The Sex Education Initiative at Teachers College, Columbia University trains professionals to integrate Fertility Awareness, Reproductive Life Planning, and Reproductive Identity Formation — a groundbreaking concept developed and taught in our lab— into their work.

Matrescence education helps mothers navigate the transition to motherhood, preparing them for the many biological, emotional, social, and beyond changes they experience. Unlike childbirth education, this approach takes a broader view—examining how parenthood reshapes a mother’s sense of self over time and offering resilience-building strategies.

Our collaboration with scholar Allison Davis, Ph.D., explores maternal mental health, climate change, and ecopsychology. By highlighting the ecological dimension of matrescence, we examine how the natural world shapes maternal experience, fostering a deeper, eco-aware understanding of human development.

Our lab explores reproductive identity through personal narratives across different groups, using a life course approach that values subjectivity and diversity. Studying life stories more accurately captures the inner dimensions of complex reproductive experiences. Through this reflective process, individuals develop a deeper understanding of their reproductive journeys.

We train peer health educators to provide accurate, evidence-based guidance on reproductive decision-making. Our program equips students to foster informed, inclusive, and supportive conversations about reproductive health on campus.

We bring our research to the public through social and news media, ensuring our identity theories are shared accurately. Our Writer-in-Residence program partners with journalists to translate findings into clear, impactful stories, reframing conversations and deepening understanding of parenthood.

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

THEORIST / EDUCATOR/ PSYCHOLOGIST

Reproductive & Maternal Health Specialization

Dr. Aurélie Athan is a clinical psychologist and research professor at Columbia University, where she leads the Khora Lab to explore the psychological development across the reproductive lifespan. Best known for reviving and expanding the concept of matrescence—the transition to motherhood—her work reframes this period as a profound developmental passage rather than a clinical diagnosis. Dr. Athan also introduced the concept of reproductive identity to capture how desires and decisions around parenthood shape the self. Through research, education, and public scholarship, her lab advances strengths-based, inclusive frameworks that center the reproductive and maternal experiences of all people.

PROJECT COORDINATOR

RESEARCH DATA MANAGER

Clinical Psychology Ph.D. (Health Care Emphasis)

Lisa Sholomon (she/her) is the program and research coordinator of the Khora: Maternal and Reproductive Psychology Lab at Teachers College, Columbia University, where she leads a team of masters and doctoral students studying topics such as reproductive identity, reproductive life planning, and maternal ecopsychology. She holds a B.A. in Psychology and French from Barnard College, Columbia University, and recently received her M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Teachers College. Next year, Lisa will be joining Pace University's Clinical Psychology (Health Care Emphasis) Ph.D. program where she will continue her journey toward becoming a perinatal and reproductive psychologist. Lisa's research interests include the intersection of feminism and matrescence, the role of childfree aunts and uncles in childrearing practices, maternal and reproductive agency, and the interplay between identity formation and stigma for single mothers, chronically ill individuals, and the queer community as they encounter reproductive decisions and crises of psychosocial development.

SCHOLAR-IN-RESIDENCE (2022-2024)

https://www.dralliedavis.com/publications

Dr. Allie Davis is a maternal mental health ecotherapist and founder of the Maternal Ecopsychology Institute. Her work bridges motherhood, climate distress, and ecological identity, offering nature-based healing practices rooted in feminist psychology. She supports mothers and practitioners in reconnecting to self and Earth through The Mother Tree Method and interdisciplinary tools for eco-resilience and care.

Dr. Christine Drew was a special education teacher in Texas before earning her PhD. She is an associate professor at Auburn University. Her research addresses the needs of adolescents and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families including sexuality and relationship education, inclusive higher education preparation, and parent training. (If we're doing personal things, you can add this: Dr. Drew lives with her partner and her rescue dog and enjoys spending time in her garden and planning her next home improvement project.)

DOCTORAL CANDIDATE / HEALTH PROMOTION & EDUCATION

Jasmine Gums, EdDc MPH MA (She/They) is a public health leader with extensive education and experience in providing equity-based, client-centered services to communities living within the margins. Her experience working with youth-serving and sexual & reproductive health organizations spans nine years and three states. She has innovated, implemented, and evaluated several curricula and programs rooted in anti-oppression and Reproductive Justice frameworks for various institutions including the City of Berkeley Department of Health & Human Services, Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, Santa Clara County Department of Public Health, CDC Foundation, and Massachusetts State Department of Public Health. She has volunteered her time as a committee member with Oasis for Girls and Planned Parenthood Mar Monte as well as a Board Member for Healthy Teen Network and the Berkeley Free Clinic. Jasmine's primary professional goal is to engage and empower clients to become champions for their bodies, futures, and communities.

