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Alisa Blazek

Program Chair, Exercise Science

alisa.blazek@franklin.edu

Profile

Dr. Alisa Blazek is an experienced scientific researcher, project manager, and operations manager with demonstrated success in managing projects and in multidisciplinary team building in health care and software development industries. Her formal training consists of a master’s degree in Exercise Science and a Ph.D. in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, both from The Ohio State University. Her M.A. thesis focused on altitude's effects on the mucosal immune system of athletes, and her Ph.D. dissertation focused on molecular mediators of bone and muscle crosstalk with exercise. She also obtained a certificate in Data Science from Thinkful online. Dr. Blazek spent much of her career as a biological scientist and program manager in various positions at Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, OH, and has also held positions in data science and analytics. She is developing Kinesight Fitness, LLC, a company that aims to use machine learning and molecular biomarkers to program fitness and perform exercise science research. Dr. Blazek has been teaching Exercise Science courses at Franklin University since 2020, and has experience teaching courses and labs in Kinesiology, Exercise Physiology, Exercise Testing, and other Exercise Science classes both at Franklin and The Ohio State University. She enjoys using novel technologies to study exercise and appreciates the importance of understanding molecular mechanisms in exercise research.

Education

2015
The Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio)
Doctor of Philosophy, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology
2010
The Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio)
Master of Arts, Exercise Science
1996
Ohio Wesleyan University (Delware, Ohio)
Bachelor of Arts, Zoology

Certifications

Data Science Flex Program, Thinkful

Work Experience

2023 - Present
Franklin University, Program Chair, Exercise Science
2020 - Present
Franklin University, Adjunct Professor
2019 - Present
Kinesight Fitness, Business Owner, Dublin, Ohio
2022 - 2023
WCG, Senior Data Scientist
2021 - 2022
CAS, Business & Science Intelligence Analyst
2019 - 2019
The Ohio State University, Research Resource Specialist, Columbus, Ohio
2017 - 2019
Battelle Memorial Institute, Principal Research Scientist, Columbus, Ohio
2007 - 2011
The Ohio State University, Graduate Teaching Associate, Columbus, Ohio
2004 - 2016
Battelle Memorial Institute, Research Scientist, Columbus, Ohio
2002 - 2004
Battelle Memorial Institute, Researcher, Columbus, Ohio
2001 - 2002
Battelle Memorial Institute, Research Associate, Columbus, Ohio
1999 - 2001
Battelle Memorial Institute, Research Technician, Columbus, Ohio

Publications & Presentations

Dujmovic-Bračak, A., Blazek, A., Post, E., Goodway, J., & Swain, C. (2025). The Valemee Visual System Helps Reduce Risk for Chronic Illness by Promoting Physical Fitness, Self-Efficacy and Independence in Adults With Intellectual Disabilities. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities Wiley.
Blazek, A., Kinnamon, D., Jordan, E., Ni, H., & Hershberger, R. (2021). Attitudes of dilated cardiomyopathy patients and investigators toward genomic study enrollment, consent process, and return of genetic results. Clinical and Translational Science. Clinical and Translational Science, 14 (2), 550-557.
Sharma, J., Hampton, J., Valiente, G., Wada, T., Steigelman, H., Young, M., Spurbeck, R., Blazek, A., Bosh, S., Jarjour, W., & Young, N. (2017). Therapeutic Development of Mesenchymal Stem Cells or Their Extracellular Vesicles to Inhibit Autoimmune-Mediated Inflammatory Processes in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Frontiers in Immunology. Frontiers in Immunology, 8 (Article 526).
Blazek, A., Agarwal, S., Butterfield, T., Chaudhari, A., Gupta, R., Hewett, T., Leblebicioglu, B., Lee, B., Nam, J., Perara, P., Pradhan, M., & Weisleder, N. (2016). Exercise-Driven Metabolic Pathways in Healthy Cartilage. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, 24 (7), 1210-22.
Blazek, A., Paleo, B., & Weisleder, N. (2015). Plasma Membrane Repair: A Central Process for Maintaining Cellular Homeostasis. Physiology (Bethesda). Physiology (Bethesda), 30 (6), 438-48.
Nam, J., Perera, P., Gordon, R., Jeong, Y., Blazek, A., Kim, D., Tee, B., Sun, Z., Eubank, T., Zhao, Y., Lablebecioglu, B., Liu, S., Litsky, A., Weisleder, N., Lee, B., Butterfield, T., Schneyer, A., & Agarwal, S. (2015). Follistatin-like 3 is a mediator of exercise-driven bone formation and strengthening. Bone. Bone, Sept (78), 62-70.
Blazek, A., Anderson, P., Brichler, J., Kirby, T., Rose, M., Slawinski, M., & Swain, C. (2014). Effects of a Simulated Altitude Device on Endurance Performance and Mucosal Immunity. JEPOnline. JEPOnline, 17 (6), 45-57.
Knapik, D., Perera, P., Nam, J., Blazek, A., Rath, B., Leblebicioglu, B., Das, H., Wu, L., Hewett, T., Agarwal, S., Robling, A., Flanagan, D., Lee, B., & Agarwal, S. (2014). Mechanosignaling in Bone Health, Trauma and Inflammation. Anti-Oxidants and Redox Signaling. Anti-Oxidants and Redox Signaling, 20 (6), 970-985.
Motawea, H., Blazek, A., Zirwas, M., Pleister, A., Ahmed, A., McConnell, B., & Chotani, M. (2014). Delocalization of Endogenous A-kinase Antagonizes Rap1-Rho-α2C-Adrenoceptor Signaling in Human Microvascular Smooth Muscle Cells. J Cytol Molecul Biol. J Cytol Molecul Biol, 10 (1).
Blazek, A., Maiseyeu, A., Osei, K., Rajagopalan, S., & Rutsky, J. (2013). Exercise Mediated Changes in High-Density Lipoprotein: Impact on Form and Function. Am Heart J. Am Heart J, 166 (3), 392-400.

Professional Service

2020
Mentor
The Ohio State University Young Alumni Program
End Date: 2022
2020
Mentor
Ohio Wesleyan University Partners Program
2020
Member
Franklin University Exercise Science Program Advisory Board
End Date: 2023
2013
Judge
The Ohio State University First-Year Engineering Project Competition
End Date: 2015

Memberships

2021
American College of Sports Medicine
2015
American Society for Biomechanics
2015
Ohio Academy of Science
2015
Sigma Xi