Dr. Ross Arena is a Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Illinois Chicago. Dr. Arena received his B.S. in Human Performance from Southern Connecticut State University in 1993. He went on to receive his M.S. in Physical Therapy in 1997 and Ph.D. in Physiology in 2001 from the Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University.  Dr. Arena has led the successful implementation of several innovative healthy living initiatives in academic, clinical and community settings, most recently founding the Healthy Living for Pandemic Event Protection (HL-PIVOT) network. His scholarly interests include exercise testing and training in patients diagnosed with cardiopulmonary disease/dysfunction, healthy living initiatives that promote the health span and  exploring the cultural drivers of health in the United States. Dr. Arena has published extensively in these areas with over 1,150 peer-reviewed publications, abstracts, and book chapters.