Ronna L. Chan

Ronna is trained as a reproductive and perinatal epidemiologist and has over fifteen years’ experience using quantitative methodology to conduct US-based and international studies across multiple specialty areas in academia, government, and contract research organizations (CRO). Much of her research has evaluated a variety of topics that are salient to the health and outcome of children and of women of reproductive age. This includes population-based, prospective cohort studies to examine the effects of maternal health behaviors, obstetric and reproductive histories, medication use, and environmental influences on adverse pregnancy outcomes. Ronna also designed and led a longitudinal study to examine environmental and nutritional deficiencies on children’s health and well-being by gathering data from households, schools, and communities in an international setting. In addition to women and children’s health, her research portfolio also spans the areas of infectious diseases, orthopedic, respiratory, indoor and outdoor air pollutants, intentional and unintentional injury, intimate partner violence, men’s reproductive health, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Prior to joining Evidera, Ronna served as an epidemiologist at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ Community Disease Branch and Birth Defects Monitoring Program. In this role she directed research and surveillance activities that examined periconceptional, congenital, and postnatal Zika virus infection in pregnant women and infants. As a key member of the Zika Pregnancy and Infant Surveillance Data Use Working Group, she collaborated with CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) scientists and provided technical and scientific input on statistical analysis and publication plans to address the effects of Zika virus infection on birth defects, adverse pregnancy, and other infant outcomes.

Ronna has published as a primary author or coauthor in high impact peer-reviewed journals such as Human Reproduction, Epidemiology, Environmental Health Perspectives, and Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) and has authored a book chapter on the epidemiological evidence of maternal caffeine consumption and miscarriage risk published by Wiley & Sons Inc. Over the past fifteen years, Ronna has served as ad hoc peer-reviewer for epidemiology, obstetric and gynecology, maternal and child health, and environmental health journals, and as a grant reviewer for multiple HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration) maternal and child health research programs. In terms of teaching and mentoring, Ronna has taught epidemiology concepts to The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) School of Medicine medical students and doctoral students at UNC-Chapel-Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, as well as trained, supervised, and mentored junior research and field staff. Ronna is also an active member with the Society for Epidemiologic Research and Society for Perinatal and Epidemiologic Research. Ronna holds a doctoral degree in maternal and child health epidemiology from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Public Health; a Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in epidemiology and biostatistics from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine; and, a bachelor’s degree in biology from Wake Forest University.