Amber Fyfe-Johnson, ND, PhD

she/her

Assistant Professor

Amber Fyfe-Johnson, ND, PhD (she/her) is an Assistant Professor in the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine and Institute for Research and Education to Advance Community Health at Washington State University. Her work is centered at the intersection of social determinants of health, outdoor nature-based exposures, and pediatric health equity. Trained in pediatrics and cardiovascular disease epidemiology, Dr. Fyfe-Johnson prioritizes evaluating the influence of exposure to nature on health behaviors, cardiovascular disease risk factors, and other physical and mental health outcomes in pediatric populations. Her work has three primary objectives. First, to explore the biological and social mechanisms by which early life adversity influences physical and mental health, and how exposure to nature acts as a protective factor. Specifically, how nature-based built environments and community contextual features influence stress, accelerated biological aging, and resilience in youth facing adversity. Second, to test interventions targeting pediatric health equity, specifically nature-based interventions that improve physical and mental health in youth facing financial instability and youth communities of color. Third, to inform policy decision-making to promote equitable access to nature, and the benefits thereof, for all children. Ultimately, Dr. Fyfe-Johnson’s research centers on social and environmental justice to optimize health equity in underrepresented youth and pediatric populations facing adversity.

Dr. Fyfe-Johnson in the news:

Seattle Times: Learning in nature: Washington becomes first in the country to license outdoor preschools

Today: This preschool is taking kids out of the classroom and into the great outdoors

Pew Trusts: As Outdoor Preschools Gain Traction, States Work to Unlock Funding

IREACH Programs

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Amber Fyfe-Johnson

Institution

IREACH Teams

  • Methods Core