Rachel Tinius, PhD, ACSM-CEP (Assistant Professor, Exercise Science, WKU) is an American College of Sports Medicine-Certified Exercise Physiologist who has 10 years of experience conducting clinical research with pregnant and postpartum women. Dr. Tinius has studied the many effects of exercise during pregnancy on maternal and infant outcomes as well as designed community-based interventions for pregnant and postpartum women. She has published over 20 peer-reviewed articles on the topic of physical activity during pregnancy. She presents annually at the American College of Sports Medicine’s National Conference and serves as a member of the steering committee for the ACSM’s Pregnancy and Postpartum Special Interest Group.
Dr. Maire Blankenship, DNP, NP-C, OCN (Assistant Professor, Nursing, WKU) has over 32 years of experience as nurse and 9 as a nurse practitioner. Dr. Blankenship has worked in a variety of settings including obstetrics and group-care models. In addition to her clinical work, she has worked with pregnant and postpartum women in the community for the past 5 years alongside Dr. Tinius. She will provide her clinical/medical expertise in the designing of the content application.
Catherine Cram, MS. is an exercise physiologist and a leading expert in the field of maternal fitness. She is the owner of “Prenatal and Postpartum Fitness Consulting,” a consulting company that specializes in providing the most current maternal exercise information and training to health and fitness professionals. Catherine has been a featured speaker at ICEA, NPACE, ACSM and military medical conferences. She co-authored the 2012 revision of Exercising Through Your Pregnancy with Dr. James Clapp and was a contributing author for the text Women’s Health in Physical Therapy. She served as the Perinatal Fitness Subgroup Chair for the International Childbirth Education Association in 2013-2014 and is on the Medical Fitness Network Advisory Board. Catherine also serves as the maternal fitness expert at Babycenter.com. Her certificate course, Prenatal and Postpartum Exercise Design, provides continuing education credits for ACSM, ACE, ICEA and LAMAZE as well as other major health and fitness organizations, and is a Lifetime Fitness Approved Specialty Course. Prenatal and Postpartum Fitness Consulting has provided maternal fitness training to Air Force exercise physiologists and physical therapists. The US Army also includes Catherine’s booklet, Prenatal Fitness: Exercise During Pregnancy, as part of their “Uncomplicated Pregnancy” education program materials.
Casey Thomas Hardesty, MS, NTP is the owner of Two Peas Wellness, LLC. She obtained her master of science degree from Western Kentucky University and continued her post graduate studies in the fields of nutrition and pregnancy and postpartum fitness, working alongside leading members of the strength and conditioning and physical therapy fields. This includes, but not limited to, Pregnancy and Postpartum Athleticism Coach, The Female Athlete, and The Pelvic Floor Piston: Foundation for Fitness. Casey regularly collaborates with physical therapists and industry leaders both locally and internationally to ensure the highest level of care for her clients to coach them through pregnancy and a return to fitness postpartum as well as helping women learn to move freely again following the diagnosis of core and pelvic floor disorders.
Jenny LaCross PT, DPT, PhD(c), WCS, ATC, CLT-LANA (adjunct faculty, Doctorate of Physical Therapy Program, South College) is a Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Women’s Health Physical Therapy with over seven years of clinical experience working with individuals who are pregnant and postpartum. She received her B.S. in Kinesiology-Athletic Training from University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Washington University in Saint Louis School of Medicine. Upon earning her clinical doctorate, Jenny’s passion for women’s health care led her to complete post-professional clinical residency in women’s health at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center: Centers for Rehab Services. She then completed a post-professional certificate program in Women’s Health Physical Therapy at Texas Woman’s University, where she is also finishing her PhD in Physical Therapy. Jenny’s research interests are in movement impairments of females with hip pain as well as the relationship between hip and pelvic floor function. Her clinical and research desire is to empower women to keep moving across the lifespan in their desired capacity. She plans to pursue a post-doctoral research fellowship in mechanical engineering and wearable technology for pelvic floor disorders upon completion of her PhD.
