St. Jude People

Kirsten K. Ness, PT, PhD, FAPTA

Member, St. Jude Faculty

Principal Investigator, Human Performance Lab

Associate Director, Population Science

Endowed Chair in Cancer Survivorship

Explore Kirsten Ness's research

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Contact Information

Kirsten K. Ness, PT, PhD, FAPTA

Epidemiology and Cancer Control

MS 735

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

262 Danny Thomas Place

Memphis,  TN 38105-3678

(901) 595-5157(phone)

(901) 595-5845(fax)

Affiliations

Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Control

Comprehensive Cancer Center

St. Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

Human Performance Lab

Cancer Control and Survivorship Program

Education

BA – College of St. Scholastica (1983) MA – Augsburg College (1998) MPH – University of Minnesota (2002) PhD – University of Minnesota (2004)

Honors & Awards

  • 2023 Gaylord Anderson Leadership Award, University of Minnesota School of Public Health
  • 2021 Cancer Rehabilitation Distinguished Lectureship, American College of Rehabilitation Medicine
  • 2020 Helen J. Hislop Award for Outstanding Contributions to Professional Literature American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)
  • 2019 Team Science Award, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
  • 2015 Catherine Worthingham Fellow, American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)
  • 2012 Research Award, Oncology Section, American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)
  • 2011 Elected Member, Society for Pediatric Research
  • 2003 PODS I Scholarship, Foundation for Physical Therapy
  • 1979 – 1983 Benedictine Scholar, College of St. Scholastica

Research Interests

  • Clinical and population measurement of physical performance and disability
  • Exercise, physical activity and dietary intervention to prevent and remediate frail health
  • Accelerated aging in cancer survivors
  • Analysis of epidemiologic data
  • Cardiac rehabilitation

Current Research

  • Establishment of a Lifetime Cohort of Adults Surviving Childhood Cancer, Co-Principal Investigator
  • Remote Exercise Intervention for Survivors of Childhood Cancer with Exercise Intolerance, Co-Principal Investigator
  • Web-based Physical Activity Intervention for Children with Cancer, Principal Investigator
  • Longitudinal Assessment of Frailty in Young Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancer, Principal Investigator
  • Aerobic Training Intervention for Children with Newly Diagnosed Medulloblastoma, Principal Investigator
  • Low Magnitude Stimulation to Prevent Bone Loss in Children with ALL, Principal Investigator
  • A Placebo-Controlled Intervention Trial for Frailty and Senescence, Co-Investigator
  • Functional Outcomes in Children Treated with Proton Beam Radiotherapy, Co-Investigator
  • Sleep Apnea in Survivors of Childhood Cancer Treated with Thoracic Radiation, Co-Investigator 
  • The Pro-Inflammatory Effects of Acute Exercise in Children with Sickle Cell Anemia, Co-Investigator
  • Childhood Cancer Survivor Study, Executive Committee
  • Patient-Reported Outcomes Version of the CTCAE for Childhood Cancer Survivors, Co-Investigator 

Clinical Trials

Recruiting
SJLIFE: Establishment of a Lifetime Cohort of Adults Surviving Childhood Cancer

Study goal:

To establish a lifetime group of childhood cancer survivors treated at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and to evaluate health outcomes in aging survivors of pediatric cancer

Age:

Participants must be at least 5 years from diagnosis of childhood cancer between 1962-2012, treated and followed at St. Jude

Dr. Ness in Progress

Dr. Ness in St. Jude News

St. Jude Publications

See more publications from Kirsten K. Ness