Bergen H. Cooper

Bergen Cooper is the Chief Operating Officer of The Torchlight Collective and the Senior Research Advisor with The Preclusion Project. An executive manager, researcher, and advocate in the field of human rights, Bergen specializes in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). She has a proven track record in senior leadership, guiding organizations and staff through transformative processes, including a merger, development of organizational strategies, and staff wellness. Bergen’s expertise is in analyzing the scientific, policy, and advocacy landscape for SRHR, and uses that analysis and knowledge to support organizations, policymakers, donors, and governments in their efforts to advance access to SRHR in the U.S. and globally.

A prominent researcher in the field of SRHR, Bergen is the architect of the groundbreaking SRHR Index – the first-ever Index that catalogs every U.S. policy, strategy, law, and official position related to global health. She is a leading expert on the implementation and revocation of the U.S. Global Gag Rule. Additionally, Bergen is a leader in the field of the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women past reproductive age, with a specific focus on gender-based violence and HIV. Her broad research portfolio includes comprehensive sex education in the United States, resource allocations and financing for gender equality priorities, as well as brief sexuality related communications.

Prior to joining The Torchlight Collective, Bergen served as the Director of Policy Research at Fòs Feminista, leading policy research for a Global South led international alliance for sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice. Bergen came to Fòs Feminista from the Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE), where she created and led CHANGE’s policy research department and served on the Executive Management Team. Bergen holds a Master of Public Health from the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Women’s Studies from Barnard College, Columbia University, New York, NY. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and three children.

Master of Public Health from the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Women’s Studies from Barnard College, Columbia University, New York, NY.