How do you explain your current research/job to friends and family?

Women engage in significantly lower levels of physical activity (PA) due to structural, social, and environmental barriers that are intertwined and perpetuated throughout the life cycle. Our work consists of analysing these inequalities from a socio-ecological and intersectional perspective in Madrid, exploring the influence of access to exercise resources in PA levels, and how this association may be modified by gender, age, socioeconomic status and women’s perceptions. Based on qualitative and quantitative evidence, we will develop an index to assess access to physical activity resources in urban environments for women at different stages of life.

What inspired you to pursue a career in research? What drives you to continue in this path?

My motivation for research stems from a statement we often hear in the field of PA: ‘Where there’s a will, there’s a way.’ This presupposes that physical activity depends solely on individual willpower, but evidence has shown that the answer to this question is much more complex. There are structural, social and environmental barriers that limit the population, especially women, throughout their lives. After studying a Physical Activity and Sports Sciences degree and Sports Management Master, and from a gender and socio-ecological perspective, my research seeks to reduce gender inequalities in access to and participation in physical activity, and, consequently, to have a positive impact on the health of the population.

How do you envision your research impacting public health policies or practices?

The research has clear implications for public policies aimed at reducing gender inequalities in physical activity. A tool for monitoring physical activity deserts could be developed, with a special emphasis on those environments that facilitate access to exercise for women, as well as the need for strategies to reduce gender inequalities in the promotion and practice of physical activity. Policy briefs could also be published and disseminated to make this knowledge accessible. I recommend a good strategy for communicating results, differentiating between the target audience (public entities, stakeholders, athletes, the general public, etc.) in order to use different strategies.

What is your #1 piece of advice for emerging early career researchers?

My advice to those starting out in research is to be patient and learn to enjoy the process. An academic career is a marathon, not a sprint. If you find meaning in each stage – reading, analysing, writing, debating – you will build a solid and sustainable foundation. Constant curiosity, daily discipline, and maintaining the non-professional activities you enjoy are the keys to relish a career in research.

Interested in connection with Paula? Check out her LinkedIn.

What is a paper you recently published? What excited you about the question you answered?

In a recent study, we wanted to know whether intensity, volume, or duration of physical activity measured using accelerometers is more relevant for longevity. Specifically, we looked at all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality. We found that the intensity of physical activity may be more important than the volume or duration for longevity. Including activities of higher intensity into daily routine may optimise health. We also investigated whether it matters if the most active minutes are spread throughout the day or performed in a single, continuous session. We found that accumulating intense activity in bouts was linked to better health outcomes than performing the same activity sporadically. What excited me about this work was that it shows how very simple choices in daily life, such as taking a purposeful 5-minute brisk walk after lunch or during a commute, rather than just moving a little bit here and there, may make a difference for long-term health. Based on these findings, turning such activities into regular habits might be a valuable way to support health over time, even though we did not study habit formation directly.

Fabian Schwendinger, Denis Infanger, Eric Lichtenstein, Timo Hinrichs, Raphael Knaier, Alex V Rowlands, Arno Schmidt-Trucksäss, Intensity or volume: the role of physical activity in longevity, European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, Volume 32, Issue 1, January 2025, Pages 10–19, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjpc/zwae295

How do you explain your current research/job to friends and family?

I tell them that I’m a researcher who uses data from activity trackers to understand how signals from everyday life can be used to support healthier ageing and to identify opportunities to prevent heart disease earlier and more effectively.

Given unlimited funding, what would your dream research project be?

If I had unlimited funding, I’d love to lead a research project that combines established and upcoming wearable sensors to identify individuals at risk of cardiovascular disease and combine this with a targeted, individualised intervention to deliver the right behavioural or clinical support at the right time, when risk is rising, capacity is changing, or intervention is most likely to be effective.

What is your #1 piece of advice for emerging early career researchers? (And why do you say that?)

There are two pieces of advice, I think are important, but early career researchers often tend to forget.

1) Take regular breaks, not just when you feel exhausted. Stepping away now and then helps you stay clear-headed, motivated, and effective over the long term.

2) Allocate more energy to activities that move you closer to your sense of purpose and long-term direction and, if possible, be selective about commitments that absorb time without meaningfully contributing to your growth or goals.

Interested in connecting with Fabian or checking out his recent work?

Linkedin

Google Scholar

How do you explain your current research/job to friends and family?

When I explain my research to friends and family, I usually say that I study how different physical activity–related behaviors affect teenagers’ brains and school performance. In simple terms, I try to understand which types of movement, habits, and physical characteristics are most strongly linked to better cognitive functioning and academic achievement during adolescence.

What inspired you to pursue a career in research? What drives you to continue in this path?

