Kelly R. Evenson

Kelly R. Evenson, PhD, is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Gillings School of Global Public Health. Her research focuses on physical activity, sedentary behavior, and their impacts on health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and maternal health. She actively contributes to national and international guidelines for physical activity recommendations and evaluates public health policies and environmental interventions to promote active living.

Evenson holds a PhD in Epidemiology from UNC-Chapel Hill, an MS in Exercise Physiology from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, and a BA in Mathematics/Physical Education from UNC-Chapel Hill. Her work integrates epidemiological methods with population health strategies, emphasizing translational research to improve public health.

Her research interests span aging, cancer prevention, heart disease, and nutrition, with a particular emphasis on how physical activity and sedentary behavior intersect with these areas. She has led studies on accelerometer-based activity monitoring, park redesign impacts, and the role of light exposure in health outcomes.

Evenson’s recent articles highlight trends in activity metrics (e.g., step counts, sedentary time) and their associations with mortality, cancer risk, and cardiovascular health. Her work often involves large cohort studies and emphasizes culturally relevant interventions for diverse populations, including Hispanic communities and African American women.

• Awards: Fellow of the American Heart Association and the American College of Sports Medicine.
• Grants & Advising: Involved in multiple NIH-funded studies and serves on editorial boards of top journals. Advises on national health initiatives like the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans and the National Physical Activity Plan.
• Labs/Teams: Collaborates within the Gillings School’s research hubs, focusing on global health and innovative public health interventions.