Perinatology. 2021; 41(12):2736-2741.
Karvonen KL, McKenzie-Sampson S, Baer RJ, Jelliffe-Pawlowski L, Rogers EE, Pantell MS, Chambers BD. Structural racism is associated with adverse postnatal outcomes among Black preterm infants. Pediatric Research. 2023; 94(1):371-377.
McKenzie-Sampson S, Baer RJ, Jelliffe-Pawlowski LL, Karasek D, Riddell CA, Torres JM, Blebu BE. Structural racism, nativity and risk of adverse perinatal outcomes among Black women. Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology. 2024; 38(1):89-97.
McKenzie-Sampson S, Baer RJ, Blebu BE, Karasek D, Oltman SP, Pantell MS, Rand L, Rogers EE, Torres JM, Jelliffe-Pawlowski LL, Scott KA, Chambers BD. Maternal nativity and risk of adverse perinatal outcomes among Black women residing in California, 2011-2017. Journal of Perinatology. 2021; 41(12):2736-2741.
Karvonen KL, McKenzie-Sampson S, Baer RJ, Jelliffe-Pawlowski L, Rogers EE, Pantell MS, Chambers BD. Structural racism is associated with adverse postnatal outcomes among Black preterm infants. Pediatric Research. 2023; 94(1):371-377.
Tamene M, McKenzie-Sampson S, Ahern J, Bradshaw PT, Carmichael SL, Mujahid MS. Structural
racism and perinatal mental health - The role of racialized economic segregation.
Soc Sci Med. 2025; 381:118296
McKenzie-Sampson S, Baer RJ, Costello J, Karasek D, Torres JM, Riddell CA, Jelliffe-Pawlowski LL, Blebu BE. Clinical risk factors and adverse perinatal outcomes among U.S. and African-born Black women in California. Journal of Perinatology. 2025. doi: 10.1038/s41372-025-02361-7
Email: safyer@umich.edu
Address: 3802 SPH I
1415 Washington Heights
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
For media inquiries: sph.media@umich.edu
Address: 3802 SPH I
1415 Washington Heights
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
For media inquiries: sph.media@umich.edu
Areas of Expertise: Health Equity, Racism, Reproductive Health, Women’s Health