Sofiya Alhassan (born July 6, 1974) is a Ghanaian-American

kinesiologist Kinesiology () is the scientific study of human body movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, anatomical, biomechanical, pathological Pathology is the study of disease. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in ...

and academic administrator who researches community family-based

physical activity Physical activity is defined as any voluntary movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure.Global Recommendations on Physical Activity for Health, 2009. World Health Organization. Geneva, Switzerland. Accessed 13/07/2018 ...

interventions. She also studies how environmental factors play a role in the behavioral health of children of color. She has worked as a professor and graduate program director of the kinesiology department at the University of Massachusetts Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences since 2007. In 2023, she became the associate dean for inclusion and engagement of the graduate school. Alhassan was elected a fellow of the

National Academy of Kinesiology National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

in 2023. She is an editor of the '' Journal of Physical Activity and Health''. Alhassan was born July 6, 1974 to Fawzia and Abdul Alhassan in

Accra Accra (; or ''Gaga''; ; Ewe: Gɛ; ) is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , had a population of ...

, Ghana. She graduated from

Springbrook High School Springbrook High School is an American public high school, located in Montgomery County, Maryland, in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. It is located within the White Oak census-designated place, and has a Silver Spring mailing address. I ...

in 1992. She earned a B.S. in psychology and exercise science from

Stetson University Stetson University is a private university in DeLand, Florida, United States. Established in 1883 as DeLand Academy, it was later renamed John B. Stetson University in honor of John B. Stetson. The university's main campus in DeLand spans 175 ...

in 1996. Alhassan received a M.S. (2000) and Ph.D. in

exercise physiology Exercise physiology is the physiology of physical exercise. It is one of the allied health professions, and involves the study of the acute responses and chronic adaptations to exercise. Exercise physiologists are the highest qualified exercise ...

(2004) from

Auburn University Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 26,800 undergraduate students, over 6,100 post-graduate students, and a tota ...

. Her dissertation was titled, ''The Independent and Combined Effects of Dietary Plant Stanol Ester Margarine Supplementation and Aerobic Exercise Training on Markers of Blood Lipid Metabolism in Middle-Aged Men and Women''. Peter W. Grandjean was Alhassan's doctoral advisor. She was a postdoctoral fellow at

Stanford University School of Medicine The Stanford University School of Medicine is the medical school of Stanford University and is located in Stanford, California, United States. It traces its roots to the Medical Department of the University of the Pacific, founded in San Fra ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alhassan, Sofiya Living people 1974 births Place of birth missing (living people) American physiologists Exercise physiologists African-American women academic administrators American women academic administrators African-American academic administrators 21st-century American women scientists 21st-century African-American scientists 21st-century American biologists African-American biologists American women physiologists Auburn University alumni Stetson University alumni University of Massachusetts Amherst faculty Ghanaian emigrants to the United States Scientists from Accra Academics from Accra 21st-century Ghanaian scientists 21st-century Ghanaian women scientists Fellows of the National Academy of Kinesiology