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%) Reviewer

2017, 2018, 2019 , Arthritis Care & Research

Outstanding Reviewer

2015, 2016, Osteoarthritis and Cartilage

European League Exchange Program Award

2016, 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