Dr. John M. Jakicic is a Research Professor at the Department of Internal Medicine of the University of Kansas Medical Center. He completed his MSc in Exercise Science at the Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania and earned his PhD in Exercise Physiology at the University of Pittsburgh. He has served on various national and international committees to develop physical activity guidelines for the prevention and treatment of obesity and other chronic conditions. This included being appointed to the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee. His primary area of research is the study of obesity and body weight regulation and their relationship to chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and others. Within this research area, he has a particular focus on physical activity and the implementation of novel interventions to enhance engagement and effectiveness, which includes a history of research to determine the appropriate dose of physical activity for long-term body weight regulation.
Dr. Sara R. Piva is a professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and the Clinical and Translational Science Institute. She is also the founding director of the Physical Therapy Clinical and Translational Research Center. She earned her PhD in rehabilitation sciences from the University of Pittsburgh (2005). Her research has received funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), and several foundations and professional associations. Her research focused on understanding the contributors to functional limitations in musculoskeletal diseases and developing exercise programs to affect these contributors and improve physical function in these patients. Specifically, her research interests mainly include contributions to functional limitations in musculoskeletal diseases, exercise programs to improve physical function in musculoskeletal diseases, physical activity promotion in arthritis, and psychometric properties of tests and measures used in musculoskeletal physical therapy.
Dr. April J. Chambers is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health and Human Development with a secondary appointment in Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh. She is the Laboratory Director of the Human Movement and Balance Laboratory. She completed her MSc (2005) and PhD (2011) studies in Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh. She has received support from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, the National Institute of Health, Center for Medical Innovation, foundations, and industry partners. She frequently partners with companies in her translational work and development of medical devices. The overall goal of her research is musculoskeletal injury prevention while improving health and human performance. Her research interests include biomechanics, human performance, and injury prevention in healthy and diverse populations, as well as medical device design and translational research.
Dr. Kevin M. Bell is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh with a Secondary Appointment in the Clinical and Translational Science Institute. He completed his MSc in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh (2006) and earned his PhD in Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh (2013). He has won awards such as the Pitt Innovator Award (2018) and the New Investigator Research Award (2016). His research interests focus on the development and application of portable human movement sensors for the assessment of joint function throughout the musculoskeletal system. Specifically, clinical and laboratory-based experimentation focuses on assessing the effects of joint injury, repair, and rehabilitation to promote more effective clinical treatments and improved clinical outcomes. Novel experimental techniques including virtual reality-assisted motion tracking and wireless joint function assessment are utilized to answer clinically relevant research questions.
