Cynthia G. Ayres

Dr. Cynthia Ayres investigates health promotion and disease prevention activities in children, adolescents, and young adults, as well as health disparities among diverse populations. Dr. Ayres, who holds over 20 years of experience teaching in undergraduate and graduate nursing programs, has been an Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Nursing Practice Applications & Reviews of Nursing Research, an international and peer-reviewed academic journal since 2018. Prior to this role, she was an Associate Editor for two years. She has published in numerous scholarly journals and has presented at national and international nursing and interdisciplinary research conferences, such as Sigma Theta Tau International, International Council for Nurses, and the American Public Health Association.

Dr. Ayres is a Distinguished Fellow in the National Academies of Practice and a Fellow in the New York Academy of Medicine. She was a Fellow in the American Association of College of Nursing Leadership for Academic Nursing Program, a Research Fellow at Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences, School of Nursing, Center for Urban Youth and Families, as well as a Digital Teaching Fellow and Civic Engagement Fellow at Rutgers University-Camden. Additionally, she served on several state appointed advisory committees for the NJ Commission on Cancer, including the Nursing Advisory Committee.

Dr. Ayres teaches Research in Nursing in the undergraduate program and the Scholarly Seminars in the doctoral program. Dr. Ayres is a tenured Associate Professor at Rutgers School of Nursing-Camden. She earned her PhD, MS, and BS from Rutgers University College of Nursing in Newark, New Jersey.

PhD: Rutgers University—Newark Graduate School, 2002

MS (Nursing): Rutgers University—Newark Graduate School, 1996

BS (Nursing): Rutgers University—Newark College of Nursing, 1994

Health promotion

Disease prevention

Child and adolescent health

Emerging young adults

Health disparities

Subtance use

Adolescent opioid use

Health responsibility

Ayres, C. (2023). Building a diverse and vibrant community of scholars. Journal of Nursing Practice Applications and Reviews of Research, 13(2), 1-2.

Nagtalon-Ramos, J., Ayres, C., & Faught, B. (2022). Sexual and reproductive health knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy among college-age Filipino American women. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 33(5), 576-584.

Pontes, N. M. H., Ayres, C., Wunnenberg, M., & Pontes M. C. (2021). Gender differences in the relationship between prescription opioid misuse and depressive symptoms and suicidality among US high school students. Nursing Outlook, 69(4), 641-65.

Williams, W., & Ayres, C. G. (2020). Can active video games improve physical activity in adolescents: A review of RCT. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17, 699, 2-10.

Pontes, N. M., Ayres, C. G., & Pontes, M. C. F. (2018). Additive interactions between gender and bullying victimization on depressive symptoms and suicidality: Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2011-2015. Nursing Research, 67(6), 430-438.

Pontes, N. M., Ayres, C., Lewandowski, C., Pontes, C. F. (2018). Trends in bullying victimization by gender among U.S. high school students. Research in Nursing and Health, 41(3), 243-251.

Ayres, C., & Pontes, N. (2017). Use of theory to examine health responsibility in urban adolescents. Journal of Pediatric Nursing: Nursing Care of Children and Families, 38, 40-45.

Ayres, C., Pontes, N. M., & Pontes, C. F. (2016). Understanding the non-medical use of prescription medications in the U.S. high school adolescents. The Journal of School Nursing, 33(4), 269-276.

Ayres, C., Pontes, N. M., & Pontes, C. F. (2016). Factors related to substance use among U.S. high school adolescents. Journal of Nursing Practice Applications and Reviews of Nursing Research, 7(1), 46-55.

Ayres, C., Jurado, L. F., Norris, S., & Mahat, G. (2016). An investigation of the relationships between acculturation and specific health practices in Asian Americans. Journal of Nursing Practice Applications and Reviews of Nursing Research, 6(1), 4-9.

Ayres, C., & Mahat, G., & Atkins, R. (2013). Testing theoretical relationships: Factors influencing positive health practices in Filipino adolescents. Journal of American College Health, 61(2), 88-94.

