Semra Aytur

PROFESSOR
Phone: (603) 862-3415
Office: Health Management & Policy, Hewitt Hall Rm 335, Durham, NH 03824
Websites:

<p>Semra Aytur, PhD, MPH is a Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the University of New Hampshire. Dr. Aytur is an epidemiologist whose research focuses on socio-ecological resilience and the relationships between the built, natural, and social environment in keeping people well. She is deeply committed to collaborative learning and research that supports innovative ways to improve health behavior and planetary health.</p>
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<p>She has published over 75 scientific manuscripts and three books on public health and environmental health.</p>
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<p>Dr. Aytur earned a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of North Carolina (UNC) Chapel Hill followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in cardiovascular epidemiology. She also holds a Master’s degree in Public Health (MPH) from Boston University and a BA in human biology from Brown University.</p>
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<p>Dr. Aytur serves as the Climate Justice Co-Chair for New Hampshire Healthcare Workers for Climate Action (NH HWCA). In 2022, Dr. Aytur received the Climate and Health Leadership Award from the American Public Health Association (APHA) Center for Climate, Health, and Equity. She has also been recognized by APHA as a Betty J. Cleckley Minority Issues Research awardee. Dr. Aytur served as a member of an interdisciplinary team charged with revising the national “Building Resilience Against Climate Effects” (BRACE) framework.&nbsp;She is a Co-PI on the $6 million ENACTS grant, focusing on nature-based solutions for community resilience.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>She is deeply committed to collaborative learning and research that supports innovative ways to improve health behavior and planetary health.</p>

Courses Taught

  • BMS 799H: Senior Honors Thesis
  • HDS 890: HDS Independent Study
  • HMP 501: Epidemiology & Comm Med Lab
  • HMP 669: Human Behavior & Public Health
  • HMP 715: Environmental Health
  • HMP 796: Independent Study
  • HMP 798H: Honors Project/Research Design
  • HMP 799H: Honors Project/Research
  • INCO 790: Advanced Research Experience
  • PHP 900: Public Health Care Systems
  • PHP 901: Epidemiology
  • PHP 907: Public Health Policy
  • SUST 750: Sustainability Capstone

Education

  • Ph.D., Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • M.P.H., Health Services Administration, Boston University
  • B.A., Biology/Biological Sciences, Brown University

Selected Publications

  • Powers, S. L., Ferguson, L. A., Ferguson, M. D., Aytur, S., Gorman, M. B., Bennett, J. L., & Feldbaum, E. (2025). Fostering equity: How welcomeness, safety, and representation influence visitor coping and intention-to-return to parks and protected areas. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 50, 100868. doi:10.1016/j.jort.2025.100868

  • Tang, X., Wang, J., Wu, B., Navarra, A. -M., Cui, X., Sharp, E., . . . Wang, J. (2024). Navigating Both Roles: A Photovoice Exploration of the Young Adult Balancing Daughterhood and Caregiving for a Mother With Young-Onset Dementia.. Qual Health Res, 34(14), 1398-1411. doi:10.1177/10497323241244986

  • Voyer, H., Aytur, S., & Tanda, N. (2023). Linking Adverse Childhood Experiences and Other Risk Factors to Subjective Cognitive Decline in an Aging Population.. Prev Chronic Dis, 20, E115. doi:10.5888/pcd20.230182

  • Lemon, S. C., Joseph, H. A., Williams, S., Brown, C., Aytur, S., Catalano, K., . . . Schramm, P. J. (2023). Reimagining the Role of Health Departments and Their Partners in Addressing Climate Change: Revising the Building Resilience against Climate Effects (BRACE) Framework.. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 20(15). doi:10.3390/ijerph20156447

  • Smith, S. L., Vaquerano, J., Humphreys, B. P., & Aytur, S. A. (2023). Parent Satisfaction With a Telehealth Parent Coaching Intervention to Support Family Participation.. OTJR (Thorofare N J), 43(3), 531-539. doi:10.1177/15394492231164942

  • John, D. H., Andress, L., Aytur, S., Dodge, T., Gustat, J., Schuchardt-Vogt, C. E., & Lee, R. E. (2023). Scoping Conceptions of Equity: Reviewing a Decade of Physical Activity Research.. J Healthy Eat Act Living, 3(1), 7-18. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37794922

  • Lyn, R., Aytur, S., Davis, T. A., Eyler, A. A., Evenson, K. R., Chriqui, J. F., . . . Brownson, R. C. (2013). Policy, Systems, and Environmental Approaches for Obesity Prevention: A Framework to Inform Local and State Action. JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH MANAGEMENT AND PRACTICE, 19, S23-S33. doi:10.1097/PHH.0b013e3182841709

  • Evenson, K. R., Aytur, S. A., & Borodulin, K. (2009). Physical Activity Beliefs, Barriers, and Enablers among Postpartum Women. JOURNAL OF WOMENS HEALTH, 18(12), 1925-1934. doi:10.1089/jwh.2008.1309

  • Rodriguez, D. A., Aytur, S., Forsyth, A., Oakes, J. M., & Clifton, K. J. (2008). Relation of modifiable neighborhood attributes to walking. PREVENTIVE MEDICINE, 47(3), 260-264. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2008.02.028

  • SADEH, A., ACEBO, C., SEIFER, R., AYTUR, S., & CARSKADON, M. A. (1995). ACTIVITY-BASED ASSESSMENT OF SLEEP-WAKE PATTERNS DURING THE 1ST YEAR OF LIFE. INFANT BEHAVIOR & DEVELOPMENT, 18(3), 329-337. doi:10.1016/0163-6383(95)90021-7

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  • Most Cited Publications