Audrey Lyndon

Audrey Lyndon is the Executive Vice Dean and the Vernice D. Ferguson Professor in Health Equity at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. She holds a PhD from the University of California, San Francisco, and is a renowned expert in maternal health equity, patient safety, and nursing workforce development. Her leadership and research have significantly advanced understanding of nurse-sensitive outcomes and disparities in maternal care.

Her educational background includes:

• PhD, University of California, San Francisco
• MS, University of California, San Francisco
• BA, University of California, Santa Cruz

Prof. Lyndon's research centers on maternal health equity, community health engagement, and nursing workforce development. She has pioneered studies on patient safety in maternity and neonatal care, including clinician-parent communication, nurse-sensitive outcomes, and severe maternal morbidity. Her work on the CMQCC Obstetric Hemorrhage Toolkit has set national and international standards. She investigates how neighborhood disinvestment, rurality, and systemic inequities affect maternal outcomes, and she leads community-driven initiatives to support survivors of severe maternal morbidity. Her research consistently emphasizes qualitative and health services methodologies to address women's health disparities.

Her recent publications reveal a strong focus on reducing cesarean birth rates through improved nurse staffing, understanding racial disparities in peripartum cardiomyopathy, enhancing interprofessional teamwork via simulation training, and addressing mental health screening gaps during pregnancy. Her work spans epidemiology, health policy, clinical practice, and community engagement, reflecting a multidisciplinary approach to maternal health equity.

Her scientific honors include:

• Vernice D. Ferguson Professor in Health Equity (2021)
• PhD Program Mentor of the Year, UCSF (2019)
• Fellow, American Academy of Nursing (2012)
• Award of Excellence in Research, AWHONN (2011)

Prof. Lyndon is actively mentoring future nurse scientists and clinicians from underserved communities, aiming to build equitable pathways into nursing and clinical specialties. She leads major research projects such as Holistic Care Partners, a Black woman-led nurse navigation program, and investigations into racial-ethnic disparities in severe maternal morbidity. Her work is supported by agencies like the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and she collaborates across disciplines to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes.

She is a key member of several professional organizations, including the American Academy of Nursing, American Nurses Association, and Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN), and serves as an Educational Affiliate of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Her research has been widely covered in media outlets, highlighting the impact of adequate nurse staffing on cesarean rates and the urgent need for Black midwives in the U.S.