Sara Santarossa, PhD

Additional Education

• PhD, Kinesiology, University of Windsor, Canada (2020)
• Fundamentals of University Teaching Certificate, University of Windsor, Canada (2018)
• MHK, Applied Human Performance University of Windsor, Canada (2015)
• BHK (Honors), Movement Science, University of Windsor, Canada (2013)

Biographical Statement

Dr. Sara Santarossa is an Assistant Scientist in the Department of Public Health Sciences at Henry Ford Health and serves as the Scientific Director of the Patient-Engaged Research Center (PERC). She also holds a dual appointment as an Assistant Professor - Research in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology within Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine. Dr. Santarossa's research program is dedicated to advancing maternal and child health by exploring the intersection of health behaviors, digital health technology, and patient-centered implementation science.

She has successfully led three Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) projects as Principal Investigator, showcasing her leadership in engagement science and patient-centered outcomes research. These projects include "Patient Engagement in Research enhanced by Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Acceptance, and Safety Scale (PEIR-IDEAS) – Patient Engaged Validation of the PEIR Survey" (SOE2022C2-28911; use the PEIR-IDEAS Scale to measure the quality of patient engagement in research), "Using storytelling to build capacity for PCOR/CER in MAternal MentAl health (MAMA)" (EACB-29002), and the pioneering "Using Body Mapping to Develop a Patient-Centered Research Agenda about Long COVID-19" (EASC-COVID-00231).

Dr. Santarossa specializes in Participatory Action Research (PAR) and mixed-method approaches, utilizing these frameworks to ensure that interventions are authentically co-designed with the community to be feasible, equitable, and scalable. As co-leader of the MAternal MentAl health (MAMA) Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC), with Dr. Amy Loree, she focuses on centering the voices of patients with lived experiences, particularly in peripartum health. Her work includes serving as MPI for the NIMH-funded study "Prenatal Yoga to Prevent Postpartum Depression (PRY-D)" (R34MH131573). Possessing significant technical expertise in mobile health (mHealth) and wearable technology, Dr. Santarossa leads the collection of objective physical activity for Dr. Christine Johnson's longitudinal REACH birth cohort (5P01AI089473). She co-developed the HFH-FiT platform, a proprietary system that replaces self-reported activity with automated, near-real-time data capture from wearable devices to monitor step counts, exercise intensity, and cardiovascular regulation metrics.

Nationally, she is a recognized leader in her field, currently serving as an Executive Committee Member for the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Pregnancy and Postpartum Special Interest Group. Additionally, she is an appointed member of the Advisory Panel on Patient Engagement for PCORI (2024 -2027).

Research Interests

• Patient Centered Research 
• Patient Related Outcome Measures
• Social Determinants of Health
• Behavior Change
• Nutrition and Physical Activity

Awards & Honors

• Storytellers Top 25 Finalist, National Award for Knowledge Translation, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (2020)
• Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canadian Doctoral Scholarship, Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada (2017 - 2020)
• Mitacs-Accelerate Internship Program and Scholarship (2014, 2019)
• Outstanding Graduate Student Research Award, University of Windsor (2019)
• Center for Teaching and Learning GATA Educational Practice Award, University of Windsor (2017)
• Community Health Promotion Award for Outstanding Individual, Bulimia Anorexia Nervosa Association (2017)