Liza Rovniak, PhD, MPH - Penn State Cancer Institute
Researcher Profile
Liza Rovniak, PhD, MPH
Associate Professor, Department of Medicine
Division of General Internal Medicine
Associate Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences
Division of General Internal Medicine
Associate Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences
Scientific Program:Cancer Control
Research Interests
Dr. Liza Rovniak's research investigates how to design environments and policies to sustain physical activity, healthy eating and other behaviors.
Using an ecological framework and emphasizing interdisciplinary collaborations, Dr. Rovniak conducts clinical trials and epidemiological research across diverse populations and settings (e.g., workplaces, physicians' offices and neighborhoods) to explore how to facilitate long-term health behavior change.
She has been principal investigator of multiple grants funded by the National Institutes of Health and state-level funding, which have investigated how to build sustainable environments to improve population health.
- Exercise
- Health
- Public Health
- Population
- Occupational Groups
- Walking
- Workplace
- Farmers
- Sports
- Resistance Training
- Social Networking
- Primary Health Care
Recent Publications
2023
Rovniak, LS, Cho, JAY, Freivalds, A, Kong, LAN, De Araujo-Greecher, M, Bopp, M, Sciamanna, CN & Rothrock, L 2023, 'Effects of Desk Pedaling Work Rate on Concurrent Work Performance among Physically Inactive Adults: A Randomized Experiment', Medicine and science in sports and exercise, vol. 55, no. 1, pp. 20-31. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000003026
Elliott, LD, Lieberman, M, Rovniak, L, Bose, M, Holmes, L & Bopp, MJ 2023, 'What are States doing to Encourage Safe Routes to School Programming in Disadvantaged Communities? Findings from a U.S. Mixed-Methods Survey', Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board. https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981221140363
2022
Sciamanna, CN, Ballentine, NH, Bopp, M, Chinchilli, VM, Ciccolo, JT, Delauter, G, Fisher, A, Fox, EJ, Jan De Beur, SM, Kearcher, K, Kraschnewski, JL, Lehman, E, McTigue, KM, McAuley, E, Paranjape, A, Rodriguez-Colon, S, Rovniak, LS, Rutt, K, Smyth, JM, Stewart, KJ, Stuckey, HL & Tsay, A 2022, 'Correction to: Working to increase stability through exercise (WISE): screening, recruitment, and baseline characteristics (Trials, (2021), 22, 1, (809), 10.1186/s13063-021-05761-0)', Trials, vol. 23, no. 1, 34. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-022-06018-0
Kuzmik, A, Liu, Y, Cuffee, Y, Kong, L, Sciamanna, CN & Rovniak, LS 2022, 'The Association between Gender and Physical Activity Was Partially Mediated by Social Network Size during COVID-19', International journal of environmental research and public health, vol. 19, no. 5, 2495. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19052495
2021
Ladwig, MA, Sciamanna, CN, Rutt, KN, Blaker, JM, Kearcher, K, Auer, BJ, Rovniak, LS, Conroy, DE, Gottschall, JS, Silvis, ML, Smyth, JM & Wang, M 2021, 'Adult outdoor group sport play during a pandemic: Feasibility, acceptability, and program adherence results from a study of modifications to mitigate COVID-19 risk', Preventive Medicine Reports, vol. 23, 101476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2021.101476
Ladwig, MA, Sciamanna, CN, Rovniak, LS, Conroy, DE, Gottschall, JS, Silvis, ML, Smyth, JM, Wang, M & Auer, BJ 2021, 'Comparative effectiveness of an adult social physical play versus traditional group exercise program for adherence and fitness: Protocol for a randomized-controlled trial', Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, vol. 21, 100736. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conctc.2021.100736
Sciamanna, CN, Ballentine, NH, Bopp, M, Chinchilli, VM, Ciccolo, JT, Delauter, G, Fisher, A, Fox, EJ, Jan De Beur, SM, Kearcher, K, Kraschnewski, JL, Lehman, E, McTigue, KM, McAuley, E, Paranjape, A, Rodriguez-Colon, S, Rovniak, LS, Rutt, K, Smyth, JM, Stewart, KJ, Stuckey, HL & Tsay, A 2021, 'Working to Increase Stability through Exercise (WISE): screening, recruitment, and baseline characteristics', Trials, vol. 22, no. 1, 809. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-021-05761-0
2020
Upham, K, Auer, BJ, Sciamanna, CN, Mowen, AJ, Smyth, JM, Conroy, DE, Silvis, M, Kraschnewski, JL, Rovniak, LS, Lehman, E, Kearcher, K, Vizzini, M & Cesarone, L 2020, 'Adults want to play too: Feasibility of an adult physical activity program designed to maximize enjoyment', Journal of Physical Activity and Health, vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 230-235. https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.2018-0306
Rovniak, LS, Adams, MA, Sciamanna, CN, Kong, L, Sullivan, N, Costalas, S, Bopp, M & Kuzmik, A 2020, 'Effects of bluetooth-enabled desk ellipticals on office work performance: Rationale, design, and protocol for a randomized trial with overweight and obese adults', JMIR Research Protocols, vol. 9, no. 1, e16275. https://doi.org/10.2196/16275