New Faculty Focus: Jeffer Sasaki


During the course of the academic year, we’re sharing out Q&As completed by our newest faculty members to introduce them to our School and campus communities. Here is a Q&A from Jeffer Sasaki, an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology.

Hometown: Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Sasaki

Educational/professional background: BS Kinesiology, Federal University of Parana (2005); MS Kinesiology, Federal University of Parana (2007); PhD Kinesiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst (2014).

What is your field of research, and how did you get into it? I conduct research on physical activity and health, developing methods for assessing physical behaviors and examining how these behaviors relate to health outcomes in different populations. Growing up as an active teenager drove me to pursue a BS in kinesiology. During my undergraduate studies, several professors inspired me with their passion for research and teaching, which led me to the think, “I want to be like them.” Coupled with wonderful advisors, I went on to pursue my graduate education (master’s, PhD, and post-doctoral training) and acquire important research, teaching, and mentoring skills, which I employ daily.

What attracted you to UW–Madison? The perspective of professional growth and development by joining the renowned Department of Kinesiology at UW–Madison, which will provide me the opportunity to work alongside scholars who are also passionate about the field and have been making meaningful contributions in several areas of kinesiology. Importantly, I really like how the university values and practices equity, diversity, and interdisciplinary work.

What was your first visit to campus like? I had two unforgettable days of very nice conversations and interactions that were key for me to learn more about the department and university, and allowed my future colleagues to get to know me better. Everyone was genuine and treated me super nicely and I could not have asked for a better visit to campus. I left certain that I wanted to become part of the team and culture.

Do you feel your work relates in any way to the Wisconsin Idea? If so, please describe how. The type of research I conduct has important applications for promoting health in both general and special populations. For example, one of my projects examines activity monitoring data in people with multiple sclerosis, to identify patterns related to walking disturbances and limitations. Results from this kind of project can help health professionals in monitoring and mitigating disease severity and progression — thus, directly impacting quality of life for people with multiple sclerosis.

What’s something interesting about your area of expertise you can share that will make us sound smarter at parties? The associations of activity behaviors (physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep) with our health are not independent of each other. We have evidence that different compositions of the 24-hour activity cycle impact one’s health differently. Therefore, in addition to performing the minimum recommended dose of physical activity, people should also reduce sedentary behavior and get sufficient sleep. Today, we have wearable technologies (for example, smartwatches) that can help individuals in monitoring their 24-hour activity cycle, facilitating positive activity behavior changes.

Hobbies/other interests: Playing and watching sports, walking, Wushu, Indoor Go Karting, spending time with my wife (Camila) and daughter (Katrina), and going on family trips.

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