Predoctoral Fellows

A woman with brown hair and a green shirt

Tabitha Chamberlain, BSN, RN

(2026-Present)

Tabitha Chamberlain is a Registered Nurse with a background in maternal-child health and a deep commitment to supporting women and families throughout the childbearing continuum. Tabitha is particularly passionate about protecting the right of every person to make informed choices about their bodies, birth experiences, contraception, and reproductive health. Her experiences caring for families during both joyful and profoundly difficult moments have strengthened her commitment to create environments where patients feel heard, respected, and empowered. 

 

A graduate of the Watson Caring Science Institute’s Caritas Coach program, Tabitha incorporates caring science into her clinical practice and leadership. She is currently pursuing her Doctorate of Nursing Practice with a focus in Midwifery at UCSF, where she hopes to further her ability to advocate for and provide high-quality, patient-centered reproductive and maternal healthcare. 

 

Outside of her professional work, Tabitha is a mother of three and enjoys spending time with her family and community.

Woman with dark curly hair, black clothes smiling

Asmara Gebre, MSN, CNM

2025-Present

Asmara is a Black and Latinx certified nurse-midwife and Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the UCSF School of Medicine. A first-generation American, her work is grounded in Black feminist theory, reproductive justice, and the legacy of Black midwives as community healers. She provides full-scope midwifery care at San Francisco General Hospital and is pursuing her PhD in nursing science at UCSF as a Cota-Robles Fellow. Asmara founded and co-directs Black Centering, a culturally concordant, midwifery-led adaptation of CenteringPregnancy in San Francisco that integrates prenatal group care, postpartum home visits, family group care, and partnerships with community organizations. She also founded and directs the Black Midwifery Fellowship in California, a state-funded program that trains certified nurse-midwives in full-scope reproductive and abortion care, named in tribute to the Black midwives who provided this care long before it was criminalized. As an ACTIONS Predoctoral Fellow, Asmara's doctoral research focuses on how midwifery-led, culturally concordant models of care shape perinatal outcomes for Black birthing people, drawing on Black feminist theory and mixed-methods approaches. 

Woman with brown hair in white scrubs and stethescope

Leah Knowles, BSN, RN

2026-Present

Leah Knowles is a registered nurse pursuing her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) at the University of California, San Francisco, specializing in midwifery. With a background in community health, Leah is passionate about identifying and addressing gaps in health equity and working toward a healthcare system that is more equitable, accessible, and responsive to the communities it serves. 

Her interests center on reproductive health and community health, with a particular commitment to improving care for women and gender-diverse people across the lifespan. Leah is especially passionate about providing respectful, culturally appropriate, and person-centered care to birthing people, while also advocating for comprehensive reproductive and women’s health care throughout every stage of life. She believes that everyone deserves to feel heard, respected, and empowered in their healthcare experiences. 

Through her fellowship, Leah hopes to develop the skills, knowledge, and connections needed to contribute to meaningful change in the field of women’s and reproductive health. She is committed to helping build a healthcare system that centers autonomy, dignity, respect, and equity, and that supports people in making informed decisions about their health and their lives.