Kristen M. Beavers

Kristen M. Beavers is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health and Exercise Science at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. She holds a PhD in Exercise, Nutrition, and Preventive Health from Baylor University, an MPH in Nutrition from UNC Chapel Hill, and a BS in Human Biology, Health and Society from Cornell University. Certified as a Registered Dietitian and American College of Sports Medicine personal trainer, her work examines nutrition-exercise synergies for chronic disease prevention.

• Education: Cornell (BS), UNC (MPH), Baylor (PhD)
• Key Research: Weight loss therapies for older obese adults, bone loss mitigation, bariatric surgery impacts
• Technologies: HR-pQCT, CT, DXA imaging for musculoskeletal analysis

Her publications reveal a focus on:

• Bone health interventions
• Weighted vest vs resistance training
• Obesity-related musculoskeletal changes
• Bariatric surgery complications
• Geriatric mobility preservation
• Adiposity-metabolic interactions

Dr. Beavers leads multiple NIH-funded trials including the R01 AG074979 (Bone loss therapies), U01 AR080969 (Bisphosphonate post-bariatric surgery), and R01 AR073297 (INVEST Bone Health trial). She serves on the Wake Forest Pepper OAIC executive committee and the Clinical Research Core.

Current projects explore:

• 2×2 factorial trial of resistance training and bisphosphonates
• Biomechanical assessments using force-sensing insoles
• Muscle radiomics and metabolomics
• Fracture risk stratification models