Currently, the SAPASEN is composed of 31 researchers from 10 different countries:
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina
I earn a Ph.D. in Health and Sport Sciences (Epidemiology and Public Health) from the University of Zaragoza. I got a second Ph.D. in Economics from the Pontificial Catholic University of Argentina. I integrate tools from epidemiology, econometrics, and spatial analysis to explore the relationships around physical activity, diet and environmental exposures, and their association with chronic disease.
Institute for clinical effectiveness and health policy (IECS)
I am a cardiologist, MSc, PhD, CVD epidemiologist. During my stay in Harvard I focused my research in physical activity. I learned about the data collection process at population level, especially with questionnaires, and the analysis of physical activity data. In 2018, I became a scholar of the Lown program at Harvard.
André de Oliveira Werneck
São Paulo State University
André Werneck has a degree in physical education (2017), an MSc in human motricity (2020), with a research internship abroad at the University of Cambridge (2019) and currently is a PhD student in public health nutrition at the University of São Paulo. He is interested in behavioral epidemiology, with a focus on physical activity and nutrition epidemiology, especially regarding their association with mental health.
Federal University of Paraíba
Clarice Martins has a degree in Physical Education, and PhD in Physical Activity and Health (University of Porto). Currently, she is an associate professor at the Department of Physical Education of the Federal University of Paraíba. Her research and teaching interest has been focused on movement behaviours, physical fitness and health outcomes in children.
Danilo Rodrigues P. da Silva
Federal University of Sergipe
Danilo Silva obtained his PhD from the Londrina State University, Paraná, Brazil in 2017. Currently he works at the Department of Physical Education at Federal University of Sergipe, Brazil. He is interested in behavioral epidemiology, with focus on prevalence, correlates/determinants and interventions in physical inactivity and sedentary behavior.
Diego Giulliano D. Christofaro
São Paulo State University
I am graduated in Physical Education, Master in Physical Education, PhD in Public Health. I am a Professor at Universidade Estadual Paulista and advisor of the Postgraduate Program in Movement Sciences at UNESP. I am ad hoc consultant for development agencies such as FAPESP and CNPq. I am currently a member of the Brazilian Society of Physical Activity and Health (SBAFS). I am editor and reviewer of national and international periodicals. I have experience in studies related to physical activity, sedentary behavior and health parameters in different populations.
Ellen Caroline M. da Silva
State University of Londrina
Ellen Silva has a degree (2017) and MSc (2020) in physical education. Currently she is a PhD student in Health Sciences at the State University of Londrina, Paraná, Brazil. She is interested in behavioral epidemiology, with focus in interventions in sedentary behavior and physical inactivity and their correlates/prevalence.
Felipe Barreto Schuch
Federal University of Santa Maria
Associate Professor Felipe Schuch, Federal Univesity of Santa Maria (UFSM), has obtained a physical education degree and PhD at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Felipe’s research focuses on the role of physical activity and sedentary behavior in the prevention and management of mental disorders.
Leonardo G. de Oliveira Luz
Federal University of Alagoas (Arapiraca)
Leonardo Luz has a degree in Physical Education, and PhD in Sport Sciences and Physical Education (University of Coimbra). Currently, he is an associate professor at the Federal University of Alagoas (Arapiraca). His research and teaching interest has been focused on growth, maturation, movement behaviours, physical fitness, and health outcomes in youth people.
Luciana Leite Silva Barboza
University of Brasília
Luciana has a degree in physical education at the University of Pernambuco and a master's degree in physical education at the Federal University of Sergipe. She is currently starting her PhD at the University of Brasília, focusing on the association between cardiometabolic diseases, physical activity and sedentary behavior, in south american adults.
Luiz Rodrigo A. de Lima
Federal University of Alagoas
Luiz Rodrigo works at the Institute of Physical Education and Sport at Federal University of Alagoas in Maceió, Brazil. He obtained a Ph.D. in Physical Education (2017) at the Federal University of Santa Catarina. Currently, he is interested in the following subjects: 1) Physical activity and exercise in the health-disease process in primary and secondary prevention; 2) Cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in children and adolescents as a consequence of primary diseases (HIV-infection, obesity, congenital heart disease); 3) Development and validation of instruments for measuring physical activity, body composition and aerobic fitness.
Faculty of Sport, University of Porto
Mabliny Thuany is a PhD student in Sport Sciences, at Faculty of Sport, University of Porto (Portugal). She is a member of the Health, Physical Activity and Sports Research Centre (SAFE) and the Laboratory for Study and Research on Performance in Exercise and Sport (L’esport). She is particularly interested in endurance sports, predictors of sports performance, detection, promotion, selection and talent identification. She is involved in different research projects, comprising subjects related to sports performance, human growth and development, and active displacement.
