School of Kinesiology lecturer and alumni Chelsey Thul, Ph.D. was accepted into the University of Minnesota Medical School’s Program in Health Disparities Research 2015-16 mentoring program: Health Equity Leadership & Mentoring (HELM).

The program aims to enhance the academic excellence and leadership capacity of diverse faculty and health disparities researchers at the University of Minnesota and ultimately reduce health inequities. HELM focuses on some of the challenges that trainees from minority and underserved groups and other faculty whose research is addressing health equity may face. Thul will attend monthly seminar series sessions and be matched with a senior-level faculty mentor and health disparities researcher.

Thul’s research involves the interdisciplinary intersection of sport and exercise psychology, sport sociology, cultural studies, prevention science, public health, and child development. Through this interdisciplinary perspective and the use of multiple qualitative methods, she specifically studies the development, implementation, and evaluation of culturally relevant physical activity programming for underserved adolescent girls.