The Advisory Committee invited nine experts to serve as consultants to subcommittees. Consultants participated in subcommittee discussions and decisions. They were not members of the full Advisory Committee, but like Advisory Committee members, consultants completed all necessary training prior to their work on subcommittees. The federal government formally reviewed and cleared all consultants.
Matthew P. Buman, Ph.D., FACSM
Arizona State University
School of Nutrition and Health Promotion
Exercise Science and Health Promotion
Phoenix, AZ
Dr. Buman is an Associate Professor of Exercise Science & Health Promotion at Arizona State University. He received his PhD in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology from the University of Florida and a postdoctoral fellowship in Cardiovascular Epidemiology from Stanford University School of Medicine. His research agenda focused on behaviors across the 24 hours - sleep, sedentary behavior, and physical activity - and how collectively these behaviors can be leveraged for health promotion and chronic disease prevention. Dr. Buman is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and active member of the Society of Behavioral Medicine. He has served in numerous leadership roles in each of these professional organizations. He is currently funded as a Principal Investigator by the National Institutes of Health to (a) study the impact of sit-stand workstations of worker health (1R01CA198971); (b) test the implementation of an evidence-based smartphone "app" to improve lifestyle behaviors in prediabetic U.S. Veterans (1R18DK109516); and (c) develop and test the initial efficacy of a smartphone "app" to enhance adherence to continuous positive airway pressure (in a manner that leverages behaviors across the 24 hours) in individuals with obstructive sleep apnea (1R21NR016046).
Virginia Byers Kraus, M.D., Ph.D.
Duke University School of Medicine
Departments of Medicine, Orthopaedic Surgery and Pathology
Duke Molecular Physiology Institute
Division of Rheumatology, Allergy & Clinical Immunology
Durham, NC
Dr. Virginia Byers Kraus, MD, PhD, is Professor of Medicine and Professor of Pathology and Professor in Orthopaedic Surgery at the Duke University School of Medicine. She is a practicing Rheumatologist with over 20 years of experience in musculoskeletal research focusing on osteoarthritis. She trained at Brown University (ScB 1979), Duke University (MD 1982, PhD 1993) and Duke University Medical Center (Residency in Internal Medicine and Fellowship in Rheumatology). Her career has focused on elucidating osteoarthritis pathogenesis and translational research into the discovery and validation of biomarkers for early osteoarthritis detection, prediction of progression, and monitoring of disease status. She served as the President of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI, 2013-2015). In addition, she is a member of the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS), American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and served as a member of the national board of directors of the Arthritis Foundation (2014-16). For work related to prevention of post-traumatic arthritis, she is a recipient of the 2015 Kappa Delta award from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS).
David E. Conroy, Ph. D.
The Pennsylvania State University
Kinesiology and Human Development & Family Studies
University Park, PA
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Preventive Medicine
Chicago, IL
Dr. Conroy is Professor of Kinesiology and Human Development & Family Studies at The Pennsylvania State University, and Adjunct Professor of Preventive Medicine at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. His broad interest lies in finding ways to make health behavior change less effortful and more enjoyable to promote health and well-being. His research focuses on the motivational regulation of physical activity and sedentary behavior, and the consequences of those behaviors for health and well-being. Dr. Conroy has published over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and 20 book chapters. He received the 2001 Prince Alexandre de Merode Prize for Behavioral Research from the International Olympic Committee. His 2014 review of behavior change techniques in physical activity smartphone applications was a highly-cited paper recognized by Essential Science Indicators/Web of Science (top 1% citation frequency among social science papers that year). His research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and featured in national media outlets, including National Public Radio, the New York Times, USA Today, Fox News, and Time. Dr. Conroy chairs the Publications and Communications Council for the Society of Behavioral Medicine and sits on editorial boards for six journals related to exercise psychology.
Kelly Evenson, Ph.D., M.S., FACSM
University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
Department of Epidemiology
Gillings School of Global Public Health
Chapel Hill, NC
Dr. Evenson is a Research Professor at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill (UNC). She received her training at both UNC and the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse. Prior to her work in public health research, she worked as an Exercise Physiologist in cardiac rehabilitation. In 2000, she launched her research career at UNC in physical activity epidemiology and mentored numerous doctoral students along the way. Since then she has published extensively on physical activity and sedentary behavior as it relates to measurement, surveillance, health associations, and interventions. She led an early evaluation of the U.S. National Physical Activity Plan, and served on the 2015 International Olympic Committee workgroup to develop guidance for physical activity during pregnancy and postpartum. Dr. Evenson currently serves on the Editorial Boards of the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, and Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.
Christine M. Friedenreich, Ph.D.
