We congratulate our award recipients on their achievement!

ACSM Doctoral Student Research Grant

2023-2024

Grant Laskin
Florida State University

Elizabeth Bjornsen
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill  

Carl V. Gisolfi Memorial Fund

2025-2026

Racial Differences in Cerebral Vascular Responses to Acute Aerobic Exercise
Ziba Taherzadeh
University of Texas at Arlington

2024-2025

Maria Clara Canellas da Silva
University of Maryland College Park

2023-2024

Domenico Chavez
Virginia Commonwealth University  

Clinical Sports Medicine Endowment

2025-2026

Optimizing Softball Pitcher Training Loads: Merging Technological Approaches with a Socioecological Framework
Chelsea Martin
UNC Chapel Hill

2024-2025

William Adams 
United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee

2023-2024

Susan Yeargin
University of South Carolina  

Paffenbarger-Blair Fund for Epidemiological Research on Physical Activity

2025-2026

Does Yoga Style Matter? The Comparison of Moderate- to Low-Intensity Yoga on Sleep and Cardiovascular Health in Adults
Caitlin A. Cheruka
University of Central Florida
Characterizing Activity Patterns to Predict and Target Mobility Dysfunction in Aging Adults
Julie Rekant
University of Maryland, Baltimore

2024-2025

Sol Vidal Almela
University of Granada

2023-2024

Melissa Jones
Oakland University

A’Naja Newsome
University of Central Florida

Dr. Raymond A. Weiss Research Endowment

2025-2026

Health and Well-being Challenges and Support Needs During Transition out of Competitive Sports: A Qualitative Study
Gabriela Pontes
University of Utah
Progressive Resistance Training’s Impact on Functional, Musculoskeletal, and Self-Perceptive Outcomes in Older Adults
Shawn Allen
Oklahoma State University

2024-2025

Jisu Kim 
Virginia Commonwealth University 

Ana Carla Chierighini Salamunes
Pennsylvania State University

2023-2024

Jeremy Via
Virginia Commonwealth University  

Research Endowment

2025-2026

Activation of mitoAMPK to Mitigate Obesogenic Lipotoxicity in Skeletal Muscle Mitochondria
Ryan Montalvo
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

2024-2025

Heather Caslin
University of Houston

2023-2024

Sarah Little-Letsinger
Duke University  

World Athletics Research Grant

2025-2026

Structural Loads Across Running Speeds and Grades and the Feasibility of Inertial Measurement Unit-based Load Estimates
Thomas Madden
Montana State University

2024-2025

Samuel Lyons 
University of Memphis

2023-2024

Marcos Keefe
Texas Tech University

Xero Shoes’ Minimal Footwear Research Grant

Presented by Xero Shoes 

2025-2026

Evaluating Minimalist Footwear as a Modality for Improving Fall Risk, Balance, and Gait with Age
Marni Wasserman
Indiana University

2024-2025

Jen Xu 
University of Virginia

2023-2024

Halime Gulle
University of South Florida