Dr. Kathryn J. LaRoche, PhD, MSc (she/her) is an Assistant Professor of Public Health at Purdue University with a courtesy appointment in the Department of Anthropology. She is the founder and director of PARC. As a public health social scientist and applied anthropologist, Dr. LaRoche carries out community-engaged, action- and intervention-oriented research about sexual and reproductive health with a focus on abortion and pregnancy. In 2022, she received the Carole Joffe and Stanley Henshaw Early Achievement in Social Science Research Award from the National Abortion Federation for her contribution to generating abortion-related knowledge.
She currently serves on the Editorial Board for Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health and is a Deputy Editor for Contraception.
Education and Training.
2020-2022. Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Applied Health Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
2015-2020. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Anthropology, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
2015-2020. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Population Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
2013-2015. Master of Science (MSc), Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
2009-2013. Bachelor of Arts (BA), with Honors & Distinction, Specialization in Psychology and Minor in Women’s Studies, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
Selected Publications.
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Gordon, E. M., Garzella, E. G., Sheley, S. K., & LaRoche, K. J. (2026). Navigating sexual and reproductive health: An analysis of messages sent to a youth-focused textline in Missouri. Contraception, 111517. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.contraception.2026.111517
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LaRoche, K. J., Cromer, R., Alexander, A., Edmonds, B. T., & Freedman, L. (2026). Consulting OB: How Indiana’s Abortion Ban Impacted Management of Vaginal Bleeding in the Emergency Department. Contraception, 111519. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.contraception.2026.111519
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Alexander, A. B., LaRoche, K. J., Cromer, R., Edmonds, B. T., & Freedman, L. (2026). Impact of Abortion Bans on Emergency Care for Patients With Vaginal Bleeding: An Ethnographic Analysis. Academic Emergency Medicine, 33(6), e70328. https://doi.org/10.1111/acem.70328
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LaRoche, K. J., Maldonado Quiles, A., Fafowora, O. J., & Lawal, F. (2026). “Just Stay Home and Wait It Out”: Exploring Challenges Accessing Care for Miscarriage in Indiana. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 58(1), 69–76. https://doi.org/10.1111/psrh.70057