Heather Vincent PhD, FACSM

Dr. Vincent is the Vice Chair of Research, the Director of the Exercise Medicine and Functional Fitness Laboratory, and the Director of the UF Health Sports Performance Center. She was a University Term Professor from 2018-2021. Her main clinical research focus is the study of the effects of obesity on joint disease mechanisms such as osteoarthritis, and the development of exercise-based interventions to reduce disease pathology, pain, and disability. She uses an integrative approach in her research and combines physiological assessment, biochemical markers, biomechanical measures, and patient subjective measures to study these relationships.

In the Sports Performance Center, Dr. Vincent oversees the development of numerous health, fitness, and motion analysis services. Her main sports foci include running for health, injury prevention, and the study of lacrosse. Her specialty for lifestyle change includes the use of exercise and nutrition modification for weight management and health.