Nancy W Glynn, PhD

I am a Physical Activity Epidemiologist with a strong interest in the measurement of fatigability, physical activity, fitness, and physical function in older adult populations.  I designed and validated the Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale, a unique assessment tool to measure fatigability in older adults which has been translated into 12 languages. The PFS is being used in several large scale domestic and international research studies, including SOMMA, MrOS, the Danish Healthy Ageing Network of Competences (HANC) Study, the MRC National Survey of Health and Development (1946 British birth cohort study) and the Long Life Family Study.  I also served as the PI of the Developmental Epidemiologic Cohort Study (DECOS), which was designed to evaluate established tools to measure physical activity, fatigability, fitness, and muscle function as they relate to physical function in order to establish optimal tools for future epidemiologic studies in older adult populations. I am also a Co-Investigator/Program Director for major National Institutes of Health funded studies including the Long Life Family Study (LLFS), ACHIEVE, and the Study of Muscle, Mobility, and Aging (SOMMA). For LLFS, I chair the Field Center Operations for this 4 center international longitudinal study. I am the Director, Master's Degree Programs and Co-Director of the Department of Epidemiology Seminar in Epidemiology. Additionally, I regularly chair and serve on essay, thesis, and dissertation committees.  I am also a Founder and Faculty Liaison for the community service group Epi Gives Back.

1987   |  University of Massachusetts at Amherst, MA  |  Bachelor of Science, Exercise Science
1993   |  University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA  |  Masters of Education, Exercise Physiology
1994   |  University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA  |  Doctor of Philosophy, Epidemiology
1995   |  University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA  | Post-Doctoral Fellow, Epidemiology of Aging

• Course Director, EPIDEM 2210 Master's Essay/Thesis
• Course Director, EPIDEM 2214  MPH Internship/Practicum
• Guest Lecturer, EPIDEM 2900 Advanced Epidemiology of Aging
• Guest Lecturer, EPIDEM 2981 Epidemiology of Aging Methods
• Guest Lecturer, EPIDEM 2950 Epidemiology fo Aging Workshop

• Fatigability in older adults - measurement and underlying mechanisms
• Novel techniques to assess, classify, and measure physical activity levels in older adults using accelerometry
• Measurement of fitness in older adults
• Impact of physical activity on health outcomes
• Recruitment and conduct of multi-center clinical trials

• Aging, Cognition, and Hearing Evaluation in Elders (ACHIEVE), Johns Hopkins Univ, Role: Principal Investigator, Pittsburgh Subcontract
• Modified Application of Cardiac Rehabilitation for Older Adults, NIH/NIA, Role: Principal investigator, Pittsburgh Subcontract
• Subclinical Vascular Disease and AD Pathology in the Transition, NIH/NIA, Role: Principal Investigator, Pittsburgh Subcontract
• Study of Muscle and Mobility with Aging (SOMMA), NIA/NIH, Role: Co-Investigator
• Long Life Family Study (LLFS), NIH/NIA, Role: Co-Investigator
• Connections of Brain Aging and Dementia, NIH, Role:  Co-Investigator
• No-Frail, NIH/NIH, Role:  Co-Investigator

• Nitrite Benefits to Mediate Fatigability in Older HFpEF Patients – Pilot, NIH/NIA, Role: Co-Investigator
• Ultra-high-field Neuroimaging in Elderly after a two-year Exercise Intervention, NIH/NIA, Role: Co-Investigator
• Validation of Accelerometers in Older Adults, NIH/NIA, Role: Principal Investigator
• Effectiveness of a Mind-Body Program for Older Adults with Chronic Low Back Pain, NIH/NIA, Role:  Principal Investigator, Pittsburgh Subcontract
• The LIFE Study, NIA/NHLBI, Role: Co-Investigator/Program Director
• Pittsburgh Older Americans Independence Center, NIH/NIA, Role: Co-investigator on Clinical and Population Research Core
• Development of Novel Methods to Validate and Classify Physical Activity in Older Adults, Pittsburgh Older Americans Independence Center, NIH/NIA, Role: Principal Investigator, Pittsburgh Subcontract
• Study of Energy and Aging Pilot, NIH/NIA, Role: Co-Investigator/Project Director
• Physical Exercise to Prevent Disability Pilot Study, NIH/NIA, Role: Co-investigator/Program Director

For more information about the Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale, head over to our new website!

• University of Pittsburgh Admissions, Aid and Affairs Committee, Co-Chair

• University of Pittsburgh, Senate Athletics Committee, Member

• Department of Epidemiology, Curriculum Committee, Member

• Department of Epidemiology, Admissions Committee, Co-Chair

• Department of Epidemiology, Epi Gives Back, Faculty Liaison

• Graduate School of Public Health, Educational Policies and Curriculum Committee, Member

• College Diabetes Network at Pitt (University-wide support group), Faculty Advisor

• Pitt Innovators Award, Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale, 2017
• Inductee, Delta Omega Public Health Honor Society, 2017
• Fellow, Gerontological Society of America, 2017 - Present
• Awarded Presidential Symposium, Health Sciences, GSA 2016
• Margaret F. Gloninger Service Award - Pitt Public Health Distinguished Alumni Awardee, May 2015
• JDRF Western Pennysylvania Chapter - Volunteer of the Year, June 2013
• Best of AHA Specialty Conferences Invited Poster, November 2012
• Institute on Aging Research Day Honorable Mention - Junior Faculty Best Abstracts, April 2011
• National Health Service Research Award National Institutes of Health, 1994 - 1995
• University of Virginia Governor’s Research Fellowship, 1987- 1989

• Member, American College of Sports Medicine, 1987 - present
• Chair, Aging Interest Group of ACSM, 2017 - present
• Member, Gerontological Society of America, 2010 - Present
• Co-Chair, Measurement, Research, and Study Design Interest Group, GSA, 2020-present
• Member, International Society for the Measurement of Physical Behaviour, 2015-present
• Elected Member, American College of Sports Medicine, Strategic Health Initiative-Aging Committee, 2019 - Present