Rate My Professor Kara Whitaker

Kara Whitaker is an Associate Professor with tenure and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Health and Human Physiology at the University of Iowa's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, a position she has held since her promotion following her initial appointment as Assistant Professor in 2018. She earned her PhD in Exercise Science and MPH in Physical Activity from the University of South Carolina, after completing her undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan. Prior to joining the University of Iowa, Whitaker completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Cardiovascular Epidemiology at the University of Minnesota. As Director of the Physical Activity and Women's Health (PAWH) Lab, established in January 2018, her research program investigates the determinants and health consequences of modifiable lifestyle behaviors—including physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep—particularly during pregnancy and the early postpartum period. The lab employs high-rigor epidemiological methods using cohort data to assess impacts on cardiometabolic risk factors and disease outcomes, alongside developing and testing evidence-based behavioral interventions. Current projects include the NIH R01-funded Pregnancy 24/7 Study examining 24-hour activity-rest patterns and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and the INSPiRE Study promoting physical activity in pregnant women to benefit maternal and infant health.

Whitaker's contributions have been recognized with Fellowship in the American Heart Association (FAHA) and the American College of Sports Medicine (FACSM), as well as the Iowa Mid-Career Faculty Scholar Award for 2025-2028. Her influential publications include 'Associations of Accelerometer-Measured Sedentary Time and Physical Activity With Cardiometabolic Risk Biomarkers: The CARDIA Study' (Journal of the American Heart Association, 2019), 'Associations of Sleep With Sedentary Behavior and Physical Activity in a Sample of Pregnant Women' (Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 2021), 'Maternal Sedentary Behavior and Physical Activity Across Pregnancy' (Child Development Perspectives, 2022), and 'Measurement, associations, patterns, and promotion: Unveiling vital areas in physical activity epidemiology' (Preventive Medicine Reports, 2024). She teaches courses such as HHP 3045: Physical Activity Psychology, HHP 4800, and HHP 6500: Seminar in Health Promotion, and maintains a secondary affiliation with the Department of Epidemiology in the College of Public Health. Her research informs national conversations on maternal cardiovascular health and has been featured at NIH Diverse Voices events.