糖心原创

Deborah Feairheller (“Dr. F”) has worked in the clinical health and wellness field for over 30 years and has a passionate interest in chronic disease management through lifestyle changes. Dr. Feairheller is a Professional Member of the American Heart Association, a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, member of the Clinical Exercise Physiology Association, the American Society for Nutrition, the National Fire Protection Association, the National Strength and Conditioning Association, and the AMSUS the Society of Federal Health Professionals. She maintains her certifications as a phlebotomist for her clinical research and as a weightlifting coach through USA Weightlifting. 

Dr. Feairheller is an integrative physiologist with broad training in translational research. Her research in the past examined racial differences in the endothelial adaptations that occur with exercise and diet interventions, with an emphasis on oxidative stress mechanisms. She has worked in pharmaceutical R & D, regulatory support, and quality assurance. She has experience in patient safety working as a project manager and senior scientific medical writer for an evidence-based non-profit. In that role she conducted patient-centered outcomes research, compiled health technology assessments on interventions for cardiovascular disorders and obesity, and hosted educational webinars. She also has experience as a health and wellness business owner-operator as a certified trainer and performance nutrition specialist conducting diet and exercise interventions, community seminars and private instructions. 

Dr. Feairheller joined the Department of Kinesiology in Fall 2022, moving to Southern California from the University of New Hampshire where she worked as a clinical faculty with responsibility as the Director of the Clinical Cardiac Program (Rehabilitation, Prevention, & Telehealth). In that position she worked to improve the heart health of cardiac patients and community members who have modifiable risk factors through both in person and telehealth remote wellness modules. 

Dr. Feairheller directs the  She was recently promoted to prestigious Fellow status in the American Heart Association (AHA). In the past, she has received the Certificate of Research Excellence from the AHA, serves as a reviewer for AHA grants and AHA conference presentations, and completed a clinical study funded by the AHA. Her tactical research found that Mediterranean diet and in-station circuit training exercise improved cardiovascular health and reduced the blood pressure surge experienced when the 911 alarm sounds in firefighters. Dr. F is a nationally certified firefighter and a technical rescue specialist, and while living on the east coast she served as a volunteer firefighter and rescue technician for the local fire departments. Her research validated a novel Mediterranean diet scoring system which can be used as a simple method to track adherence. Here in California, community-based projects include cardiovascular screening in women, examining age and activity relationships; assessing the relationship between vascular stiffness and blood pressure; and examining dietary habits and barriers to healthy eating in college students. Current large projects include examining how stressors (exercise or work-related) affect blood pressure, vascular health, and the hemodynamic responses. Her research aims to improve health in the understudied, with a special focus on females and on firefighters. The HEART lab moto: ~live healthy, live for your heart!