Scientific Leader, Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Research
AI-HS Health Senior Scholar
Adjunct Professor and ACF Weekend to End Women's Cancers Breast Cancer Chair
Departments of Oncology, Community Health Sciences
Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Kinesiology
University of Calgary
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Dr. Friedenreich is a cancer epidemiologist who has been studying the role of physical activity in reducing cancer risk and improving survival after cancer diagnosis for the past 25 years. She has conducted over 40 observational epidemiologic and randomized controlled intervention trials in this area. Her primary appointment is as the Scientific Leader, Department of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Research, Alberta Health Services. In addition, she is an Adjunct Professor and Head for the Division of Preventive Oncology, Department of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary and also has appointments in the Department of Community Health Sciences and the Faculty of Kinesiology. Since 1985, she has held continuous career awards from both national and provincial health funding agencies. In 2012, she was named the Alberta Cancer Foundation’s Weekend to End Women’s Cancers Breast Cancer Chair at the University of Calgary. In 2013, she was a co-recipient of the Canadian Cancer Society’s O. Harold Warwick Prize and in 2016 named a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. Dr. Friedenreich holds a doctorate in Epidemiology from the University of Toronto and completed postdoctoral training at the International Agency for Research on Cancer and at the University of Calgary.
William L. Haskell, Ph.D., FACSM
Professor (Active Emeritus)
School of Medicine
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
William (Bill) Haskell is Professor of Medicine (Active Emeritus) in the Prevention Research Center and the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, School of Medicine at Stanford University. He has been a member of the faculty at Stanford University for the past 45 years with primary interests in applied and clinical research in cardio-metabolic disease prevention. Of particular interest has been the role of habitual physical activity on metabolic and hemodynamic factors contributing to the development of cardiovascular disease. A continuing research interest has been the development and evaluation of instruments for the measurement of physical activity in free-living populations. At Stanford University he conducted an extensive program of research on multifactor risk reduction for the prevention of heart attacks and strokes. He has served on numerous national and international panels responsible for developing guidelines for physical activity and public health, preventive cardiology, cardiac rehabilitation and health promotion. In 2006-2008 he was the chair of the Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This Committee provided the scientific basis for the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans and the WHO Physical Activity Guidelines for Developing Countries in 2009.
Melissa A. Napolitano, Ph.D.
The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health
Department of Prevention and Community Health
Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences
Washington, DC
Dr. Napolitano is a Professor in the Department of Prevention and Community Health and in the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences within the Milken Institute School of Public Health at The George Washington University. Dr. Napolitano’s research is focused on psychosocial theory-based interventions to help individuals make health behavior changes, specifically related to physical activity and weight management. She is particularly interested in the developmental life stage of emerging adulthood and contributing to the understanding of positive eating and exercise behaviors. She is the Principal Investigator of a two-site R01 (DK 100916) examining the efficacy of digital strategies, (i.e., Facebook, text messaging) for promoting weight management among young adults. She serves on the Board of Directors of the International Society for Physical Activity and Health, and recently completed leadership as Chair of the Physical Activity Special Interest Group for the Society of Behavioral Medicine. She serves in review and editorial capacities as a standing member of the Psychosocial Risk and Disease Prevention Study Section and Senior Associate Editor of the Journal of Physical Activity and Health. Dr. Napolitano’s research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Steven J. Petruzzello, Ph.D., FACSM
Department of Kinesiology & Community Health
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Urbana, IL
Dr. Petruzzello He received his Ph.D. in Exercise Science, specializing in the Psychology of Exercise and Sport, from Arizona State University. He began his career at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1991, where he directs the Exercise Psychophysiology Laboratory. His research is aimed at a more complete understanding of the affective (including anxiety) and cognitive responses to exercise/physical activity. This includes the pre-to-post exercise changes that take place, but also the in-task changes that occur along with individual differences that might lead to these changes. Ultimately, this research aims to develop a better understanding of how exercise makes people feel in order to structure the exercise stimulus to enhance adherence by either increasing positive or decreasing negative affective responses to the exercise. His work has been funded by the NIMH and NIOSH. Media outlets featuring his work include the Associated Press, Health, Men’s Health, WebMD, Discovery Channel, Consumer Reports on Health, and New Scientist. Dr. Petruzzello has co-authored or co-edited 3 books, written 18 book chapters, and published 75 refereed journal articles. He is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), Chair of the Psychobiology and Behavior Special Interest Group (SIG) of the ACSM, member of the American Psychological Society and Society for Psychophysiological Research.
Ronald J. Sigal, M.D., M.P.H.
Departments of Medicine, Cardiac Sciences and Community Health Sciences
Cumming School of Medicine
Faculties of Medicine and Kinesiology
University of Calgary
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Dr. Ron Sigal is Professor of Medicine, Kinesiology, Cardiac Sciences and Community Health Sciences at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. He is active in clinical medicine, teaching and research. Dr. Sigal completed residencies in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology at McGill University in 1987-92, and a research fellowship at the McGill Nutrition and Food Sciences Centre in 1992-93. He completed a Master of Public Health degree and a research fellowship in Epidemiology and Genetics at Harvard University in 1993-96. He has held a Health Senior Scholar award from Alberta Innovates-Health Solutions, and previously a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) New Investigator Award. Dr. Sigal’s research focuses on clinical trials related to physical activity, diabetes, kidney disease and cardiovascular disease. Dr. Sigal is currently co-chair of the Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA) Professional Section Executive. He has been the lead author of the guidelines on Physical Activity/Exercise for the Canadian Diabetes Association (2003, 2008, 2013, 2018) and the American Diabetes Association (2006), and co-Chair of the writing group for the American Diabetes Association Position Statements on Physical Activity/Exercise and Diabetes in 2010 and 2016.
