Annual Health and Physical Activity Lecture

The Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences hosts an Annual Health and Physical Activity Lecture featuring renowned researchers and experts who present cutting-edge findings on exercise science, health and human performance. These lectures cover diverse topics ranging from the therapeutic benefits of physical activity and exercise physiology to cardiovascular health, metabolism, and the intersection of genetics and fitness.

The lecture is free and all are welcome to attend.

Upcoming Event

Exercise and Cancer: Prevention, Treatment, and Survivorship

Date: Monday, Oct 13, 2025

A new global movement is launching to make exercise a standard part of cancer care — and students from all fields can be part of shaping the future of health.

Past Lectures

2023: Karyn Esser, University of Florida, College of Medicine, "Circadian Rhythms, Clocks and Exercise: Interactive Partners"
2020: NiCole Keith, President, American College of Sports Medicine, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, "Physical Activity: Taking Steps Toward Health Equity"
2020: Alex Hutchinson, Outside magazine's 'Sweat Science' columnist and New York Times bestseller, "The Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance"
2019: Wendy Suzuki, New York University, "Practical Neuroscience for Everyday Life"
2018: Douglas Seals, University of Colorado, Boulder, "Healthy Cardiovascular Aging"
2017: David C Poole, Kansas State University, "Heart Failure and Exercise: Novel Insights"
2016: Michael Joyner, Mayo Clinic, "Thinking About the 2 Hour Marathon"
2015: Molly Bray, University of Texas at Austin, "The Genetic Underpinnings of Physical Activity Behavior and Response"
2015: Laurie Goodyear, Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, "Novel Mechanisms Underlying the Beneficial Effects of Exercise on Metabolism"
2014: Scott K Powers, University of Florida, "Exercise is Good Medicine"
2013: Daniel Lieberman, Harvard University, "Why Exercise Really is Medicine"
2012: John Jakicic, University of Pittsburgh, "Physical Activity and Obesity: Is it Just About Weight Loss?"
2011: Bruce Gladden, Auburn University, "Cancer Therapy: A New Role for Lactate"
2010: Steven Blair, University of South Carolina, "Fitness, Fatness, and Health Outcomes"
2009: Barry Franklin, William Beaumont Hospital, University of Michigan Medical School, "Obesity, Diabetes, and Metabolic Syndrome: Role of Exercise Therapy"