Jennifer R. Pharr

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Professor, UNLV School of Public Health

Lead Researcher, UNLV Sports Innovation Institute

Expertise: The intersection of sports, physical activity, and health, Disease disparities, Disparities in healthcare access and use, Women and sports, LGBTQIA+ health, Mental health

Biography

Jennifer Pharr is an an expert on the intersection of sports, physical activity, and health.

Pharr is an associate professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health. She is also a lead coordinator of — Raiders, UNLV, Sport & Health — a partnership between the university, Las Vegas’ NFL team, the Clark County School District, and other partners. RUSH promotes fitness, nutrition, and mental wellness among middle school girls and teaches them the skills needed to play sports in high school. RUSH particularly encourages involvement in flag football, which will become an Olympic sport in 2028.

In addition to exploring ways to use sports and social marketing to advance and promote health, Pharr has researched disparities in both diseases and access to health care. She particularly has interest in breaking down barriers that impede healthy behaviors and the use of health services (such as HIV testing and preventive care), especially among sexual and gender minorities. Pharr has also examined differences in illnesses, including HIV, mental health, and chronic diseases.

Pharr's published research has delved into topics such as drowning rate disparities among people of color, discrimination and physical violence against sexual minority women, transgender sports bans, and suicidal ideation among vulnerable populations. Her work has been featured in peer-reviewed publications, including the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, Journal of AIDS & Clinical Research, and LGBT Health.

Education

Ph.D., Public Health, UNLV
M.S., Kinesiology and Exercise Science, Texas A&M
B.S., Nutrition, Stephen F. Austin State University

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health & medicine, sport research, sports and recreation

Jennifer R. Pharr In The News

UNLV and the Las Vegas Raiders are coming together to create a program focused on empowering middle school girls through flag football. Other groups in the Las Vegas valley are using sports to boost body image and mental well-being. Grit, no fear, and getting the job done on a football field.

There’s a new UNLV program that’s using sports to help middle school-aged girls cope with mental health and body image issues. Started in January, it’s called RUSH. The R stands for Raiders, because UNLV’s partner in the program are the Las Vegas Raiders. And it’s taking advantage of the increased popularity of flag football among young women as a recruitment tool.

City Cast Las Vegas

Flag football has grown a lot as a sport since it reached Clark County high schools in 2012. Recently approved to debut at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, the sport has gained attention among girls and people concerned about brain injuries such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. In partnership with the Raiders, UNLV’s School of Public Health developed the RUSH program to address mental health for middle school girls by increasing their awareness of the rapidly-growing sport of flag football. Professor Dr. Jennifer Pharr shares details about the program and the future of high school sports in Las Vegas with co-host Dayvid Figler.