Jessica Gorzelitz

Jessica Gorzelitz serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health and Human Physiology at the University of Iowa's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on physical activity interventions for cancer survivors, with specialized attention to rural and underserved populations and gynecologic oncology contexts.

Education:

• PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program, National Cancer Institute (Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics)

Dr. Gorzelitz's research centers on behavioral interventions to increase aerobic and muscle strengthening exercise among cancer survivors, utilizing both epidemiologic and interventional study designs. She specializes in measurement validation and instrument development for physical activity assessment. Her work addresses critical survivorship issues including treatment-related symptoms, quality of life, and health behavior adoption through strength-focused empowerment approaches. The Physical Activity and Cancer Survivorship (PACS) Lab employs distance-delivered methodologies to overcome geographic barriers in intervention delivery.

She teaches core courses including Physical Activity Psychology (HHP 3045), Advanced Research Methods and Ethics (HHP 4800/6020), and Seminar in Health Promotion Research (HHP 6500), integrating her expertise in exercise science and epidemiology into graduate and undergraduate instruction.