Amanda N. Szabo-Reed, Ph.D.

Professional Background

Dr. Amanda Szabo-Reed is an Associate Research Professor whose interdisciplinary expertise spans movement science, obesity and weight management, and Alzheimer’s disease research. She completed dual bachelor’s degrees at the University of Michigan (Movement Science and Sports Management, 2007), followed by a master’s and Ph.D. in Kinesiology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2012). Her postdoctoral training included a prestigious NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Fellowship, where she focused on obesity and metabolic health, and a subsequent NIH-funded KL2 Mentored Clinical Research Scholar Award, during which she earned a Master’s in Clinical Research at the Univeristy of Kansas Medical Center (2020).
Dr. Szabo-Reed specializes in conducting clinical trials involving exercise and behavioral interventions among adults with chronic conditions, including obesity, mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer’s disease. Her work integrates physiological mechanisms, neurovascular health, and biomarker and imaging endpoints, along with patient-centered outcomes, to understand how lifestyle interventions influence brain and metabolic health. In addition, she has experience conducting research with children in school-based settings, expanding the reach of her work across the lifespan. As a faculty member in the Division of Weight Management and an affiliated investigator with the University of Kansas Alzheimer’s Disease Center, she collaborates across multidisciplinary teams to advance translational research at the intersection of lifestyle interventions, aging, and neurodegenerative disease.

• BS, Movement Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
• BA, Sports Management and Communications, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
• MS, Kinesiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
• PhD, Kinesiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
• MS, Clinical Research, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
• Post Doctoral Fellowship, Weight Management, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS

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Research

Overview

Dr. Szabo-Reed’s primary research focus is understanding how adherence to lifestyle behaviors—particularly diet and exercise—influences mental and cognitive health. Her work aims to (1) identify key moderators of cognitive change, such as self-efficacy, self-regulation, and physiological adaptations, and (2) improve cognitive and brain health to enhance long-term quality of life.

• Differential Effects of Exercise Modality on Cognition and Brain in Older Adults, NIH

• Washburn RA, Szabo-Reed AN, Gorczyca AM, Sullivan DK, Honas JJ, Mayo MS, Krebill R, Goetz J, Ptomey LT, Lee J, Donnelly JE. 2021. A Randomized Trial Evaluating Exercise for the Prevention of Weight Regain.. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 29 (1), 62-70
• Szabo-Reed AN, Donnelly JE. 2021. Cognitive Training: Associations and Implications for Weight Management and Translational Research.. Translational journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, 6 (2)
• Vidoni Eric D, Szabo-Reed Amanda, Kang Chaeryon, Shaw Ashley R, Perales-Puchalt Jaime, Grove George, Hamill Morgan, Henry Donovan, Burns Jeffrey M, Hillman Charles, Kramer Arthur F, McAuley Edward, Erickson Kirk I. 2020. The IGNITE trial: Participant recruitment lessons prior to SARS-CoV-2. Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 20, 100666. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conctc.2020.100666
• Szabo-Reed AN, Martin LE, Hu J, Yeh HW, Powell J, Lepping RJ, Patrician TM, Breslin FJ, Donnelly JE, Savage CR. 2020. Modeling interactions between brain function, diet adherence behaviors, and weight loss success.. Obesity science & practice, 6 (3), 282-292