Linda J. Heffner, MD, PhD
Emeritus Professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology
Biography
Dr. Linda Heffner is Emeritus Professor, and past Chair and Chief, of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center. After she earned a Ph.D. in physiology from Cornell University and an M.D. degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, she completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania followed by a fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Dr. Heffner came to BUSM in 2003 after spending 18 years at BWH, where she was the first female division chief, and Harvard Medical School, where she was the first woman in her field to reach the rank of professor. A dedicated teacher, Dr. Heffner has won numerous awards for her efforts from both Harvard and Boston University and has been named repeatedly to Who’s Who in Medicine and Health Care. Over the course of her career, she has published two textbooks and numerous research articles that have helped define important aspects of obstetric care.
Education
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD
- Cornell University, PhD
- Cornell University, MS
- Bucknell University, BS
Publications
- Published on 6/9/2017
Hong X, Hao K, Ji H, Peng S, Sherwood B, Di Narzo A, Tsai HJ, Liu X, Burd I, Wang G, Ji Y, Caruso D, Mao G, Bartell TR, Zhang Z, Pearson C, Heffner L, Cerda S, Beaty TH, Fallin MD, Lee-Parritz A, Zuckerman B, Weeks DE, Wang X. Genome-wide approach identifies a novel gene-maternal pre-pregnancy BMI interaction on preterm birth. Nat Commun. 2017 06 09; 8:15608. PMID: 28598419.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 3/16/2017
Okeigwe I, Wang C, Politch JA, Heffner LJ, Kuohung W. Physician-scientists in obstetrics and gynecology: predictors of success in obtaining independent research funding. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2017 Jul; 217(1):84.e1-84.e8. PMID: 28315665.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 4/30/2014
Parker MG, Ouyang F, Pearson C, Gillman MW, Belfort MB, Hong X, Wang G, Heffner L, Zuckerman B, Wang X. Prepregnancy body mass index and risk of preterm birth: association heterogeneity by preterm subgroups. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2014; 14:153. PMID: 24779674.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 7/11/2013
Yu Y, Zhang S, Wang G, Hong X, Mallow EB, Walker SO, Pearson C, Heffner L, Zuckerman B, Wang X. The combined association of psychosocial stress and chronic hypertension with preeclampsia. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2013 Nov; 209(5):438.e1-438.e12. PMID: 23850528.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 1/1/2013
Li S, Rosenberg L, Palmer JR, Phillips GS, Heffner LJ, Wise LA. Central adiposity and other anthropometric factors in relation to risk of macrosomia in an African American population. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2013 Jan; 21(1):178-84. PMID: 23505184.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 8/15/2012
Pecci CC, Mottl-Santiago J, Culpepper L, Heffner L, McMahan T, Lee-Parritz A. The birth of a collaborative model: obstetricians, midwives, and family physicians. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am. 2012 Sep; 39(3):323-34. PMID: 22963692.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 11/1/2011
Tsai HJ, Hong X, Chen J, Liu X, Pearson C, Ortiz K, Hirsch E, Heffner L, Weeks DE, Zuckerman B, Wang X. Role of African ancestry and gene-environment interactions in predicting preterm birth. Obstet Gynecol. 2011 Nov; 118(5):1081-9. PMID: 22015876.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 3/22/2011
Iverson RE, Heffner LJ. Patient safety series: obstetric safety improvement and its reflection in reserved claims. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2011 Nov; 205(5):398-401. PMID: 21531371.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 3/1/2011
Riley LE, Celi AC, Onderdonk AB, Roberts DJ, Johnson LC, Tsen LC, Leffert L, Pian-Smith MC, Heffner LJ, Haas ST, Lieberman ES. Association of epidural-related fever and noninfectious inflammation in term labor. Obstet Gynecol. 2011 Mar; 117(3):588-95. PMID: 21343762.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 3/1/2010
Wise LA, Palmer JR, Heffner LJ, Rosenberg L. Prepregnancy body size, gestational weight gain, and risk of preterm birth in African-American women. Epidemiology. 2010 Mar; 21(2):243-52. PMID: 20124904.
Read at: PubMed
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