Ashleigh Johnson

Ashleigh M. Johnson is an Assistant Professor in the School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences at San Diego State University. She holds a Doctor of Public Health from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (2019), Master of Public Health from the same institution (2014), and Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Austin College (2011). Her research focuses on physical activity promotion, particularly school-based interventions and health equity among youth populations.

Johnson's work examines determinants of physical activity behavior across sociodemographic groups, development of community-engaged interventions, and implementation science in real-world settings. Recent projects include randomized trials of walking school bus programs and national studies of COVID-19 impacts on youth sports participation.

Her publication trends emphasize:

• School-based physical activity interventions
• Health disparities in sports access
• Digital health approaches
• Pandemic-related behavior changes
• Adolescent mental health correlates

Grant funding includes a $144,445 NIH K01 award for developing physical activity interventions for rural girls. She currently mentors multiple undergraduate and graduate students in research on physical activity barriers and health equity.