Two Kinesiology students accepted to UAB’s Predoctoral Clinical/Translational Research Program

Soolim Jeong and Chloe Jones, students in the School of Kinesiology, were accepted into the Predoctoral Clinical/Translational Research, or TL1, Program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Center for Clinical and Translational Science. TL1 trainees are predoctoral students finishing their second year in a health-related program. This full-time program provides a year of focused time for trainees to develop projects related to reducing health disparities and/or diseases that disproportionately affect the Deep South. In addition, fellows will complete the core curriculum, get experience writing a manuscript, and present their research at a national conference.

Jeong is studying under Assistant Professor Austin Robinson, who directs the Neurovascular Physiology Lab.

“My research focuses on racial disparities in cardiovascular health, and I have been investigating social determinants of health and blood pressure,” Jeong said. “The TL-1 fellowship offers a great opportunity for me to work closely with other institutions and mentors in the Southeast region and I am excited to be a part of this community.”

That community includes students from LSU’s Health Sciences Center, Tulane University, UAB, and the University of South Alabama.

Jones is a fourth-year doctoral student in the School of Kinesiology. Her research encompasses finding culturally tailored methods to increase knowledge and motivation to exercise in young Black women to overall increase the chances of exercise adherence. She strives to continue her work in translational science with the goal of developing research strategies and studies to inform health policies regarding exercise and physical activity in underrepresented populations.

“The TL1 grant and Center for Clinical and Translational Science program will allow me to receive further mentorship and training on how to transition my work from an individual level to a larger population, allowing increased accessibility to exercise and physical activity at a regional and ultimately national level,” Jones said.

For more information on the program, go to https://www.uab.edu/ccts/news-events/news/ccts-selects-2023-tl1-trainees-cohort.