Biography
As Director of the Michigan Childhood Disparities Research Laboratory, I have rigorously examined the effects of built and social environments on pediatric physical activity and child health disparities. I have actively provided mentorship and training to PhD students, postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty in health disparities research at the University and nationally, many of whom have secured tenure-track faculty positions. As Chair of the American College of Sports Medicine Strategic Health Initiative for Health Equity, I have also contributed to physical activity and health policy decisions. My expertise in pediatric physical activity, implementation science, and health equity research have uniquely prepared me to examine that causes and consequences of childhood obesity disparities and develop behavioral interventions to mitigate these disparities.
- Ph.D., University of Massachusetts
Research
For the past 9 years her research has focused on the development and implementation of physical activity interventions in school and home environments, especially for low-income and ethnic minority pediatric populations. As Principal Investigator of the Interrupting Prolonged sitting with ACTivity (InPACT) program, she has rigorously tested the feasibility of implementing InPACT activity breaks in classroom settings; tailored InPACT to enhance implementation fit in low-resources schools; augmented InPACT sustainability by strengthening district wellness policies; and adapted InPACT for dissemination in the home environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. My programming is currently being broadcast on public television across the state of Michigan.
