Dr Christian Thompson (Chair of Exercise Science, University of San Francisco)
An Exercise Physiologist, Chris's recent work on falls prevention for older adults earned him the Outstanding Young Researcher award in 2009. Chris is originally from Foxborough, Massachusetts and he completed his undergraduate studies at Cornell University, graduating with a BS in Atmospheric Science.
Once he “pulled his head out of the clouds”, Chris completed his MS in Exercise Science at University of Oklahoma, followed by his Ph.D. in Exercise Science and Certificate of Gerontology at the University of Kansas. Since Chris arrived at USF in 2002, he has been engaged in exercise programming research for older adults, focusing particularly on the effect of exercise on the prevention of recurrent falls. He developed the Senior Center Active Living Education (SCALE) program, partially funded through Western Athletic Clubs, Inc. and the City of San Francisco, which implemented physical activity and health promotion programs at several senior centers in San Francisco.
In 2007, Chris was awarded a three-year, $600,000 grant to expand his SCALE programming throughout San Francisco. Through this funding, he is researching the effectiveness of a progressive falls prevention exercise program on falls and fall risk in community-dwelling older adults who have recently fallen. This work has earned Chris the Outstanding Young Researcher award from the Council of Aging and Adult Development in 2009.