Jereme D. Wilroy, Ph.D., Assistant Professor for the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, has been named Director of Research for Lakeshore Foundation. In this role, Dr. Wilroy will partner with Lakeshore staff to create research opportunities and capacities. He will also support the application of research in Lakeshore’s programs and services, specifically towards sports performance.
Dr. Wilroy began his research career at the University of Alabama as a master’s student surveying collegiate adapted athletes about topics of interest for a holistic health website. As a doctoral student he developed and validated a theory-based instrument to predict physical activity among people with spinal cord injury as part of his dissertation and funded with a fellowship through the graduate school. As a post-doc, he obtained a fellowship from the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation and developed an online program for increasing physical activity behavior among people with spinal cord injury and became project lead for an R01-funded home-based exercise trial.
Dr. Wilroy’s relationship with Lakeshore Foundation began in 2011 as a fitness intern. He then returned to Lakeshore in 2016 as a postdoc. “Jereme’s outstanding credentials and long association with Lakeshore uniquely qualify him for this leadership role,” said Lakeshore Foundation President and CEO John D. Kemp. “We could not be more excited to have his expertise contributing to our research work.”
Dr. Wilroy’s philosophy is to conduct research that centers on the needs of the patient and improves the capacity of clinicians to recommend specific exercise routines. The focus of his research is on the psychosocial aspects of adherence to exercise trials among people with physical disabilities. Looking forward, his research goals are in the designing, implementing, and evaluating home-based physical activity interventions, using telehealth technology, behavioral coaching support, and adaptive intervention designs.
“I’ve always had a passion for adapted sports both through research and experience. Playing collegiate wheelchair basketball at the University of Alabama followed by getting into wheelchair racing as a member of Lakeshore Foundation, I’ve always thought sports were an opportunity to be engaged and active,” said Wilroy. “My goal as director is to make Lakeshore a hub for clinical exercise trials and sports science research. This will inform the development of services to make Lakeshore the nation’s premier training institute for Paralympic hopefuls.”
Lakeshore Foundation is a leader in sports science for athletes with disabilities with the U.S. and around the world. Utilizing expertise in exercise physiology, biomechanics, sport psychology, and nutrition, they provide services for our own athletes as well as U.S. National team members in sports including wheelchair rugby, wheelchair basketball, sailing, swimming, power soccer, wheelchair tennis, and equestrian.