What brought you to the UAB School of Public Health?

During my interview, I was captivated by the culture and environment from a faculty perspective. As an alumna of the UAB School of Public Health PhD Health Behavior Program, I will always speak highly of the program and the education, training and mentorship I received as a student. However, returning for a visit allowed me to see the school through a different lens, one that highlighted the faculty experience rather than the student experience. UAB School of Public Health was the perfect fit, and I am glad to be back!

What is the broad focus of your research?

My research focuses on promoting physical activity among cancer survivors, exploring its physical and psychological benefits, effective intervention strategies and tailoring approaches to meet the unique needs of different survivor populations.

Where did you receive your training and degrees?

I am a three-time alumna of UAB, having earned my BS in Exercise Science, MS in Exercise Physiology, and PhD in Health Behavior all at UAB. After completing my PhD, I moved on to complete my Postdoctoral Fellowship in Behavioral Oncology at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute in Tampa, FL.

What is the most exciting project you are currently working on?

I am extremely excited to be preparing my NCI K01 Mentored Scientist grant application, which centers on the concept of short bouts of physical activity, also known as “physical activity snacks.”

What is your favorite self-authored manuscript?

Health-Related Benefits and Adherence for Multiple Short Bouts of Aerobic Physical Activity Among Adults. I love this paper because it is focused on short bouts of physical activity, also referred to as "physical activity snacks." The term physical activity snacks is catchy, and while at Moffitt Cancer Center as a postdoctoral student, I introduced the concept to colleagues to help them fit in aerobic activity. It became a "thing" among us. They would see me in passing or at a meeting and excitedly say, "Shira, I just did a physical activity snack!"

What professional accomplishment are you most proud of so far in your career?

I successfully submitted my first grant application (R03) to the NCI during my postdoctoral fellowship. This experience provided valuable insight into the grant process, and I received constructive feedback that will help strengthen my application for resubmission.

What is the coolest training or program you've been a part of, or your favorite conference you've attended?

I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the five-day, NCI-funded Transdisciplinary Research in Energetics and Cancer Research Education Program (TREC Training Workshop). It provided me with the opportunity to immerse myself in a curriculum specifically centered on energetics and cancer and network with a diverse group of scientists from different fields, including basic, clinical and population cancer research. I’ve maintained relationships with many of these scientists and look forward to continuing these connections in the future.

What kind of research would you like to be doing that you haven’t yet had the opportunity to do?

I am interested in biomarker research, specifically, exploring the effects of physical activity and exercise on circulating biomarkers in cancer survivors.

If you weren’t in academia, what would your career be?

Throughout my undergraduate and graduate studies, I worked as a preschool teacher and babysat for several families, which I absolutely loved! If I weren’t in academia, I would choose to be a preschool teacher.