Background
I'm originally from Cascais, in Portugal, and I have been living in the US for the past 6 years. I've been always passionate about sports and exercise and that led me to pursue a bachelor degree in Sports Science, focusing on the benefits of exercise for health. For many years I worked with children and adolescents in different contexts (e.g. schools, summer camps), trying to promote physically active behaviors and successful experiences with physical activity related-events.
I knew my career path would eventually lead me to research as I started questioning my impact on these youth physical activity programs. My curiosity and eagerness to face new challenges took me initially to University of Georgia and soon after that, to Iowa State University.
I knew my career path would eventually lead me to research as I started questioning my impact on these youth physical activity programs. My curiosity and eagerness to face new challenges took me initially to University of Georgia and soon after that, to Iowa State University.
Research Interests
I have strong interest in youth physical activity research and in particular, in exploring the field applications of different physical activity assessment tools for this population. Since the very beginning of my training in Kinesiology I got intrigued by the potential of accelerometry-based devices for PA field research and later on their potential to calibrate self-report instruments. This work culminated with the development of a new online self-report tool - The Youth Activity Profile intended to provide an indicator of physical activity and sedentary patterns in school-aged youth.
My expertise in physical activity assessment is also aligned with the promotion of healthy behaviors in the school environment. In the last three years I've been involved in a US nation wide initiative (http://www.nflplay60fitnessgram.com/) aimed at understanding key predictors of fitness and physical activity outcomes in school programming.
My expertise in physical activity assessment is also aligned with the promotion of healthy behaviors in the school environment. In the last three years I've been involved in a US nation wide initiative (http://www.nflplay60fitnessgram.com/) aimed at understanding key predictors of fitness and physical activity outcomes in school programming.