John M. Jakicic, PhD

John M. Jakicic, PhD is a Professor at the University of Kansas Medical Center in the Department of Internal Medicine and the Division of Physical Activity and Weight Management. Prior to his current appointment he was a Distinguished Professor at the University of Pittsburgh. His educational background is in exercise physiology with additional training in behavior interventions and the study of energy balance as these related to obesity and other chronic health conditions. He has an interdisciplinary research program that examines lifestyle approaches to the prevention and treatment of chronic health conditions, with a particular focus on the role of increased physical activity and reduced sedentary behavior on these outcomes. He was the Principal Investigator for one of the clinical sites for the Look AHEAD Trial. His work has encompassed the spectrum of science from physiology to psychosocial and behavioral factors. He has served on many national committees focused on obesity, physical activity, and other chronic health conditions, which included his appointment to the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Scientific Advisory Committee. Within these contexts he has applied accelerometry and other objective measures to the assessment of physical activity and sedentary behavior.