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Women’s Health and Reproductive Disparities Collaborative (onWHARD)

With community, for women’s health.

2026 onWHARD team photo

Welcome!

We are the Women’s Health and Reproductive Disparities Collaborative (onWHARD) – a community-engaged research and outreach team based within the University of Michigan’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Founded and led by Dr. Erica Marsh, our team is dedicated to the advancement of women’s health through empowering education, committed advocacy/service, and impactful research.

At the top of this website, you will find headings that can be used to navigate the site and find dedicated information on all facets of onWHARD’s work. On this landing page, we will endeavor to aggregate recent updates, including upcoming events and the most current version of our team newsletter. We welcome you to spend some time with us!

About onWHARD Upcoming Events

Education, advocacy, and research – together.

We aggregate recent updates here — upcoming events, the latest team newsletter, and stories from the community. We welcome you to spend some time with us.

  • Empowering education that meets community members where they are — at festivals, libraries, schools and clinics.
  • Committed advocacy and service that addresses reproductive health disparities head-on.
  • Impactful research conducted in partnership with the communities we serve, translating findings into better care.

Recent Happenings

Highlights from across the collaborative — community events, recognitions, and research milestones.

Recent Events

Book Club with Dr. Geronimus

On July 30th, PEACE in collaboration with the onWHARD team, hosted a deeply engaging and thought-provoking discussion with Dr. Arline Geronimus, author of Weathering: The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life in an Unjust Society. In honor of Fibroid Awareness Month, the evening’s conversation centered on exploring the book’s themes of chronic stress and the intersection…
Recent Events

PEACE Open House

On August 2nd, PEACE hosted its first ever community open house at the Second Baptist Church in Ypsilanti where we broke the silence on uterine fibroids alongside fellow onWHARD studies like MARCH. Families and friends joined us to share experiences, learn more about uterine fibroids, and connect with each other over great food.  Around the room…
Recent Events · Special Announcement

Dr. Marsh inducted into the National Academy of Medicine

Congratulations to Dr. Marsh on her induction into the National Academy of Medicine, a landmark recognition of decades of advocacy, research, and leadership in reproductive health equity.
Community Highlight · Recent Events

Meeting neighbors at the A2 African American Festival.

Our team is always seeking ways engaging with our community, including attending this summer’s A2 African American Festival, where team members provided anemia screenings, period kits, and treats for attendees.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Out in the community

Our team will be out in the community throughout late winter and into early spring 2026.
Here’s what’s coming up — and what we’ve been up to.

Book Club with Dr. Geronimus

On July 30th, PEACE in collaboration with the onWHARD team, hosted a deeply engaging and thought-provoking discussion with Dr. Arline Geronimus, author of Weathering: The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life in an Unjust Society. In honor of Fibroid Awareness Month, the evening’s conversation centered on exploring the book’s themes of chronic stress and the intersection…

PEACE Open House

On August 2nd, PEACE hosted its first ever community open house at the Second Baptist Church in Ypsilanti where we broke the silence on uterine fibroids alongside fellow onWHARD studies like MARCH. Families and friends joined us to share experiences, learn more about uterine fibroids, and connect with each other over great food.  Around the room…

onWHARD Organizes COVID-19 Community Communication Efforts

onWHARD has been hard at work sharing information about COVID-19 with community members. In response to community requests for more accessible communication on COVID-19, our onWHARD team partnered with local organizations and the Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research (MICHR) to develop a series of informative flyers. The flyers shared CDC and MDHHS guidelines…

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We introduce our team and highlight recent happenings.

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