Biography:
Public Health Focus/Interests:
Dr. Pearson is a health geographer with a focus on social justice and intersections between spatial and social features of neighborhoods. Specifically, her research relates to aspects of the neighborhood being built; for example the physical and social environment that may bolster opportunities for a healthy life, often in the face of socioeconomic adversity. Her overall research goal is to understand the interactions between humans and their neighborhoods to improve health and wellbeing while paying careful attention to health inequalities and environmental justice.
Education:
Doctor of Philosophy, Geography, 2010
University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Master of Public Health, Global Health, 2008
University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Master of Science, Geography, 2001
Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA
Bachelor of Arts, Geography, 1999
University of North Texas, Denton, TX
Public Health Courses Taught:
PH 843: Public Health Research Methods
PH 893: Public Health Integrative Learning Experience
Professional Experience/Expertise:
- Health geography
- Social and environmental justice
- Health inequalities
- Global health
- Geospatial technologies and methods
Professional Activities or Current Research:
Recent Publications:
Pearson AL, Zhou Y, Buxton RT, Horton TH, Pfeiffer KA, Beyer KMM. The effects of contemporary redlining on the mental health of Black residents. SSM Popul Health. 2023 Jun 29;23:101462. doi: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2023.101462. PMID: 37456619; PMCID: PMC10339054.
Pearson AL, Brown CD, Reuben A, Nicholls N, Pfeiffer KA, Clevenger KA. Elementary Classroom Views of Nature Are Associated with Lower Child Externalizing Behavior Problems. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Apr 26;20(9):5653. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20095653. PMID: 37174172; PMCID: PMC10177887.
Pearson AL, Pfeiffer KA, Horton T, Buxton R, Gardiner J, Liu W, Hunter R, White MP
Frontiers in Sustainable Cities 3: 688473. doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/frsc.2021.688473.
Buxton RT, Pearson AL, Allou C, Fristrup K, Wittemyer G. A synthesis of health benefits of natural sounds and their distribution in national parks. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Apr 6;118(14):e2013097118. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2013097118. PMID: 33753555; PMCID: PMC8040792.
Pearson AL, Pfeiffer KA, Gardiner J, Horton T, Buxton RT, Hunter RF, Breeze V, McDade T. Study of active neighborhoods in Detroit (StAND): study protocol for a natural experiment evaluating the health benefits of ecological restoration of parks. BMC Public Health. 2020 May 7;20(1):638. doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-08716-3. PMID: 32380967; PMCID: PMC7204306.
Pearson AL, Pechal J, Lin Z, Benbow ME, Schmidt C, Mavoa S. Associations detected between measures of neighborhood environmental conditions and human microbiome diversity. Sci Total Environ. 2020 Nov 25;745:141029. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141029. Epub 2020 Jul 20. PMID: 32721621.
Wutich A, Budds J, Eichelberger L, Geere J, Harris L, Horney J, Jepson W, Norman E, O'Reilly K, Pearson A, Shah S, Shinn J, Simpson K, Staddon C, Stoler J, Teodoro MP, Young S. Advancing methods for research on household water insecurity: Studying entitlements and capabilities, socio-cultural dynamics, and political processes, institutions and governance. Water Secur. 2017 Nov;2:1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.wasec.2017.09.001. Epub 2017 Nov 16. PMID: 29532811; PMCID: PMC5844501.
Rzotkiewicz A, Pearson AL, Dougherty BV, Shortridge A, Wilson N. Systematic review of the use of Google Street View in health research: Major themes, strengths, weaknesses and possibilities for future research. Health Place. 2018 Jul;52:240-246. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2018.07.001. Epub 2018 Jul 14. PMID: 30015181.
Nutsford D, Pearson AL, Kingham S. An ecological study investigating the association between access to urban green space and mental health. Public Health. 2013 Nov;127(11):1005-11. doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2013.08.016. Epub 2013 Nov 19. PMID: 24262442.
Nutsford D, Pearson AL, Kingham S, Reitsma F. Residential exposure to visible blue space (but not green space) associated with lower psychological distress in a capital city. Health Place. 2016 May;39:70-8. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2016.03.002. Epub 2016 Mar 11. PMID: 26974233.
Professional Website:
https://publichealth.msu.edu/flint-research/flint-public-health-research/amber-pearson-phd-mph
