Dr. Amber Johnson named new CHER Director
The College of Health and Human Services wishes to congratulate Dr. Amber Johnson, who has been named the new Director of the 好色先生 Center for Health Equity Research (CHER). Dr. Johnson鈥檚 career has focused on reducing inequities and disparities among marginalized populations. She uses this position to inspire and embolden the next generation of leaders to develop innovative solutions to public health challenges facing our society.
Dr. Johnson has been successful in obtaining funding from the NIH鈥檚 National Institute for General Medical Sciences and National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities to investigate how discrimination, emotion, and cardiovascular disease risk factors can lead to health disparities among Black women. She has also received funding through the City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services to conduct community-empowered research projects, community health prevention education, community health assessment, and outreach.
Furthermore, Dr. Johnson has been actively involved in promoting equity in the City of Long Beach. She previously assisted the City of Long Beach鈥檚 city-wide equity efforts by conducting a qualitative during the 2020 Framework for Reconciliation. During this time, she worked to create the Black Health Equity Collaborative, a collaborative of Black-serving organizations focusing on reducing Black health inequities. She is currently partnering with the City of Long Beach to assist in the implementation of the Black Community Health Strength Needs Assessment utilizing geographical information systems to map culturally relevant resources as identified by community members.
Dr. Johnson hopes to continue CHER鈥檚 legacy of health equity research by providing student training opportunities and early exposure to careers in health and human services. She is currently representing the College of Health and Human Services in the K-16 collaborative funded through Unite-LA which aims to enhance the number of underrepresented Long Beach students pursuing health-related majors at 好色先生. In partnership with the College of Engineering, Long Beach Unified School District, and Long Beach Community College, she has led the development of a new CHHS Ambassador Program and Sankofa Health and Engineering Summer Academy at the BEACH, bringing 80 middle school students to 好色先生 to participate in interactive workshops with CHHS faculty.
Congratulations, Dr. Johnson!