Rafael dos Santos Henrique
Federal University of Pernambuco
Rafael Henrique has a degree in Physical Education, and Ph.D. in Physical Education from the University of Pernambuco (2018). Currently, he works at the Department of Physical Education at Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil. In recent years, his research agenda has mainly focused on a bioecological approach to understanding the underlying mechanisms of growth and development and its relationship with the physical activity, sedentary behavior, physical health, obesity, and cognition of low-income children in Brazil.
Rafael Miranda Tassitano
Federal Rural University of Pernambuco
Associate Professor at the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco/Brazil (UFRPE). Postdoctoral in Physical Activity and Health at the University of South Carolina (2018-2019). My primary research interest focuses on Physical Activity and Sedentary behavior related to understanding the complexity of these behaviors, and how to reduce the inequities and disparities between populations. For the past few years, I have worked in several multidisciplinary research initiatives focused on Health Promotion in a low-income population from Brazil (i.e. children, adolescents, adults and elderly), having secured internal and external funding from regional and national foundations in connection with such research.
Raphael Henrique Araújo State University of Londrina
Raphael is starting his PhD in Health Science at the State University of Londrina, Brazil. He is interested in behavioral epidemiology, with a focus on physical activity and sedentary behavior.
Ricardo Ribeiro Agostinete São Paulo State University
Ricardo Agostinete has a degree in Physical Education (2014) and MSc in Physiotherapy at São Paulo State University (UNESP) (2017) with a research internship at Universidade de Coimbra (2016). He currently is a PhD student in Movement Science at UNESP with a research internship at University of Exeter. His research focus is on physical exercise/activity in health outcomes during childhood and adolescence, mainly in bone health.
Thayse Natacha Gomes
Federal University of Sergipe
I have a PhD in Sport Science at Faculty of Sport-University of Porto, and I have being engaged in different research projects in different countries. My research interest is related to understanding the inter- and intra-individual differences in human growth and development, physical activity levels and sedentary behaviour, sports performance, obesity and its comorbidities, using multilevel approach/ecological models.
Thiago Sousa Matias
Federal University of Santa Catarina
Thiago has a PhD in Human Movement Science from Santa Catarina State University. He is currently working at the School of Sports, Federal University of Santa Catarina (Professor position). He is a behavioural scientist and became interested in the affective relationships of Physical Activity such as motivation. He is also interested in the synergic between obesogenic behaviors associated with psychological health.
Victor Zuniga Dourado
Federal University of São Paulo
Associate Professor at the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP). Bachelor in Physiotherapy and Computer Engineering and MSc and Ph.D. in Pathophysiology (Pulmonary Rehabilitation) from São Paulo State University (UNESP). "Livre-Docente" in Human Movement Sciences/Clinical Exercise Physiology. Lown Scholar at Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health. His research includes Physical Activity/Fitness epidemiology and the development and use of technologies to improve adults' physical activity/fitness. He is the Principal Investigator of the Epidemiology and Human Movement Study (EPIMOV) and developed the smartphone app for physical activity in the Project "Playful Active Urban Living (PAUL)," in collaboration with Amsterdam University.
Navarrabiomed Research Center
All of my higher education has been focused on research and teaching varying aspects of physical activity and health, mainly in young population. I got a Bachelor degree in Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, a Master degree in Physical Exercise and Health, a PhD in Sport Sciences. I am currently Miguel Servet research funded by the Spanish Institute of Health Carlos III in the Navarrabiomed research center (Pamplona, Spain).
Gerson L. de Moraes Ferrari Federal University of São Paulo
Dr. Gerson Luis de Moraes Ferrari is Master and Doctor by the Department of Pediatrics at Federal University of Sao Paulo. Part of the PhD at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center (Louisiana, United States). Is one of those responsible for Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance Brazil and is a consultant in the area of physical activity of the Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health / Estudio Latinoamericano de Nutrición Salud (ELANS). He was responsible for the development of the C3 Collaborating for Health project (Fundación United Health) in Brazil.
San Sebastian University
My primary research interest is in the area of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior linked with non-communicable diseases. My research mainly focuses on epidemiological data and projects within diabetics’ population. Also, I serve as a technical advisor for the Ministry of Health. My current national funded study is based on active transport and health status in the bicycle-sharing-system.
