Karen Sheffield-Abdullah, PhD, RN, CNM, is a nurse scientist whose interests focus on the utilization of holistic, integrative, multi-sector strategies to promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being for individuals and communities. She is particularly interested in developing strategies to reduce the long-term health effects of psychological trauma, anxiety, and depression on women’s health and birth outcomes. Her interests include the bio-psycho-social benefits of self-compassion, mindfulness, and other mind-body therapies as adjuncts to conventional treatment modalities.
Karen's program of research facilitates the development of culturally relevant interventions to reduce disparities in stress-related adverse outcomes during the perinatal period and provide a platform to guide successful models for women’s health care provision that incorporate stress management and improve wellness across the lifespan. Dr. Sheffield-Abdullah has a doctoral degree in nursing from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing and a master of science in nursing degree from Yale University. She is a 10-year practitioner of mindfulness and is currently being certified as an MBSR teacher.