Jasmine holds a BA in Women & Gender Studies from Wellesley College, an MPH from Boston University, and an MA in Health Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is currently pursing an ABSN at Oregon Health & Sciences University as well as an EdD in Health Promotion & Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. When not in class, you can find her exploring, doing pilates, or cuddling three adorably needy cats.

PROJECT TEAM LEAD

DOCTORAL CANDIDATE / HEALTH PROMOTION & EDUCATION

Pavita Singh, MPH is an adjunct professor of Women's Health and a writing tutor at Teachers College, Columbia University, where she is also completing her doctoral work at the intersection of reproductive psychology, Sikh studies, and narrative and poetic inquiry. She is the award-winning international bestselling author of two poetry books: To All the Magic in Me and Psyche. Pavita's mission is to spread light, love, learning, and laughter.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Yasmin Butt (she/her/ella) is a Counseling Psychology PhD student at Teachers College, Columbia University and a graduate of its Clinical Psychology MA program. Her research focuses on multicultural gender and reproductive issues across psychosocial contexts, with an emphasis on how structural and systemic factors shape mental health and reproductive experiences.

She is especially interested in the formation of reproductive identity and the diverse pathways to parenthood or non-parenthood among ethnoracially diverse sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals. Grounded in feminist and intersectional frameworks, Yasmin uses community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches to inform culturally responsive, justice-oriented mental health care.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT
Gwen is a sex educator, consultant, and research assistant. She has a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University, and has presented her research at domestic and international conferences. Her research interests include sexual well-being, kink, and the efficacy of sex education curricula.

PROJECT TEAM LEAD

VISITING DOCTORAL CANDIDATE

Regan Moss, MPH (Columbia University) is a second-year doctoral student in social, behavioral, and population sciences at Tulane University. Her research aims to design matricentric, feminist, and community-based programs and policies to support systems-marginalized women and address social drivers of health in the Deep South. She examines (1) how cultural ideas of criminality and morality surrounding m/otherhood and womanhood shape maternal and reproductive health outcomes; (2) how cultural ideas of criminality and morality shape narratives and meaning making around womanhood and m/otherhood in relation to health; (3) the embodiment of social inequities and normative discourses through maternal and reproductive psychology frameworks.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY MASTERS PROGRAM

Elaine Peng, BS, holds a bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from University of Minnesota-Twin Cities with minors in Management and Family Therapy. Her research interests focus on family dynamics & systems, maternal health, motherhood, reproductive identity, parenting, depression & suicide prevention, and global mental health issues.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Danni’s research interests focus on maternal mental health, and she is eager to support more mothers, children, and families through research. Outside of academia, she is a passionate foodie, especially when it comes to ramen. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring different ramen spots and trying new varieties.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Xuecheng is passionate about designing equitable disease prevention strategies that empower individuals and communities through education and advocacy. Her work focuses on pre-diagnosis interventions to reduce the financial, physical, and emotional burdens of delayed care. By integrating health promotion and prevention, she aims to advance health equity and foster sustainable well-being in diverse populations.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Maya is an aspiring mental health counselor interested in research and practice with perinatal and maternal populations. She is also interested in health psychology and ecopsychology, especially the therapeutic effects of a connection to nature. Outside of school, she coaches gymnastics, takes long walks in Riverside Park, enjoys traveling, and watches a lot of television.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Birce Murtezaoglu recently earned her master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research interests focus on maternal mental health, child development, and the intergenerational impact of early caregiving experiences. She has been involved in research projects bridging maternal psychology and ecopsychology, with a particular interest in how nature and environmental connection influence family dynamics. She is passionate about integrating research with clinical practice to promote holistic well-being.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Bella Young (she/her) holds Bachelor of Science degrees in Psychology and Criminology, with minors in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Utah. She recently earned her Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University. This fall, she will begin her doctoral training in Clinical Psychology at the PAU-Stanford University Psy.D. Consortium, pursuing her goal of becoming a perinatal psychologist. Bella’s research interests center on the intersection of severe personality pathology and motherhood, the epigenetic mechanisms affecting the maternal-infant dyad, reproductive health conditions such as PCOS and endometriosis, and postpartum care interventions.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Shriya Gaur is a clinical psychology graduate from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a Research Assistant at the Khora Lab. Their work focuses on reproductive identity development, with an emphasis on how personal narratives are shaped by social, cultural, and psychological forces. Drawing on psychoanalytic thought and queer theory, Shriya is interested in the role of storytelling in therapeutic spaces and how reproductive and identity-related experiences intersect with care, gender, and belonging. They bring a background in qualitative research and a commitment to holding space for complexity, nuance, and lived experience in both clinical and research settings.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Yolie received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience from Northeastern University in 2020. After college, worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator (CRC) role for 4 years. She first worked at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston for 2 years, where she led an intervention study for adolescents at risk for psychosis. In 2022, Yolie moved to NYC and started working as a CRC at Mount Sinai’s Depression & Anxiety Center, where she was responsible for coordinating an R01 neuroimaging study investigating the role of the Locus Coeruleus in pathological anxiety and PTSD.

