Dr. Young is a physical activity epidemiologist with research experience and publications in physical activity assessment in community-based populations, evaluation of health benefits associated with physical activity, and determinants and adherence of physical activity behavior. Her research interests focus on physical activity behavior and its association with cardiovascular disease prevention. She has a primary interest in developing and evaluating community-based physical activity interventions, particularly in population subgroups that are known to be underactive. Much of her research has focused on working with minority and female samples. Dr. Young is a founding member of the Science Board of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and is the current Science Board Chair. She is also a faculty member in Kinesiology.

Dr. Young's research is funded by the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She has led and participated in a number of extramurally-funded projects evaluating the effects of community-based interventions on physical activity, obesity and weight gain prevention, and cardiovascular disease risk factors. She is the Principal Investigator for the University of Maryland field site for the Trial of Activity for Adolescent Girls (TAAG), a field-based, multi-center trial funded by NHLBI to reduce the decline in physical activity among middle school girls.

Courses:
EPIB 625 Epidemiology of Physical Activity (Spring 2008)
EPIB 641 Public Health and Research Ethics (Spring 2008)

Links:
Trial of Activity for Adolescent Girls: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00006409?order=2
http://www.cscc.unc.edu/taag/
School Based Intervention to Increase Physial Activity of Adolescent Girls: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00296101?order=3
PREMIER Clinical Trial: http://www.kpchr.org/public/premier/
Increased Physical Activity in African American Women: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00005744?order=1