Healthy Environments

The Healthy Environments for Youth and Adolescents (HEYA) research group is led by Dr. Gina Martin, an Assistant Professor at Athabasca University in Canada. Dr. Martin's research centers on understanding how the physical and social environments in which young people live, play, and learn impact their health. The HEYA group welcomes researchers interested in studying various aspects of child and adolescent health and well-being, including climate change, mental health, substance use, neighborhood effects, and other health inequalities.

Our multidisciplinary team, which includes youth co-researchers, brings together expertise in health, social sciences, and the lived experiences of Canadian adolescents. Using quantitative techniques and mixed methods, we investigate patterns of adolescent well-being in Canada and internationally. Some of our recent work includes exploring how climate change is related to young people’s health and well-being, geographic determinants of health, and adolescent substance use, among other topics.