Dr. Amanda Boyd is a member of the Métis Nation of Alberta and an Associate Professor of health, risk and science communication in The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication. She is also affiliated faculty in the School of the Environment, and at the Institute for Research and Education to Advance Community Health (IREACH) at Washington State University.
She works with Indigenous communities throughout the United States and Canada to examine the impact of communications on risk perceptions and behavior. Through this work, she aims to develop the tools and theory needed to create effective, culturally relevant communications that improve the health and wellbeing of Indigenous populations. For example, she works with Inuit in the Arctic to understand risk perceptions of contaminants (e.g., mercury, lead), while also promoting the consumption of healthy, traditional food sources. She also co-leads the dissemination cores of two NIH-funded Centers focusing on controlling blood pressure and reducing the risk of adverse outcomes in Native populations (Native-CHART), and reducing or eliminating alcohol-related health disparities among Indigenous populations (NCARE). Her K01 Career Development Award, funded by the National Institute on Aging, aims to advance knowledge about Alzheimer’s disease communication and recruitment science among American Indians and Alaska Natives.
During the past 15 years, she has worked on numerous studies that examine how rural communities and the general public perceive energy systems development (such as carbon capture and storage, nuclear power plants and hydro-electric projects) and how this impacts support for or opposition to technology development and implementation. Her work is published in various interdisciplinary and communication journals such as Public Understanding of Science, Energy Research and Social Science, Health Communication, Environmental Communication and Journal of Risk Research.
Dr. Boyd was a marketing and public relations specialist in the ski industry for many years. She developed and managed community initiative programs, planned events and created marketing materials. Prior to working in public relations, Dr. Boyd was trained and certified as a dental assistant and specialized in dental hygiene and health promotion for children. When she is not working on academic pursuits, Dr. Boyd can be found on her family farm and ranch in Canada.
Education:
Post Doctoral Researcher, Indigenous Environmental Studies and Sciences, Trent University
Ph.D., Communication (Energy and Environmental Systems), University of Calgary
M.Sc., Rural and Environmental Sociology, University of Alberta
B.A., Management Studies, University of Lethbridge
Research Interests:
Risk Perceptions and Communication
Health and Science Communication
Energy Policy
Indigenous Health
Selected Recent Grants
Advancing Alzheimer’s Disease Communication and Recruitment Science among American Indians and Alaska Natives. National Institute on Aging, Principal Investigator, 2021-2026
Communicating Alzheimer’s Disease and Clinical Studies with American Indians. National Institute on Aging, Fellow, 2018-2021.
Native Center for Alcohol Research and Education (NCARE). National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Co-Investigator, 2017-2022.
Native-Controlling Hypertension and Risks Through Technology (Native-CHART). National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, Co-Investigator, 2016-2021.
Participatory Risk Communication: Indigenous Youth-Generated Messages for Community Health Promotion. Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Co-Investigator, 2016-2020.
Exposure to Food Chain Contaminants in Nunavik: Evaluating Spatial and Time Trends among Pregnant Women and Implementing Effective Health Communication for Healthy Pregnancies and Children. Northern Contaminants Program, Co-Investigator, 2016-2018.
Selected Refereed Publications:
Boyd, A. D., & Furgal, C. M. (2019). Communicating environmental health risks with Indigenous populations: a systematic literature review of current research and recommendations for future studies. Health Communication, 34, 1564-1574.
Boyd, A. D. (2017). Examining community perceptions of energy systems development: The role of communication and sense of place. Environmental Communication, 11(2), 184-204.
Paveglio, T. B., Boyd, A. D., & Carroll, M. S. (2017). Re-conceptualizing community in risk research. Journal of Risk Research, 20(7), 931-951.
Boyd, A. D., Fyfe-Johnson, A. L., Noonan, C., Muller, C., & Buchwald, D. (2020). Communication With American Indians and Alaska Natives About Cardiovascular Disease. Preventing Chronic Disease, 17.
Boyd, A. D., Furgal, C. M., Mayeda, A. M., Jardine, C. G., & Driedger, S. M. (2019). Exploring the role of trust in health risk communication in Nunavik, Canada. The Polar Record, 55(4), 235-240.
Hmielowski, J. D., Boyd, A. D., Harvey, G., & Joo, J. (2019). The social dimensions of smart meters in the United States: Demographics, privacy, and technology readiness. Energy Research & Social Science, 55, 189-197.
Note: For a full list of publications please contact Dr. Boyd or see Google Scholar.
