Laurie Whitsel

Senior Strategic Advisor
Laurie Whitsel, PhD, is the Senior Advisor to the Physical Activity Alliance, where she helps lead national policy and systems change to integrate physical activity into healthcare and improve population health. She also serves as the National Vice President of Policy Research for the American Heart Association, guiding the translation of science into evidence-based public policy in areas including prevention, health promotion, and cardiovascular health. A recognized leader in public health policy, Dr. Whitsel, has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and has served on numerous national advisory groups and nonprofit boards of directors. She earned recognition as one of “The Most Influential Women Leaders in Health Promotion” in 2023 and has received multiple national awards for her leadership and research, including the American College of Sports Medicine’s 2024 Exercise is Medicine Global Leadership Award.