Universidad de La Frontera, Chile
Physiotherapist (Universidad de La Frontera, Chile), Master of Clinical Exercise Physiology and Doctor of Philosophy (University of Queensland, Australia). Assistant professor at Universidad de La Frontera. Director of the UFRO Activate Research Group. He has been involved in several national and international studies related to physical activity and public health. Currently is the leader of Chile’s Report Card on Physical Activity for children and youth. He is also a regular technical advisor of health and sports organizations worldwide.
Public University of Navarra
Dr. Robinson Ramírez-Vélez completed his BSc in Physiotherapy in 2004 from the University of Maria Cano (Colombia). He obtained his first PhD in 2011 from the Nutrition and Metabolism, University of Valle (Colombia), and in 2018 he obtained his second PhD in Health Science from the Public University of Navarra (Spain). He is currently a Research Fellow at the Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarra, Navarrabiomed-Biomedical Research Centre, IDISNA-Navarra’s Health Research Institute in Pamplona, Navarra, Spain.
Mario Germán Álvarez Álvarez
Universidad Politécnica Salesiana de Ecuador
Mario Álvarez graduated in Education Sciences, in Physical Culture specialty, from the University of Cuenca. He obtained his specialty in Sports Nutrition at the Higher Polytechnic School of Chimborazo and the Master's Degree in Physical Culture at the University of Guayaquil. He is in the last year of his PhD in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences at the Autonomous University of Madrid. He is currently a teacher-researcher at the Salesian Polytechnic University of Ecuador, in the Undergraduate degree called Pedagogy of Physical Activity and Sports. In addition to being the coordinator of the Research Group in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences (GICAFD). Among his research lines is the use of Self-Determination Theory in intervention programs with university students, as well as the use of wearable technology in the evaluation of physical activity and physical condition.
Felicia Cañete Villalba
National University of Asuncion
Ministry of Public Health of Paraguay
Doctor in Medicine. Specialist in Endocrinology and Public Health. Professor of Public Health and Internal Medicine at the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the National University of Asunción. She is part of the Surveillance and Investigation Department of the Directorate for the Surveillance of Non-communicable Diseases of the Ministry of Public Health. For 15 years she was the director of the National Diabetes Program of Paraguay. Her interest in research focuses mainly on Noncommunicable Diseases and their risk factors.
Cecilia Anza Ramírez
Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia
Cecilia Anza-Ramirez is a biologist trained in Epidemiology at Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH - Lima, Peru). Currently, she is part of the CRONICAS Center of Excellence in Chronic Diseases, also at UPCH. Her research interests are focused on the occurrence and factors associated with cardiovascular and metabolic conditions, especially hypertension, diabetes and obesity.
J. Jaime Miranda
Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia
Research Professor at the Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, and Director of the CRONICAS Center of Excellence in Chronic Diseases, both at Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH) in Lima, Peru. His works brings together epidemiological and health policy aspects of chronic non-communicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries with emphasis on obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. Dr. Miranda trained in medicine at UPCH and earned a PhD in epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (UK).
Anton de Kom University of Suriname
Se-Sergio Baldew obtained his doctorate in Rehabilitation Sciences and Physical Therapy from the KULeuven in Belgium. He is a lecturer at the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the Anton de Kom University of Suriname within Physical Therapy program. His research focusses on physical activity, fitness and cardiovascular risk factors and disease. Specifically on determinants of physical activity among people with risk factors and or diseases.
Universidad de la República Uruguay
Javier B Sayavera obtained his PhD from the University of Extremadura (Spain). He has worked as an associate Professor at the Universidad de la República (UDELAR) in Uruguay since 2017. In 2020 moved to Spain to join the University Pablo de Olavide. In Uruguay, he has led a new research group and a Lab with the aim of increasing the knowledge and to study the problems related with physical activity and to provide solutions, principally for the Uruguayan population. He is the leader of the Uruguayan Report Card on physical activity indicators in children and adolescents linked to the Global Matrix initiative.
LifeDoc Health, Memphis USA
Venezuelan physician-scientist and professor whose research interest has focused on transcultural endocrinology, specifically diabetes prevention, cardiometabolic risk factors, and nutrition. Director of the Cardiometabolic Health and Lifestyle Unit at LifeDoc Health, Memphis, TN, US, and Lown Scholar at TH Chan School of Public Health; Harvard University. Dr. Nieto-Martinez trained in Internal Medicine and got an MSc in Nutrition and is the principal investigator of the Venezuelan Cardiometabolic Health Study (EVESCAM).