Ayres, C., Mahat, G., Atkins, R., & Norris, S. (2013). Social support as a mediator of the relationship between self-esteem and positive health practices: Implications for practice. Journal of Nursing Practice Applications & Reviews of Nursing Research, 3(1), 15-21.

Ayres, C. (2008). Mediators of the relationship between social support and positive health practices among middle adolescents. Journal of Pediatric Healthcare, 22(2), 94-102.

Ayres, C., & Griffith, H. (2007). Promoting consistent clinical preventive services guidelines among competing health plans. Journal for Healthcare Quality, 29(3), 37-43.

Ayres, C., & Griffith, H. (2007). Perceived barriers to and facilitators to the implementation of priority clinical preventive services. The American Journal of Managed Care, 13(3), 61-67.

Substance use prevention among adolescents and emerging young adults: Understanding social and situational contexts to avoid use, Committee of Institutional Equity and Diversity, Principal Investigator: C. Ayres, 2018

Making the invisible visible: Using augmented reality visualization to look behind the scenes at the community impacts of the opioid epidemic on the city of Camden, South Jersey Institute for Population Health, Co-Investigator: C. Ayres, Principal Investigator: Bauer, S., Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering, Rowan University, 2021-2023

STrengthen Opioid Prevention Project (STOPP): Developing social media intervention to prevent use, Walter Rand Institute, Community Design for Health and Wellness Interdisciplinary Research, Principal Investigator: C. Ayres, 2019-2022

STrengthen Opioid Prevention Project (STOPP): Understanding opioid use and initial step to recovery. Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society, Research Grant, Principal Investigator: C. Ayres, 2018-2022

Substance use prevention among adolescents and emerging young adults: Understanding social and situational contexts to avoid use, Committee of Institutional Equity and Diversity, Principal Investigator: C. Ayres, 2018

2024-ongoing: Inducted Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine

2006-ongoing: Inducted Fellow of the National Academies of Practice, Nursing Academy

2025: Recipient of the Excellence in Professional Nursing Award (Teaching and Service), Rutgers School of Nursing, Camden, NJ

2016: Recipient of the Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence, Rutgers University-Camden, NJ

Fellowships

Center Fellow /Research Scientist, Center for Urban Youth and Families, Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences, School of Nursing, Newark, NJ, 2013-2019.

Leadership in Academic Nursing Program Fellow, American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2014.

Digital Teaching Fellow, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Camden, NJ, 2014.

Faculty Civic Engagement Fellow, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Camden, NJ, 2013.

Editorial Activities

2018-ongoing: Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Nursing Practice Applications & Reviews of Nursing Research, the official international, peer-reviewed academic journal of the Philippine Nurses Association of America, Inc.

2016-2018: Associate Editor, Journal of Nursing Practice Applications & Reviews of Nursing Research, the official international, peer-reviewed academic journal of the Philippine Nurses Association of America, Inc.

2012-2017: Editorial Board Member, Journal of Interprofessional Healthcare,  official journal of the National Academies of Practice

2012-2013: Editor-in-Chief, Asian Nursing Review, a peer-reviewed online nursing research journal

Registered Nurse, State of New Jersey, 1994-ongoing

Trauma Informed Certification, Community Resilience Initiative, 2024 

Effective College Instruction Certification, American College and University Educators, 2018

2025-ongoing: National Academies of Practice, Interprofessional Collaboration Committee Member

2025-ongoing: National Academies of Practice, Evidence-based Screening and Prevention Subcommittee Member

2024-ongoing: New York Academy of Medicine, Member

2020-ongoing: International Academy of Nurse Editors, Member

2018-ongoing: Chair, Editorial Board and Staff, Editorial Committee, Philippine Nurses Association of America, Inc.

2007-ongoing: Nursing Academy, National Academies of Practice, Member

2005-ongoing: Eastern Nursing Research Society, Member

2002-ongoing: Philippine Nurses Association of New Jersey, Ocean County Chapter, NJ, Member

2002-ongoing: Philippine Nurses Association of America, Inc., Member

2006-2007: Mentee Alumni and Member, National Coalition of Ethnic and Minority Nurses

2003-2004: Board of Directors, Philippine Nurses Society of New Jersey, Essex County Chapter, NJ