In the Fall of 2024, Yolie started her Master’s in Clinical Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is passionate about further studying neurobiological mechanisms underlying psychopathology as well as resilience, emotional regulation, and cognitive processes in diverse/global populations, and thus, plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology after her Master’s degree.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Viktoria currently pursuing her M.A. in Clinical Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University, and as a Research Assistant in the Khora Lab, she focus on matrescence and how it is experienced by mothers in my home country, Greece. Her research experience spans multiple labs, where she has worked on projects related to resilience, emotional flexibility, neuroscience, and maternal well-being. She is especially passionate about understanding how individuals adapt to life transitions across cultures. In addition to her research, she work as an assistant teacher with children ages 3–5, which deepens her interest in early development and caregiving relationships.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Elli Dassopoulos is an early-career researcher interested in women's mental health, PTSD/trauma, as well as evolutionary and psychoanalytic approaches to the field of psychology. As a Greek-American, she is excited about Khora Lab's upcoming work with Greek women and hopes to explore what psychological, social, and cultural factors make their experiences of womanhood and motherhood unique. In her free time, she likes to study foreign languages, sail, and watch 1980's soap operas.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Efi is a second-year Master's student in the Clinical Psychology program at Teachers College. In May 2024, she graduated from Montclair State University with a B.A in Psychology and minored in Family Science and Human Development. She plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology after TC. She is especially interested in studying how childhood adversities can impact an adolescent's development and how these adversities are experienced throughout the family. She is passionate about advocating for immigrant families and hopes to work with adolescents from underserved communities.

STORYTELLING FACILITATOR

Kelly Moffitt-Hawasly is a passionate storyteller and teacher who works at the intersection of digital media, community, and psychology. A final-year Master's student in the Clinical Psychology program at Teachers College, Kelly has concentrated her studies on child and family psychology, joining the Maternal and Reproductive Psychology Lab in the fall of 2022 to study reproductive identity. A journalist and storyteller by training, working for years in public radio and at StoryCorps, and now a full-time communicator at Columbia University, Kelly is particularly interested in the psychological underpinnings and impact of storytelling on the mental health and well-being of youth and families. In addition to her work in the lab, Kelly is currently analyzing the themes, narratives, and complexity of reproductive identity stories for her integrative project. A proud mentor with Girls Write Now, Kelly holds an M.A. in Journalism, B.A. in International Studies, and B.J. in Magazine Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

EDUCATION TRAINER

DOCTORAL CANDIDATE, COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY

Olivia Snow is a doctoral candidate in the Counseling Psychology EdM program with Teachers College, Columbia University. Her current research interests include studying the effects of racial trauma, discrimination, and institutionalized racism on the physical and mental health of Black women and new mothers. Through her studies she hopes to change the delivery of medical care to become inclusive for women of color and their unique experiences and needs. Olivia also works as a doula at Ancient Song Doula Services and hopes to integrate these methods into her work. Her passion for reproductive identity has become a major aspect of her approach as a researcher and counselor. To her, reproductive identity is about access, autonomy and choice.

WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE (2023-2024)

https://www.instagram.com/christine.m.carrig/