I was inspired by a professor during my Sport Science degree who sparked my interest in science. After collaborating on various projects, I secured a PhD grant, which allowed me to turn that interest into a career. Today, what drives me is the chance to use research to improve the quality of life and well-being of young people.

What is a project you’re working on right now that you’re excited about?

The project I’m most excited about is my PhD thesis. My ultimate goal is for this research to go beyond the academic world and actually influence educational policies in my country. I want to provide the evidence needed to show how specific physical activity patterns can be a key tool for improving students’ cognitive and academic success at a national level.

What is a paper you recently published? What excited you about the question you answered?

I recently published a paper “Fitness, weight status, and executive functions in adolescents: A Cluster Analysis”. What excited me most was discovering how these factors interact to support the brain. Specifically, we found that having high fitness levels can actually mitigate the negative effects of a deficiency in another area, like weight status. It shows that there are multiple ways we can intervene to help a teenager’s cognitive health.

What is the most important advice you received as an early career researcher? (And why do you say that?)

The most important advice I received was to be prepared for a long and constantly changing process, but above all, to enjoy the journey. I value this because it has helped me stay resilient and focus on finding fulfillment in the research process itself from the very beginning, rather than just waiting for the final results.

Learn more about Fátima: https://produccioncientifica.uca.es/investigadores/167401/detalle

What inspired you to pursue a career in research? What drives you to continue in this path?

I was inspired, above all, by curiosity and a constant restlessness to understand how things work and how they can be improved. This was soon joined by my desire to contribute to society in my own small way. Research offers me a solid path to demonstrate the importance of physical activity and its role in the holistic development and well-being of individuals. I believe that contributing to science is a way of helping the world, and together with my constant drive for self-improvement and learning, these are my main sources of motivation.

How do you envision your research impacting public health policies or practices? (What recommendations do you have for others hoping to translate their research into policy or practice?)

I envision my research reinforcing the role of physical activity as a key element in educational and public health policies, providing evidence to support early and sustained school-based interventions. I hope these findings help design more effective programmes and embed physical activity as a core part of the Spanish education system. For those seeking to translate research into policy or practice, I recommend clear communication with relevant stakeholders, generating context-relevant evidence, and building strong connections between research and decision-makers.

What is your #1 piece of advice for emerging early career researchers? (And why do you say that?)

My main advice for early-career researchers is to enjoy what you do, avoid overextending yourself, and surround yourself with positive and supportive people. Research is a demanding long-term endeavour, full of ups and downs, frustrations, and moments when you might question whether to continue. Yet, it is also a deeply rewarding journey, offering incredible opportunities and the chance to contribute meaningfully to the world with solid evidence.

Interested in connecting with Franscisco? Connect with him here: ORCID, ResearchGate, X.

Transitioning from trainee to independent investigator has been one of the most exciting stages of my academic journey. I completed my PhD in 2023, where I had the opportunity to design and lead a randomized controlled trial as my dissertation project. This experience was transformative. It required me to manage a research team, coordinate with community partners, and make independent decisions, skills that most PhD students don’t get to develop so early. I was able to do this because my mentors encouraged my independence and trusted me to take ownership of my ideas. That trust shaped my confidence and gave me an early glimpse into what it means to be a principal investigator.

Those early experiences opened doors for my postdoctoral position, which I began immediately after graduation in August 2023. My postdoctoral mentor was an expert in physical activity research with 4 active NIH R01s. During my postdoc, I managed two of my mentor’s R01 projects focused on preventing accelerated summer weight gain among children, while developing my own NIH K99/R00 proposal that extended my mentor’s work to adolescent populations.

The most impactful part of my postdoctoral training was the mentorship I received in grant writing. My mentor shared examples of his own successful NIH grants and offered insight from his experience. He also supported my participation in grant-writing training and workshops, which deepened my understanding of the grant process and helped me expand my professional network. Through these experiences, I strengthened my ability to lead NIH-funded trials and gained a comprehensive view of project management, from conceptualization to implementation. This training has proven invaluable in my current faculty role.

My transition to a faculty position happened unexpectedly but organically. The department where I completed my doctoral studies reached out with a job offer. I stayed in touch with my former mentors and continued collaborating and publishing with them after graduation. Returning to the University of Houston as a Research Assistant Professor in 2024 felt like coming home, but with a new sense of independence and purpose.

During this transition, the research line I developed during my postdoctoral training proved invaluable. I quickly reformatted my K99/R00 proposal into an NIH R21 application and submitted a smaller version to a seed grant program at my institution. In my first year as a faculty member, I secured internal funding that provided critical support to generate proof-of-concept data and refine my ideas. Having a well-developed grant concept ready to go made this transition much smoother and gave me the time and flexibility to begin shaping a new line of research.

