Dr. Natasha DeJarnett

Dr. Natasha DeJarnett (she/her) is an assistant professor in the Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute at the University of Louisville, Division of Environmental Medicine, where she researches the health impacts of extreme heat exposure and environmental health disparities. In addition, she is a professorial lecturer in Environmental and Occupational Health at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health.

Dr. DeJarnett is a graduate of University of Louisville, where she completed her PhD and Masters of Public Health, both concentrating in environmental health sciences.

In her postdoctoral studies, Dr. DeJarnett was awarded a fellowship by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to investigate cardiovascular risks of air pollution exposures. In 2015, she became the recipient of the prestigious Impact Award from the Society of Toxicology’s Cardiovascular Toxicology Specialty Section for her 2014 paper “Acrolein Exposure is Associated with Increased Cardiovascular Disease Risk.” Dr. DeJarnett was named 2017 Alumna of the Year for the University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences and concurrently awarded designation in the class of 2017 Alumni Fellows.

Prior to becoming an assistant professor, Dr. DeJarnett was interim associate director of Program and Partnership Development at the National Environmental Health Association, leading the areas of research, climate and health, and children’s environmental health. She also previously served as a policy analyst at the American Public Health Association (APHA), where she led the Natural Environment portfolio, including air and water exposures along with climate change.

Dr. DeJarnett is a member of the EPA’s Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee, is chair of the Governing Board of Citizens’ Climate Education, a member of the Board of Directors of Physicians for Social Responsibility, a member of the Advisory Board of APHA’s Center for Climate, Health and Equity, special advisor to the Environmental Health and Equity Collaborative, and the Steering Committees of the International Transformational Resilience Coalition and the Environmental Law Institute’s Emerging Leaders Initiative.