Heather Bowles, Ph.D.

Heather Bowles, Ph.D., is a Senior Epidemiologist in the Biometry Research Group.

Dr. Bowles manages a portfolio in physical activity measurement and methods. She has hosted multiple scientific consensus workshops and prepared state-of-practice reports, including special publications on self-report methods and device-based measurement of physical activity. Dr. Bowles produced technology-based data collection tools, analysis software, and web-based systems for data management and sharing. She is interested in the application of foresight methods to guide strategic planning and technology development.

Dr. Bowles was the Principal Investigator of the Interactive Diet and Activity Tracking in AARP (IDATA) Study, and she coordinated the physical activity component of the Multi-Cohort Eating and Activity Study for Reporting Error (MEASURE). She collaborates on the COMPARE Study, the first effort to evaluate physical activity measurement error in experimental studies when behavior and physiology change over time. Dr. Bowles partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to establish an accelerometer loan library for training and physical activity research in other countries. She formulated components of the Systems-Oriented Pediatric Obesity Research and Training initiative. Dr. Bowles is creating a portfolio in pediatric physical activity research methods.

Prior to entering government service in 2008, Dr. Bowles was a Research Academic at the University of Sydney in Australia. She earned a M.S. in kinesiology from the University of North Texas and a Ph.D. in epidemiology from the University of South Carolina.