Yvonne Golightly

Dr. Yvonne Golightly is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Gillings School of Global Public Health. She holds adjunct appointments in the UNC Division of Physical Therapy and the Department of Orthopaedics, with faculty affiliations at the UNC Thurston Arthritis Research Center and the UNC Injury Prevention Research Center. Her research focuses on osteoarthritis, musculoskeletal injury, and health equity, with a particular emphasis on knee and foot osteoarthritis, physical activity, and rehabilitation strategies. She has led NIH-funded studies, including an R01 project on joint hypermobility and an R21 on high-intensity interval training for knee osteoarthritis.

Education:

• PhD in Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2010)
• MS in Human Movement Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2005)
• BS in Physical Therapy, The Ohio State University (1998)

Research interests include osteoarthritis pathogenesis, musculoskeletal injury prevention, and the intersection of physical activity with chronic conditions. She examines biomarkers (e.g., epigenetic aging, biomarkers of cartilage metabolism), biomechanical factors, and systemic drivers like inflammation and microbiome diversity. Her work also addresses disparities in osteoarthritis outcomes across race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status.

Awards include multiple Outstanding Reviewer recognitions (2015–2019) and the European League Exchange Program Award (2016). She serves as an Associate Editor for Osteoarthritis and Cartilage and Editorial Board Member for Arthritis Care & Research.

Professional roles include co-directing the Osteoarthritis Action Alliance's Research Program and serving on the UNC PhD Epidemiology Admissions Committee. Her translational efforts involve designing interventions like the Walk With Ease program, which has shown cost-effectiveness for knee osteoarthritis management.

Labs/teams: Affiliated with the Thurston Arthritis Research Center and the Injury Prevention Research Center, contributing to large-scale studies like the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project and the Johnston County Health Study.