Marni Sommer, DrPH, MSN, RN

  • Professor of Sociomedical Sciences
212-305-1826

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Overview

Marni Sommer, DrPH, MSN, RN, has worked in global health and development on issues ranging from improving access to essential medicines to humanitarian relief in conflict settings. Dr. Sommer's particular areas of expertise include conducting participatory research with adolescents, understanding and promoting healthy transitions to adulthood, the intersection of public health and education, gender and sexual health, and the implementation and evaluation of adolescent-focused interventions. Her doctoral research explored girls' experiences of menstruation, puberty and schooling in Tanzania, and the ways in which the onset of puberty might be disrupting girls' academic performance and healthy transition to adulthood. Dr. Sommer presently leads the Gender, Adolescent Transitions and Environment (GATE) Program, based in the Department of Sociomedical Sciences. GATE 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. GATE also generates research and practical resources focused on improving the integration of menstrual hygiene management and gender-supportive sanitation solutions into global humanitarian response.

Academic Appointments

  • Professor of Sociomedical Sciences

Administrative Titles

  • Director, GATE Program

Credentials & Experience

Education & Training

  • BS, 1994 University of Pennsylvania
  • BS, 1999 Johns Hopkins University
  • MS, 2001 Johns Hopkins University
  • MPH, 2001 Johns Hopkins University
  • DrPH, 2008 Columbia University

Committees, Societies, Councils

Co-Chair, Menstruation and Society Seminar, University Seminars at Columbia University

Editorial Boards

Global Public Health

Honors & Awards

Distinguished Alumni Award, Johns Hopkins University, 2025

Doctoral Dissertation with Distinction, 2008

Marisa de Castro Benton Award for Outstanding Dissertation in Sociomedical Sciences, 2008

Award for Excellence in Global Health for a Doctoral Student, 2008

The Johns Hopkins Nurses' Alumni Association Award, 1999

Research

Research Interests

  • Child and Adolescent Health
  • Community Health
  • Global Health
  • Maternal and Reproductive Health

Selected Publications

Sommer, M., Hennegan, J., Muralidharan, A., Kabiru, C., Mahon, T., Phillips-Howard, P.A. (2025) Adolescent menstrual health must go beyond pads. British Medical Journal, 388: e077515. DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2023-077515.

Blake, S.C., Hopper, K., Nguyen, A-M., Maroko, A., Wyss, N., Sugita, E., Fazzioni, N., Cole, H., Lomboy, M., Gregoria, E., Bukenya, J., Polio, E., Sommer, M. (2025) When the basic seems like a luxury: Menstrual friendly public toilets in six cities. Health and Place, 93. DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2025.103436.

Nguyen, A., Camozzi, A. Sommer, M. (2025) Impacts of a puberty and periods educational intervention among 9-12 year olds in the New York Metropolitan area: A randomized trial. BMC Public Health, 25(55). DOI: 10.1186/x12889-024-21167-4.

Bergen, S., Maughan, E., Secor, M., Johnson, K., Cogan, Sommer, M. (2025) School nurses: An upstream investement for achieving menstrual equity. American Journal of Public Health, 115: 1364-1367. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2025.308183

Sommer, M., Torondel, B., Hennegan, J., Phillips-Howard, P.A., Zulaika, G., Mahon, T., Gruer, C., Motivans, A., MHHM Measures Group, Caruso, B.A. (2021) Monitoring Menstrual Health and Hygiene Group, Caruso, B.A. How addressing menstrual health and hygiene enables progress across the Sustainable Development Goals. Global Health Action, 14(1): DOI: 10.1080/16549716.2021.1920315

Sommer, M., Gruer, C., Smith, R., Maroko, A., Hopper, K. (2020) Menstruation and homelessness: Challenges faced living in shelters and on the street in New York City. Health and Place, 66, 102431.

Sommer, M., Parker, R.G., Msacky, G., Kajula, L., & Kaaya, S. (2019) How alcohol, space and time influence young people’s sexual encounters in Tanzania: A qualitative analysis. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 48(6): 1847-1857.

Sommer, M., Schmitt, M., Ogello, T., Mathenge, P., Marki, M., Clatworthy, D., Khandakji, S., & Ratnayake, R. (2018) Pilot testing an evaluation of a toolkit for integrating menstrual hygiene management in three refugee camps in northwest Tanzania. Journal of International Humanitarian Action, 3(1).

Sommer, M., Figueroa, C., Kwauk, C., Jones, M., & Fyles, N. (2017) Attention to menstrual hygiene management in schools: An analysis of education policy documents in low- and middle-income countries. International Journal for Educational Development, 57, 73-82.

Sommer, M., Hirsh, J.S., Nathanson, C. & Parker, R. (2015) Comfortably, safely and without shame: Defining menstrual hygiene management as a public health issue. American Journal of Public Health. 105(7): 1302-1311.

Global Health Activities

The Girls and Boys Puberty Book Project, Tanzania, Ghana, Cambodia, Laos, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Pakistan, Kenya, Sierra Leone, United States: A project focused on developing, publishing, evaluating and distributing girls' and boy's puberty books aimed at 10-14 year olds. Provides basic guidance to girls on menstruation and body change, and to boys on puberty changes and peer pressures. Over two million books published across the 10 countries. A teacher training guide to deliver the puberty books was also developed in Sierra Leone in partnership with CODE and the local government.

Menstruation and Humanitarian Contexts: Over 26 million girls and women are displaced around the world, many of whom struggle to manage their menstruation safely, comfortably and with dignity. In many emergency contexts, menstruating girls and women face inadequate access to safe and private toilet and bathing facilities, culturally appropriate menstrual materials and supplies and menstrual health and hygiene information. The GATE program supports a range of menstrual hygiene management (MHM) in emergencies projects globally in partnership with the International Rescue Committee, Oxfam, and other humanitarian partners, United Nations agencies and researchers.

Period Posse Presents Webinar Series: This monthly interactive webinar series brings together experts in menstrual health and hygiene from across research, policy and practice in the U.S. and around the world to discuss key emerging issues.

Menstrual Friendly Public Toilet (MFPT) project: We conducted a six-city study in partnership with local resaerch teams that explored the accessibility and availability of menstrual friendly public toilets in Barcelona, Spain; Kampala, Uganda; Manila, The Philippines; New York City, USA; Osaka, Japan; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Following the study, we developed an MFPT Toolkit, to enable others to conduct research and advocacy on this important, overlooked area of gender equality in the public space.

Urban Health Activities

Menstruation and Homelessness: In 2018, we initiated a mixed methods research program in collaboration with the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy and the New York Coalition for the Homeless. Our project explored how well this population is able (or not able) to manage their periods, including accessing sanitation facilities and menstrual hygiene products, and how, short of re-housing, their needs could be more effectively addressed.

Menstruation and U.S. Adolescent Girls and Boys: In 2018, we started the Growing Girls USA Program to examine the menstruation and puberty experiences of low-income adolescent girls growing up in America's three largest cities: Los Angeles, Chicago and NYC. We used participatory and qualitative methods to collect insights and learning from girls and adults in their lives. We also collected first period stories from girls across the United States, and developed the book "A Girl's Guide to Puberty & Periods" in addition to a series of publications highlighting research findings. In 2023, we initiated the Being Boys study, conducting similar research with adolescent boys in the East Bay Area, Cleveland, and NYC. Findings led to the development of puberty book for boys, “Bigger, Faster, Stronger, Hairier: A Book for Boys.”