Rafael Miranda Tassitano

Rafael Miranda Tassitano is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He specializes in reducing health disparities related to physical activity among low-income populations in Brazil, with a focus on structured settings like schools and childcare. His work combines mixed-methods approaches to design and evaluate interventions that promote equitable access to physical activity opportunities.

His research interests include physical activity epidemiology, sedentary behavior trends, and global health policy. He is a founding member of the Brazilian Society of Physical Activity and Health (SBAFS) and serves as a senior editor at the Journal of Physical Activity and Health.

Dr. Tassitano’s recent studies emphasize the Global Observatory for Physical Education (GoPE!) framework, analyzing policy and surveillance gaps in school-based physical activity worldwide. His work also highlights disparities in physical education participation among South American adolescents and the impact of the pandemic on movement behaviors in children.

He collaborates with international networks like the South American Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Network (SAPASEN). His research often integrates wearable technology and large-scale data analysis to inform public health strategies.