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Increasing levels of obesity in many low- and middle-income countries with a high burden of HIV have made obesity-associated complications in pregnancy, such as gestational diabetes and hypertensive disorders, a growing concern. Individually, both HIV and obesity in pregnancy adversely affect maternal and child health and increase the risk of developing a non-communicable disease, such as hypertension and Type 2 diabetes, later in life – but little is known about the combined effects of HIV and obesity in pregnancy.

Dr. Bengtson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at Brown University. Her research focuses on improving the health of HIV-infected women and their children during the perinatal period. Her work explores the impact of HIV drugs on pregnancy outcomes, investigates novel strategies to measure and support ongoing engagement in HIV care, and addresses common comorbid conditions with HIV during pregnancy, including gestational diabetes, hypertension, and perinatal depression. Dr. Bengtson has worked extensively in sub-Saharan Africa, most recently in Malawi and South Africa. She received her PhD in 2015 from the Department of Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina.