

Yvonne Golightly, PhD

Yvonne Golightly, PhD
Dr. Golightly is an injury/musculoskeletal epidemiologist and a physical therapist in the Department of Epidemiology with adjunct appointments in the UNC Division of Physical Therapy and the Department of Orthopaedics. She has faculty appointments at the UNC Thurston Arthritis Research Center and the UNC Injury Prevention Research Center. Her research focuses on osteoarthritis, musculoskeletal injury, lower body musculoskeletal disorders, health equity, physical activity, physical rehabilitation, falls, biomechanics, biomarkers, and common comorbid conditions associated with osteoarthritis. She was recently the Principal Investigator (PI) of an NIH R01 project titled “The Role of Joint Hypermobility in Lower Body Osteoarthritis” and the lead PI of an NIH R21 titled “High Intensity Interval Training for Knee Osteoarthritis.” She is co-PI with Dr. Amanda Nelson of the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project and the Johnston County Health Study. Additionally, she is an Associate Editor of Osteoarthritis and Cartilage and an Editorial Board Member of Arthritis Care & Research.
Honors and Awards
Outstanding (top 5%) Reviewer2017, 2018, 2019 , Arthritis Care & Research
Outstanding Reviewer2015, 2016, Osteoarthritis and Cartilage
European League Exchange Program Award2016, American College of Rheumatology
Staff/Administrative Duties
Member of North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences (NC TraCS) Institute Pilot Study Section
Member of University of North Carolina PhD Epidemiology Admissions Committee
Co-Director of Research, Osteoarthritis Action Alliance
Education
PhD, Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2010
MS, Human Movement Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2005
BS, Physical Therapy, The Ohio State University, 1998