Posted 7/11/2008

CDC awards $38,000 to support Exercise Science doctoral student

Exercise Science doctoral student, Chris Kline, is the recipient of a Public Health Research Dissertation Award grant (R36) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Kline was awarded $38,000 to support his research under a CDC program aimed at facilitating entry of promising new investigators into the field of Public Health research.

Chris Kline

Kline will investigate the effects of exercise as a complementary or alternative treatment for individuals who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a common sleep disorder that affects approximately 10% of adults. The disorder is a Public Health threat and has been linked to cognitive impairment, impaired sleep quality, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and mortality. However, despite its potentially harmful impact on health outcomes, successful treatment options for OSA are scarce. Although exercise has been viewed as a potential alternative treatment for OSA, there has been no controlled experimental evidence of its efficacy. Kline’s study will address this gap.

The results of this study will provide important and much needed information on the effects of exercise on reducing the severity and numerous complications of OSA, and answer whether exercise should be considered an effective supplemental or alternative treatment option for individuals with OSA.

Kline’s advisor is Dr. Shawn Youngstedt, who directs the Chronobiology Laboratory in the Department of Exercise Science. Youngstedt has published extensively in the area of sleep and exercise, and will mentor Kline through the study and dissertation process.