Staff
Dixie Thompson, Ph.D, Director
Dr. Thompson focuses her research on the health benefits of exercise for women and techniques used for body composition assessment. She is the author of numerous peer-reviewed publications (see below for sample publications). She also wrote six chapters in the 5th edition of Howley and Franks' Fitness Professional's Handbook. She is a frequent author of articles for fitness professionals and general audiences.
Dr. Thompson is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and is quite active in professional societies. She is the current Past-President of the Southeast Chapter of ACSM and is the Associate Editor-in-Chief for ACSM's Health and Fitness Journal. Dr. Thompson is also an editorial board member of ACSM's Fit Society Page Newsletter and is former chair of Physical Fitness Council for the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.
Chris Connolly, B.S., Graduate Assistant
Chris Connolly is a graduate student pursuing a Master's degree in exercise physiology in the Department of Exercise, Sport, and Leisure Studies. He has experience administering clinical exercise tests and conducting health analyses. He also enjoys and has experience teaching students in a university setting.
Prior to attending the University of Tennessee, Chris received a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University in exercise sciences. His primary research interest is physical activity during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Specifically, he is investigating the impact exercise has on gestational diabetes. Additionally he is assisting in research assessing objective measures of physical activity in pregnant women as well as activity levels of parents exercising with a jogging stroller. Upon completion of his Master's degree, Chris will continue his education by pursuing a PhD.
Faculty
David Bassett, Jr., Ph.D
Dr. Bassett has used pedometers to measure walking activity in different populations. He and his students have collected data on groups ranging from school children to sedentary, middle-aged adults to Amish farmers. They are exploring the relationships of pedometer-determined values of “steps per day” to body weight, blood pressure, and other cardiovascular risk factors. A number of studies conducted in our laboratory have examined the benefits of walking and swimming for weight loss, blood pressure reduction, and glucose tolerance.
Dr. Bassett directs the UT Applied Physiology Laboratory within the department, and is co-director of the Obesity Research Center at UT (with Dr. Naima Moustaid-Moussa).
Eugene Fitzugh, Ph.D
Dr. Fitzhugh teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in physical activity epidemiology and research methodologies. His research has resulted in numerous publications in various public health, nutrition, and health promotion journals. He has served as editor for the american Journal of Health Studies, and currently reviews papers for several other journals. As a physical activity epidemiologist, his primary area of research revolves around the relationship of physical activity to obesity and other chronic diseases across the lifespan.
Dawn P. Coe, Ph.D
Dr. Coe’s research focuses primarily on pediatric exercise physiology. Dr. Coe conducts research looking at the relationships between physical activity and physical fitness and academic performance in youth. Dr. Coe is also currently investigating the genetic influence on physical fitness and cardiovascular disease risk in youth. Additionally, Dr. Coe’s research interests include the growth and maturation process and physical activity epidemiology. Dr. Coe is currently assessing activity levels on pregnant women and adults running with and without a jogging stroller.
Dr. Coe is actively involved with the American College of Sports Medicine and the North American Society for Pediatric Exercise Medicine (NASPEM) and she is currently serving on the Midwest Chapter of ACSM and NASPEM executive boards.
Edward Howley, Ph.D, Professor Emeritus
Dr. Howley is a professor emeritus in the Deptartment of Exercise, Sport, and Leisure Studies. He is the author of the Health Fitness Instructor's Handbook (with B. Don Franks) and Exercise Physiology (with Scott K. Powers). He has also authored four book chapters, and 45 research articles dealing with exercise physiology, and fitness testing and prescription. Dr. Howley was president of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) from 2002-2003, and currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of ACSM's Health and Fitness Journal. His research interests include metabolic responses to exercise, the effects of training, and the role of physical activity in weight loss and weight maintenance.
Dr. Howley also teaches an undergraduate course in fitness testing and prescription, and undergraduate and graduate courses in exercise physiology.