RAMS Scholar Spotlight: Dr. Leah Habersham
In February 2023, Dr. Leah Habersham, MD, MBA, MLIS agreed to be interviewed for a RAMS Scholar Spotlight about her background and career path. Dr. Habersham is currently a 2nd-year RAM Scholar (Cohort 10, 2021-2023) and a recent Addiction Medicine Fellowship graduate from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She has practiced Obstetrics & Gynecology for 6 years, in both rural and urban areas in the US, and is now pursuing a career in Addiction Medicine and research, currently participating in a T32 fellowship for the pursuit of research.
Dr. Habersham recently published a piece in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology MFM reflecting on what drew her to the field of addiction medicine. You can read her piece, “An Unexpected Path to Addiction Medicine,” here.
Read on to learn more about Leah!
Tell us about your background and what led you to the field of addiction medicine, specifically the intersection of reproductive health and substance use.
I have practiced as a generalist OB-GYN for about 6 years, primarily working in rural communities, outside of residency. But I always had an interest in psychiatry, and I actually applied for residency in both psychiatry and OB-GYN. So as I was working as a generalist OB-GYN, I felt like there was something missing, like I wasn’t doing everything that I had set out to do. I had a few patients that had dealt with substance use, and I found that as difficult as it was, I really enjoyed dealing with this aspect of medicine. Then I found out that there was this field of addiction medicine and that anyone with residency training could go into that field. So I decided to apply for a fellowship, and at that point I knew that I wanted to become a clinical researcher, although that was something I had never done before outside of the requirement for completion of residency. But I knew that I wanted to help improve care for these women, and that was what led me to pursue research in addiction medicine.
What factors influenced you to apply to RAMS?
When I arrived at Mount Sinai, and even before that when I was interviewing, I made it known that I wanted to do research but that I had never done that before. I got in touch with Dr. Yasmin Hurd, who is the Director of the Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai. I also got in touch with Dr. Annie Levesque, who advised me to apply for RAMS given my interest in research. Although it was competitive, she still thought it would be worthwhile to apply, and Dr. Hurd also encouraged me to apply. They both thought that would be a good way to begin establishing myself as a researcher and showing that I was serious about it.
Tell us about your RAMS research project and what you’re working on.
I used University of Maryland data from their birthing hospitalizations to look at aspects of urine toxicology testing within the University of Maryland medical system. They are unique in that they perform urine toxicology testing on every mom at the time of admission for birthing delivery, so I wanted to use that as a way to look at patterns in substance use during pregnancy. If everyone that comes in is being tested, we can get an idea of how many people are actually using substances during pregnancy and what they’re using. I felt like this is important information that is often difficult to access, aside from asking people, which is not always reliable so this provides a more objective view (though I realize it is not a complete view). I’m also looking at whether this testing is truly universal – not just looking at the results of the tests, but who is getting tested and whether there are disparities and/or inequities in how testing occurs.
Can you comment on any findings you’ve had so far from that?
We found that there were differences in use in the crude analysis, that Black women tended to use more, but when I adjusted for several sociodemographic factors I found that there were no statistically significant differences. It is also interesting to see the patterns of use and to characterize what women may be using during pregnancy, which went against what is often cited in the literature from Chasnoff et al.’s research in 1990. So that was really interesting. I also found that testing was not really universal – every woman is not getting tested, and this disparity reflects racial differences and differences in socioeconomic status.
What directions do you see your research going in in the future?
I definitely want to remain at the intersection of addiction and women’s health. I see that continuing. I really like health disparities research and health equity work so I want to continue that, and I think long term that will be my trajectory. My next step is to engage in qualitative research by conducting focus groups delving into the implementation, and the utility of the health system’s new policy on toxicology testing during pregnancy. Hopefully as I lead these focus groups I will generate additional questions to pursue in future research. I recently applied for an internal grant from my institution to fund that work, and hopefully if I’m able to obtain that it will open up new doors for later steps in my research.
What has been the most challenging moment of your career so far, and how did you move past that?
Any time that you embark on something new and different, something you’ve never done before, that’s always a challenge. When I first decided to pursue medicine and started medical school, that was challenging, and then residency was even more challenging, as I came to realize. This current transition has also been really challenging – though I would have to say that residency was the most challenging! But to the point of my current transition, kind of starting from the bottom after being an established physician with years of experience, that has definitely been the most challenging aspect, and there’s a steep learning curve. To have people that are so much younger than you but so far ahead of you is always challenging, but I try to just keep focusing on my own path and working towards my goals. I’ve learned that you’re going to be underestimated, and sometimes it’s deserved, because you’re coming to the table with no experience, but that eventually will be overcome and I will eventually show people that I’m here for a reason.
What advice do you have for someone who might want to do something similar such as pivoting the direction of the career?
You have to expect that it’s going to be a challenge, but it’s worthwhile. You also have to seek out mentors. Whether they are assigned or whether we seek them out, you will realize that you need mentors to be on your team and help you reach the next step. Sometimes you may realize there are holes in your knowledge or capabilities, and you need someone who can fill that gap. Just push through and remember that you have to work hard for anything worth having.
Tell us one thing about yourself that readers might find interesting.
Outside of research and medicine, I enjoy to writing creatively. I recently published a short story entitled “The Recapitulation of Spot.” It’s historical fiction and has nothing to do with medicine or addiction, but it’s been something I’ve been working on for many years and was finally able to publish, which was a great feeling of accomplishment.
Interview conducted by Lydia Carlson, MPH