Dr. Kara Whitaker is an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Health and Human Physiology at the University of Iowa. She also has a secondary appointment in the Department of Epidemiology in the College of Public Health at the University of Iowa. Dr. Whitaker received the Early Career Scholar of the Year Award at the University of Iowa in 2022. She is a fellow of the American Heart Association (FAHA) and the American College of Sports Medicine (FACSM). Dr. Whitaker received a BS in Kinesiology from the University of Michigan and an MPH and PhD in Exercise Science from the University of South Carolina. She also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Whitaker’s research examines the relations of sedentary behavior, physical activity, and sleep (24-hour activity) with cardiovascular disease and related health outcomes. The primary goal of her research is to build an evidence base to inform interventions to reduce sedentary behaviors and promote physical activity and appropriate sleep to improve population health. She is particularly interested in working with women during pregnancy as this is a critical period where interventions have the potential to positively impact the health of both the mother and child.