Exercise Science Staff

Dr. Tinius teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Exercise Science and Kinesiology.

Current Teaching:

Mentorship is a central component of Dr. Tinius's academic work. She has mentored undergraduate and graduate students across research projects, honors theses, master's theses, externally funded projects, peer-reviewed publications, and national scientific presentations. Her goal is to provide students with opportunities to participate in the full research process—from developing research questions and collecting data to disseminating findings and translating discoveries into real-world impact.

Research Lab & Innovation

Dr. Tinius directs the EMPOWER Lab (Enhancing Maternal and Pregnancy Outcomes With Exercise Research) at Western Kentucky University. The lab focuses on improving health across pregnancy, postpartum, and early life through exercise and lifestyle interventions, with particular emphasis on maternal metabolic health, fetal and infant outcomes, health disparities, and the translation of exercise science into real-world clinical and community practice.

Research in the EMPOWER Lab includes clinical studies of physical activity and exercise during pregnancy, maternal and infant body composition, cardiometabolic health, fetal responses to maternal movement, behavioral interventions, and strategies to improve access to evidence-based exercise guidance among rural and medically underserved populations.

A major emphasis of the lab is translational research and innovation—moving scientific discoveries beyond academic publication and into tools that can directly improve patient and community health. This work led to the development of BumptUp®, an evidence-based digital health platform for pregnancy and postpartum, and the creation of BumptUp Labs, Inc., a university spinout company founded by Dr. Tinius. Her commercialization work has received NIH Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) support as well as state and national innovation funding and recognition.

The EMPOWER Lab serves as an important training environment for undergraduate and graduate students. Students participate in study design, participant testing, data collection and analysis, scientific writing, presentations, grant-supported research, and translational projects, providing experience across the full research continuum from laboratory investigation to real-world application.

Research Interests

Publications

Dr. Tinius has published extensively in the areas of maternal exercise, pregnancy and postpartum health, maternal metabolism, infant outcomes, digital health, and physical activity interventions.

Complete List of Published Work:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/14yRoxXioIcQ9/bibliography/public/

Professional Certifications & Leadership

Selected Honors & Awards