[2] During an exchange visit to rural areas of Tanzania, she saw firsthand great disparities in reproductive healthcare.
[3] There, she campaigned to address maternal mortality as a tractable problem, and worked on the FP2020 pledge to grant access to contraceptives and family planning to 120 million girls and women in the world's poorest countries.
[3] Under her leadership, the Population Council-developed (in conjunction with pharmaceutical company TherapeuticsMD) contraceptive vaginal ring Annovera obtained FDA approval in 2018.
[6] The device lasts a year and does not require refrigeration or regular clinic visits, making it well-suited for use in low-income countries.
[8] In 2013, Julia was inducted as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for improving reproductive health in developing countries.