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Marni Sommer, DrPH, MSN, RN

Associate Professor, Mailman School of Public Health and Director of the GATE Program at Columbia University

About me

Dr. Marni Sommer is a globally recognized expert on menstruation, gender and sexual and reproductive health, and adolescent health research and practice. Dr. Sommer directs the Gender, Adolescent Transitions and Environment (GATE) Program at Columbia University, which explores the intersections of gender, health, education and the environment for girls and boys transitioning into adulthood in low-income countries and in the United States (USA). GATE also generates research and practical resources focused on improving the integration of menstrual hygiene management (MHM) and gender supportive sanitation solutions into global humanitarian response. Her work includes leading the development of the MHM in Emergencies Toolkit and Menstrual Disposal, Waste Management and Laundering: A Compendium, in partnership with the International Rescue Committee and the humanitarian response community, as well as collaborating with UNICEF and global partners to establish a 10-year agenda, MHM in Ten, focused on establishing priorities for menstrual equity in schools.

Dr. Sommer is an Associate Professor at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health where she teaches menstruation and global health topics, and is a Senior Editor of the journal Global Public Health. Currently, her research focuses on a broad range of menstruation issues, including the experiences of those who are homeless, young people transitioning through puberty in the USA, displaced girls and women in humanitarian emergencies, and girls and their families growing up in low- and middle-income countries. Dr. Sommer is also the founder of Grow and Know, a small non-profit focused on developing puberty books with content on menstruation, with over two million copies of books published in nine countries worldwide.