If I could offer a few key takeaways for early-career researchers, they would be:

• Find mentors who invest in both your science and your personal growth: The best mentors guide you through research challenges but also model how to build a respectful, collaborative, and fulfilling academic life.
• Take initiative and be open to independence early: When opportunities arise, such as leading a project or writing a grant, say yes, even if it feels intimidating. These trainings accelerate your growth and prepare you for leadership.
• Nurture your professional network with intention: Staying connected with mentors, collaborators, and peers can open unexpected doors for future research and career opportunities

Interested in connecting with Dr. Cepni? You can learn more about their role and find their contact information here: https://www.uh.edu/class/hhp/people/?id=140

How do you explain your current research/job to friends and family?

I evaluate and design food policies that aim to make it easier for communities to make healthy and environmentally friendly choices.

What is a paper you recently published? What excited you about the question you answered?

I recently published, “Impacts of a Healthy Checkout Ordinance on Added Sugars, Sodium, and Other Nutrients at Checkout 1 Year After Implementation: Berkeley, California, 2021-2022,” in the American Journal of Public Health. This paper evaluates the Berkeley, California Healthy Checkout Ordinance, the first policy in the world to set nutrition standards for the foods and beverages displayed at retail checkout areas. In this paper, I found that 1 year after policy implementation, there was significantly less added sugar, saturated fat, and calories, and significantly more fiber per serving of food and beverage available at checkout. These findings provide evidence that healthy checkout policies are a viable option for improving the healthfulness of food environments and were used to inform the passage of an additional healthy checkout policy in Contra Costa County, California in 2025

How do you envision your research impacting public health policies or practices? (What recommendations do you have for others hoping to translate their research into policy or practice?)

Given that my research is focused on evaluating and designing food policies, a major goal of my work is to translate research findings into real-world policy and practice. In my experience, 1) Building relationships with policymakers, practitioners, nonprofit organizations, and other researchers can help facilitate translational efforts; 2) Engaging stakeholders early helps ensure that research addresses real policy needs; 3) Prioritizing concise, plain-language summaries that highlight policy implications can be applied quickly when policy windows open; and 4) Leveraging existing networks, such as university platforms and professional organizations, can magnify the audience you’re able to reach.

Interested in learning more about Dr. Reimold’s work? Check out her Google Scholar page.

How do you explain your current research/job to friends and family?

I’m a pharmacist committed to helping people achieve better health outcomes by adopting healthier behaviours. Among the many factors that influence our wellbeing, I’m particularly interested in the role physical activity plays in improving quality of life. As accessible healthcare professionals, pharmacists are uniquely positioned to support lasting, positive change within healthcare systems.

What inspired you to pursue a career in research? What drives you to continue in this path?

I am a pharmacist by background, but having been passionate about sports since childhood, I decided to pursue a second master’s degree in Physical Exercise and Health. Although few pharmacists take this path, I had the opportunity to learn a great deal from colleagues in fields such as sports science. This experience made me realize that I wanted to merge both areas, and I found physical activity promotion to be a much-needed field where pharmacy and exercise science can come together to make a real impact. Creating a world where everyone makes better health choices is what drives me to continue on this path.

What is a project you’re working on right now that you’re excited about?

Our most recent research project evaluated whether community pharmacists could promote physical activity among people living with type 2 diabetes by delivering brief counselling interventions over six months. Participants received a wearable wrist-worn accelerometer to monitor daily step count and completed self-reported assessments of physical activity and sedentary time. The pharmacists in the intervention group were trained and supported with standardized materials to encourage active lifestyles, while the control group received basic information. Overall, the study aimed to determine whether a pharmacy-based health management service could contribute to sustained behaviour change and increased physical activity levels in routine practice.

What is a paper you recently published? What excited you about the question you answered?

One of the most exciting papers we published was “Pharmacists’ involvement in physical activity promotion in community pharmacy: a systematic review”. This systematic review is exciting because it illuminates a largely untapped resource — community pharmacists — in the promotion of physical activity (PA). By synthesising 29 studies the paper not only identifies existing interventions but also highlights major gaps: most rely on self-reported PA data, and only a third had low risk of bias. In doing so, the review opens a clear agenda for integrating exercise science with pharmacy practice.

Given unlimited funding, what would your dream research project be?

With unlimited funding, my dream research project would focus on transforming community pharmacies into integrated health hubs for lifestyle behaviour change. I would develop and evaluate a multi-country intervention where pharmacists are trained and equipped to deliver personalized physical activity and lifestyle counselling, supported by digital health tools and wearables. The project would combine behavioural science and real-time activity tracking to assess long-term impacts on chronic disease management, healthcare costs, and patient wellbeing.

