Assistant Professor Dharini Bhammar joined the Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences department during fall 2017 and teaches exercise physiology within the undergraduate program.

Dr. Bhammar’s research focuses on the respiratory effects of obesity in children and potential interactions between obesity and asthma at rest and during exercise. This includes studying different warm-up protocols and severity of exercise induced bronchoconstriction, the effects of exercise training, and the longitudinal effects of weight loss and weight gain on pulmonary function, respiratory symptoms, and exercise tolerance. Her work will help identify exercise and dietary strategies that reduce respiratory symptoms and increase physical activity levels among pediatric populations with respiratory problems.

Dr. Bhammar earned her M.B.B.S. medical degree from Topiwala National Medical College & BYL Nair Charitable Hospital in India, her master’s degree in exercise and wellness and her doctoral degree in physical activity, nutrition, and wellness from Arizona State University. She completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine.

Dr. Bhammar is a co-investigator on an R01 National Institutes of Health grant studying the respiratory effects of obesity in children. She received the 2012 Norman James Award for outstanding presentation from the Southwest Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine, the 2013 Outstanding Scholar, Teacher and Leader award from Arizona State University, and the 2016 Exercise Physiology Faculty award from Valdosta State University.

Dr. Bhammar is a member of the American Physiological Society and the American College of Sports Medicine.