01Quantitative
Flagship research · Nigeria
Contraceptive continuity in Nigeria
A national analysis showing where contraceptive use ends early, who faces the greatest discontinuation risk, and how the evidence can improve family-planning monitoring.
Sexual and reproductive health research · Global health · Evidence to action
Research that connects lived experience to public-health decisions.
I’m Ogechi Vinaprisca Ikhuoria, known as Vina. My work centers adolescent girls’ and women’s sexual and reproductive health, with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa and the path from evidence to policy and practice.
01 / Selected work
Evidence with a destination.
Projects are organized around the decisions they can inform, the people whose experiences they reflect, and the methods that make the evidence credible.
02Quantitative
Population health trends · United States
Maternal nativity and Black adolescent birth outcomes
A population-based study of how repeat birth, prenatal-care initiation, and birthweight trends differed by maternal nativity from 2018 to 2024.
03Qualitative
Community-engaged evidence synthesis · United States
ReproHEAL: Black women’s care experiences
A patient-centered evidence synthesis identifying barriers, gaps, and research priorities across menstrual and menopausal healthcare.
04Qualitative
Youth consultation · Sub-Saharan Africa
Reproductive justice youth consultation
A rapid qualitative consultation that carried young women’s experiences into recommendations for the CSW70 youth process.
05Advocacy
Capacity strengthening · 14 countries
SRH policy advocacy across 14 countries
A three-day virtual program that equipped more than 200 youth leaders to analyze policy environments and build advocacy campaigns.
02 / Path & publications
Built across research, practice, and advocacy.
I am a PhD student in Behavioral and Community Health at the University of Maryland and a graduate assistant with the Global Public Health Scholars Program. My work connects social and behavioral determinants of SRH with intervention research, health policy, and advocacy.
Health communication in practice
Designed social and behavior change communication for contraceptive access, trained providers and media, and helped expand comprehensive sexuality education in Rivers State, Nigeria.
Research and advocacy leadership
Completed an MSc in Population & Reproductive Health, led SRH research and youth advocacy, and convened a 14-country policy workshop.
Doctoral and community-engaged research
Pursuing a PhD in Behavioral and Community Health at the University of Maryland while contributing to teaching and community-engaged reproductive-health research.
Evidence on larger stages
Selected for an APHA poster, presented reproductive-health research at UMD, and participated as a youth delegate at CSW70 and the UN High-Level Political Forum.
Selected publications
Research across reproductive health, implementation, and African health systems.
- 2026The use of implementation science frameworks to promote maternal and child health delivery programs in NigeriaFrontiers in Health Services
- 2026Regulating algorithmic tools in reproductive health: ethical and legal challengesFrontiers in Reproductive Health
- 2025Article processing charges and health research output in low-income countries: funding cuts, implications for health policy and system managementFrontiers in Health Services
- 2025Mentorship in African health and clinical research: addressing barriers and building research capacityHuman Resources for Health
Conference contributions
Current work moving toward wider scholarly exchange.
03 / Resources
Start with the work.
Read the policy brief for an example of sexual and reproductive health research translated into a practical public-health recommendation.