Dr. Kristin Popp is a Research Investigator at the HealthPartners Institute TRIA Research and Education Center. She holds an academic affiliation with Boston Children’s Hospital as the Associate Director of Research for the Wu Tsai Alliance Female Athlete Program. Dr. Popp’s research is centered on bone stress injuries (i.e. stress reactions and stress fractures) among athletes and military personnel, with a particular focus on the structural, strength and microarchitectural aspects of bone and the risk factors that compromise these parameters. Her work is distinguished by the integration of bone metabolism markers, advanced imaging techniques, reproductive health, and innovative strategies for improving rehabilitation to optimize recovery, prevent future injuries, and improve long-term bone health.

Dr. Popp is widely published and has presented her research both nationally and internationally, contributing to the field of bone health and injury prevention. In addition to her current roles, she also serves as a Senior Sports Scientist at Orreco in Galway, Ireland, where she collaborates with professional sports teams on biomarker data analysis to enhance athletic performance. Her academic background includes a PhD in Exercise Physiology form the University of Minnesota where she focused on bone geometry and strength in athletes with a history of bone stress injuries, as well as a postdoctoral fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA. Dr. Popp spent five years as a Scientist for Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education at the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM).

Joined the Institute: 2021

Education and training: Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital; PhD, Kinesiology, University of Minnesota; MA, Kinesiology, University of Minnesota; BA, Exercise Science, Valparaiso University.

Affiliations/other offices held: Associate Director of Research, Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance Female Athlete Program, Boston Children's Hospital; Senior Sports Scientist, Orreco, Galway, Ireland.

Overview/research interests: Understanding and mitigating risk factors that compromise bone structure and strength to optimizing bone health and preventing bone stress injuries in active populations, including athletes and military personnel. I aim to develop effective bone stress injury prevention and rehabilitation strategies, helping individuals achieve their long-term lifestyle and performance goals and prevent future injuries, including additional bone stress injuries and fragility fractures later in life.

Current research activities and funding:

TRIA Research and Education Center
Identifying Risk of Multiple Bone Stress Injuries: Implications for Future Interventions
Role: PI. (2023-2025)

TRIA Research and Education Center
Assessing Agreement in Bone Stress Injury Severity, Utilizing Three Unique Magnetic Resonance Imaging Grading Scales
Role: PI. (2024-2025)

Clara and Joe Tai Foundation
Wu Tsai Female Athlete Program at Boston Children’s Hospital (2022-2026)
1.Bone Stress Injury Multi-Center Natural History Study: Assess lower extremity bone stress injury healing and recovery to identify factors affecting recovery variability.
Role: PI. 50% effort 2023-2026

Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program; Peer Reviewed Orthopaedic Research Program. U.S. Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (2020-2023)
Exoskeletons for rapid return to duty after tibial stress fracture.
Role: Co-I. 5% effort 2021-2025