Kathryn Ross

Dr. Kathryn M. Ross, Ph.D. M.P.H., FSBM, FTOS, is a Senior Research Scientist at the Advocate Aurora Research Institute. Her research focuses broadly on the treatment and prevention of adult obesity and obesity-related diseases (e.g., type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and many cancers), with a specific focus on: (1) the long-term maintenance of health behavior change and (2) how mHealth and digital health technologies can be used to improve the reach and effectiveness of behavioral interventions. Much of her current work takes a precision health approach, with specific focus on how to optimally tailor intervention content and delivery at the individual and contextual level (i.e., identifying which intervention components work best for whom and in what context).

Dr. Ross holds an M.S. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and an M.P.H. (with a concentration in biostatistics) from the University of Florida. She has been internationally recognized for her research in obesity and digital health intervention development, and her work in these areas has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health since 2013. Dr. Ross is a member of the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA), the American Public Health Association (APHA), and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and is a Fellow of the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) and The Obesity Society (TOS). Outside of work, she enjoys paddleboarding, birdwatching, and hiking.