Monique M. Hedderson , PhD

Monique.m.hedderson@kp.org

Monique Hedderson, PhD, is a research scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research and associate director for the women’s and children’s health section.

She received her Master’s in public health from the University of Washington in 2000 and her PhD in epidemiology from the University of Washington in 2005. Dr. Hedderson’s research interests lie principally, but not exclusively, in the field of maternal and child health. Her research portfolio investigates the influence of preconception, prenatal and early childhood exposures on maternal and child health. Specifically, she has sought to understand how potentially modifiable factors before and during early pregnancy contribute to the risk of metabolic complications in women during pregnancy and postpartum, as well as their children.

Dr. Hedderson has a long-standing interest in developing innovative targeted prevention and treatment strategies for high risk populations, especially interventions among reproductive aged women that can be implemented into clinical practice. She is also interested in the pharmacogenetics of glycemic response to metformin among patients with type 2 diabetes. This area of research has the potential to inform data-driven prescribing and precision medicine for antidiabetic drug therapy.

Current Positions

Research Scientist III, Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California
Director of Research Clinics, Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California

Section Affiliations

Associate Director, Women’s and Children’s Health

Primary Research Interests

Reproductive and perinatal epidemiology
Gestational diabetes
In utero behavioral and environmental exposures related to maternal and child health

Studies

Early Life Exposure to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals and Child Growth, Adiposity, and Neurodevelopment

This is a 7-year renewal of our current ECHO Cohort Study Site Early Life Exposures and Child Growth, Adiposity, and Neurodevelopment. We plan to extend the capacity of the ECHO Cohort to further investigate the roles of endocrine disruptor chemicals and health behaviors on child growth, adiposity and neurodevelopment and to follow our 2,000 children and their mothers currently enrolled in our ECHO Cohort and implement the ECHO Cohort Protocol.

Investigator: Ferrara, Assiamira; Croen, Lisa; Hedderson, Monique

Funder: National Institutes of Health

Preconception and Prenatal Health Impacting Factors and Child Health

The study will recruit a diverse cohort of 1,800 pregnant individuals, the conceiving partner, their resulting child, and will follow all of them at multiple visits after the child is born to contribute to the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program. We will examine the role of in utero exposure to psychological distress and substance use on child growth, adiposity, obesity, and neurodevelopment (ND) and the extent to which prenatal lifestyle factors and neighborhood factors may mitigate these associations. We will clarify the joint effects of maternal prenatal dietary patterns and the 24-hour movement and child growth, obesity, and ND and whether metabolomic signatures prenatally, at birth, and postnatally mediate these associations. There will also be a preconception pilot study to explore the role of maternal and paternal lifestyle factors on infant health to identify critical time periods to intervene on to prevent upstream risk factors for childhood obesity and ND.

Investigator: Hedderson, Monique; Zhu, Yeyi; Avalos, Lyndsay

Funder: National Institutes of Health

Evaluating patient engagement in “KP Connected Pregnancy Care” and its association with utilization, perinatal outcomes and patient satisfaction.

This cohort study evaluates a new prenatal care delivery pathway, KP Connected Pregnancy Care (KPCPC). KPCPC is an opt-in hybrid in-person and virtual care model using digital tools to expand remote patient monitoring and virtual visits for low-risk prenatal care patients. Study compares participation in KPCPC with standard in-person care pathway and patient satisfaction with prenatal care and health outcomes. It will explore if associations vary among patients at risk for health disparities due to racism or other social determinants of health.