Department of Health and Human Physiology
Department of Epidemiology
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
Dr. Janz is a physical activity epidemiologist at the University of Iowa in the Department of Health and Human Physiology and the Department of Epidemiology. She conducts population- and clinically-based research addressing the effect of physical activity and physical fitness on health outcomes. Her work seeks to understand type, dose, and pattern of physical activity associated with metabolic and musculoskeletal health. Her secondary area of research is physical activity measurement, specifically the modeling of objective measures using group-based trajectory and multi-level growth models to better understand the effects of physical activity in prospective observational and intervention studies. As an 18-year investigator with the Iowa Bone Development Study, she has worked with colleagues to quantify physical activity dose associated with bone mass, density, and geometry. She recently led the physical activity and exercise section for the National Osteoporosis Foundation’s Position Statement on Peak Bone Mass Development and Lifestyle Factors. This statement includes public health recommendations for bone-healthy physical activity for youth. Dr. Janz is an active fellow in the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Academy of Kinesiology. She is on the editorial boards of JAMA Pediatrics, Frontiers in Endocrinology, and Pediatric Exercise Science.
