Leah Habersham, MD

Leah Habersham, MD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science, is a physician-scientist whose research focuses on improving equitable care for pregnant and parenting people with substance use disorders (SUDs). Her work addresses the systemic disparities that disproportionately affect Black and Hispanic maternal populations in New York City (NYC). As a Bronx native, Black female, and daughter of addiction, her lived experience enriches her research, enabling her to lead projects that target vulnerable maternal populations with culturally sensitive interventions.

Dr. Habersham is a member of the Mount Sinai Center for Research on Emerging Substances, Poisoning, Overdose and New Discoveries (RESPOND Center), through which she conducts innovative research on racial bias in substance use screening and testing during pregnancy. Her research has found disproportionate biased screening practices for substance use amongst maternal populations, which has been known to lead to increased child protective services (CPS) reports and unnecessary family separations. Dr. Habersham’s ongoing work is aimed at reducing inequities through systemic interventions.

In her role as the Director of the Bridge Program at Mount Sinai, an integrated clinic providing women’s healthcare including obstetrics and gynecology, along with addiction care, Dr. Habersham leads a team that is pioneering the integration of the SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) model into prenatal care settings, which aims to improve early identification and management of SUDs. The clinic primarily serves diverse and underserved populations, ensuring that these communities receive compassionate, specialized, and equitable treatment.

Dr. Habersham received her medical degree from Saba University School of Medicine in the Netherland Antilles.  She completed an Obstetrics & Gynecology residency at The Brooklyn Hospital Center, and a fellowship in Addiction Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.  She recently completed the Mount Sinai Clinician Scientist Training T32 Program in Emergency Care Research as well as a Master’s of Science in Clinical Research degree at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Habersham is currently a National Institutes of Health FIRST Faculty Scholar Award recipient at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.