Liliana Baptista, PhD, Post- Doctoral Fellow in the UAB Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care received the Hardest Working Postdoc Award from the UAB Office of Postdoctoral Education.

A native of Portugal, Baptista joined UCEM Director Dr. Thomas Buford's lab as a postdoctoral trainee in 2018. She received her doctorate in Sport Sciences, with a concentration in Physical Activity and Health from the University of Coimbra, Portugal. She then did her fellowship at the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, Portugal. During this period, she received the Earlier Career Researcher award from the International Society of Exercise Immunology. Since then, she has authored 14 manuscripts on international peer-reviewed journals.

Currently, she is working on the Angiotensin Converting Enzyme- inhibitors Combined with Exercise for hypertensive Seniors (ACES) trial - a multi-site three-arm clinical trial conducted at the UAB Center for Exercise Medicine.

Broadly, her research focuses on understanding how exercise and/or medications can improve physical function associated with aging and/or disease. Currently, she is developing projects related to understanding how exercise influences the gut microbiome and associated metabolites (i.e. metabolomics). She hopes to contribute her efforts toward effective interventions that promote functional independence and health-related quality of life in older adults.

Congratulations Liliana!