Katherine (Kat) Tumlinson, PhD

About

Dr. Tumlinson is an Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management (HPM) and a Fellow of the Carolina Population Center (CPC). She is trained as an epidemiologist and demographer, with a portfolio of work at the intersection of population and global reproductive health. Dr. Tumlinson has served as PI on research studies conducted in the Global South, undertaking cross-sectional and longitudinal primary data collection activities at both the household level and within healthcare facilities. Professionally, Dr. Tumlinson has worked as a family planning service provider and reproductive health educator and advocate, and these roles have provided critical context for the development of a highly relevant and applied research agenda.

Dr. Tumlinson’s research focuses on global reproductive justice with an emphasis on increasing access to high-quality contraceptive care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Her recent research in Western Kenya revealed several substantial health system barriers to contraceptive access. These findings highlight the need for solutions that circumvent the weak incentive structure. Providers with substantial technical knowledge may fail to meet the contraceptive needs of their clients if they are largely absent, require informal payment, or treat clients with disrespect. A systems approach that incorporates tenants of provider motivation, not only provider knowledge, is key to Dr. Tumlinson’s approach.

Katherine (Kat) Tumlinson in the Gillings News

Honors and Awards

Global Health Research Award
2021 , Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS)

IBM Junior Faculty Development Award
2020, University of North Carolina

Quality Innovation Challenge
2018, David and Lucile Packard Online

Online Quality Innovation Challenge
2018, David and Lucile Packard Foundation

Fellow
2016-2018, Cambridge Reproductive Health Consultants

Berton H. Kaplan Award for best student publication, Dep't of Epidemiology
2015, UNC-CH

Epidemiology department nominee, UNC Distinguished Dissertation Award, Social Sciences
2015, UNC-CH

Student Travel Award, UNC Department of Epidemiology
2013, UNC-CH

Student Transportation Award, Graduate School
2013, UNC-CH

Harry A. Guess Scholarship, Gillings School of Global Public
2010, UNC-CH

New Investigators in Global Health Award
2008, Global Health Council

Michael and Linda Frieze Fellowship
2005, Brandeis University

PACEsetters Award for improving the lives of girls
2002, PACE Center for Girls

Representative Courses

HPM 890: Healthcare delivery in the Global South

Research Activities

Principal Investigator: Cluster RCT to assess impact of drone delivery of essential medicines in remote Madagascar

Principal Investigator: Randomized Controlled Trial to Address Unintended Pregnancy Rates in Low Resource Settings

Co-Investigator: Efficacy Testing of a Multi-Level Family Planning Intervention to Increase Contraceptive Use and Reduce Unintended Pregnancy in Low Resource Settings

Service Activities

2021-25 NIH CHHD-W Population Sciences Subcommittee (Study Section) Standing Member

Practice Activities

HPM 890: Healthcare delivery in the Global South

Key Publications

Provider confidence and willingness to insert and remove long-acting reversible contraception methods in Kenyan public facilities. Tumlinson, K, Chung S, Bullington BW, Goland E, Onyango DO, Senderowicz L, Rothschild CW, Mwanyiro A, Wekesa B, Frizzelle B, Golub G. (2025). Contraception.

Contraceptive use and discontinuation among adolescent women in 55 low- and middle-income countries. Busse CE, Tumlinson K, Senderowicz L. (2025). Demography.

Assessing trends and reasons for unsuccessful implant discontinuation in Burkina Faso and Kenya between 2016 and 2020: a cross-sectional study. Tumlinson K, Senderowicz L, Bullington B, Chung S, Goland E, Zimmerman L, Gichangi P, Thiongo M, Guiella G, PMA Principal Investigators Group, Karp C. (2025). BMJ Open.

Free access to a broad contraceptive method mix and women’s contraceptive choice: Evidence from sub-Saharan Africa. †Chang W & Tumlinson K. (2021). Studies in Family Planning, 52(1), 3-22.
View publication

“When it comes to time of removal, nothing is straightforward": A qualitative study of experiences with barriers to removal of long-acting reversible contraception in Western Kenya. †Britton L, Caitlin Williams, Dickens Onyango, Debborah Wambua Tumlinson K. (2021). Contraception, 22(3).
View publication

If the big fish are doing it then why not me down here?: A qualitative assessment of informal fee payments and healthcare provider motivation in Kenya. Tumlinson K, Gichane M, Curtis S.  (2020). Studies in Family Planning, 51(1), 33-50.

Reforming Medical Education Admission in Low- Income Countries: Who Gets Admitted and Why it Matters. Tumlinson K, Jaff D, Stilwell B, Leonard K.  (2019). BMC Human Resources for Health, 17(91).

Understanding absenteeism among health care providers in urban Kenya: A qualitative analysis. Tumlinson K, Gichane M, Curtis S, LeMasters K. (2019). BMC Health Services Research, 19(1).

Pregnancy Experiences of Women in Rural Romania: Understanding Ethnic and Socioeconomic Disparities. LeMasters K, Wallis AB, Chereches R, Gichanec M, Tehei C, Varga A, Tumlinson K.  (2019). Culture, Health and Sexuality, 21(3), 249-262.

Challenges to the Iraqi health system call for reform. Jaff D, Tumlinson K, Al-Hamadani A. (2018). Journal of Health Systems, 3(2), 9-12.

Letter to the Editor relating to the paper ‘Young Married Women’s Perceptions on the Meanings and Motivations for Their Husbands’ Opposition to their Modern Contraceptive Use in Malawi’ by Kaneka and Mturi. Katherine Tumlinson (2018). University of Oxford, 14(1), 1.

Association between skilled maternal healthcare and postpartum contraceptive use in Ethiopia. G Tessema, T Mekonnen, Z Mengesha, K Tumlinson (2018). BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 18(1), 172.

Pregnancy experiences of women in rural Romania: understanding ethnic and socioeconomic disparities. K LeMasters, A Baber Wallis, R Chereches, M Gichane, C Tehei, A Varga, K Tumlinson (2018). Culture, health & sexuality.

Education