Interested in connecting with Ruben?

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8518-3277

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rubenviegas/

How do you explain your current research/job to friends and family?

I study how communities prepare for and recover from disasters—especially when it comes to food. My research looks at how programs like D-SNAP (Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and local food networks (such as food banks, community pantries, farmers markets, and mutual aid groups) help families access healthy food after hurricanes and other emergencies. I approach this work through a design and systems-thinking lens, exploring how the structure and coordination of food assistance systems can be improved to promote equity, resilience, and nutrition security. In short, I try to understand how we can design disaster food systems that are more equitable, coordinated, and resilient.

What is a project you’re working on right now that you’re excited about?

Right now, I’m working on my dissertation, which explores how disaster food assistance systems can better promote nutrition security and equity in Louisiana communities affected by hurricanes. My research examines how organizations—such as food banks, churches, grassroots coalitions, and city agencies—coordinate to deliver food assistance during and after disasters. Using surveys, social network analysis, and interviews, I map these relationships to understand where systems are strong and where they struggle. I’m especially excited about the collaborative nature of this work, which brings together community partners, design tools, and systems-thinking approaches to reimagine what more resilient and equitable food systems could look like in disaster-prone regions.

What is a paper you recently published? What excited you about the question you answered?

I recently published “Food Security Dimensions in U.S. Disaster Plans: A Comparative Analysis of States and Territories.” This paper examines how different states and territories across the U.S. incorporate food security into their disaster plans, from emergency feeding logistics to nutrition standards and coordination with federal programs. I was excited by this question because it connects two fields that are often treated separately — disaster management and public health nutrition — and highlights the policy gaps that leave vulnerable communities at risk when disasters strike.

Muñoz MM, Gartner DJ, Hassan S, Fuster M. Food Security Dimensions in US Disaster Plans: A Comparative Analysis of States and Territories. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness. 2025;19:e107. doi:10.1017/dmp.2025.98

How do you envision your research impacting public health policies or practices? (What recommendations do you have for others hoping to translate their research into policy or practice?)

My goal is to help policymakers and emergency planners better integrate nutrition security into disaster preparedness and response. This means moving beyond short-term food relief toward systems that promote equitable access to healthy, culturally appropriate foods before, during, and after disasters. For others hoping to translate their research into policy or practice, I recommend collaborating early and often with practitioners (e.g., emergency planners, food banks, and community organizations) so that research questions and findings are grounded in real-world needs.

Interested in connecting? Click here for Maria’s LinkedIn.

What is a paper you recently published?

I’m proud to share our recent study conducted across 330 Southern California cities (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oby.70021). This work highlights how childhood obesity is not just a matter of individual choices, but is deeply influenced by the broader environments children grow up in. From school resources to economic conditions, and even exposure to environmental pollutants, these factors may collectively shape childhood health outcomes in powerful ways.

A. Descarpentrie, J. C. Cleveland III, V. Midya, et al., “ Social and Environmental Correlates of Childhood Obesity Among Southern California Communities,” Obesity 33, no. 11 (2025): 2170–2180, https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.70021.

What excited you about the question you answered?

What I found compelling about this research is its ability to novelly challenge the traditional focus on individual behaviors in childhood obesity. By incorporating environmental and social factors, the research provides a broader perspective on the issue, highlighting how these elements may intersect and influence health outcomes long before adulthood, particularly in underserved populations. Furthermore, it underscores the importance of considering local context, as generalized approaches may fail to address the complexities of the problem.

How do you envision your research impacting public health policies or practices?

I hope this study will reinforce the need to rethink how we approach childhood obesity, shifting from a narrow focus on individual behaviors to a broader, systemic perspective. Our findings underscore that addressing the potential root causes requires policies that target specific structural determinants (including focusing on the school environment, healthcare access, social services, environmental exposures, and urban planning). Interventions may benefit from being designed with the local contexts in which children live in mind, especially for underserved populations.

What recommendations do you have for others hoping to translate their research into policy or practice?

For those seeking to translate research into practice, my advice is to consider the wider potential systemic forces at play. Early collaboration with policymakers and community stakeholders is crucial to turning research into real-world solutions. It’s not enough to identify the problems; we must offer tangible, systemic solutions that drive meaningful, lasting change.

What is a project you’re working on right now that you’re excited about?

At the moment, I’m continuing to explore the structural and broader social factors that may influence health outcomes, both in childhood and adulthood. My current focus is still on California, with a particular emphasis on diabetes outcomes, such as prediabetes, hospitalizations, and mortality. You can check out this recent article that examines the importance of context and various social and behavioral factors for diabetes diagnosis in adults, comparing national trends to those in Southern California: Read the full article here.