Brittney Lange-Maia, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor at Rush University Medical Center

How did your interest in public health begin?

I was a kinesiology and exercise science student, and, like a lot of students in that field, I thought I wanted to work with elite athletes. But then I got introduced to public health. A mentor brought me into her research, which was based in Indianapolis through the safety-net hospital system. I started working and saw firsthand how access to health—however you define it—is distributed so unequally.

It opened my eyes. The chance to be healthy isn’t something everyone has, and that realization pulled me into public health. Now, of course, it’s something everyone talks about—“Who gets the chance to be healthy?”—but it’s been on my mind for a long time.

Can you say more about what “who gets the chance to be healthy” means?

Sure. I’m trained as an epidemiologist. In epidemiology, you learn that nothing about health outcomes is random. Disease and risk factors are always patterned—by socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, language, neighborhood, and so on. Public health is about changing that. Everyone should have the opportunity to be healthy, but we’re not there yet. That’s what drives my work.

What research projects are you working on?

A lot of my work focuses on older adults—mobility and disability specifically. I’m on the faculty at the Rush University Alzheimer’s Disease Center, so naturally I also work on issues related to cognition and Alzheimer’s. I look at disparities in those areas and try to better understand what contributes to mobility disability.

One of the main projects I work on is C3EN’s Keep It Movin’, a community-based intervention, but I also work on long-running studies related to aging—physical health, cognition, and well-being.

Do you see the same kinds of disparities in Alzheimer’s as in other areas?

Yes, absolutely. Older African Americans and Latinos tend to be at higher risk. We don’t fully understand all the reasons why, but we do know there are disparities in who’s most at risk and how the disease progresses. Even the age of onset can vary by population.

And how is that related to mobility?

Mobility and cognition are very closely linked. We often see mobility changes before we see cognitive decline. We don’t know yet if declining mobility causes cognitive issues, or if they’re both part of the same process, but we know they frequently co-occur.

What do you do in the Keep It Movin’ (KIM) project?

I helped lead the early work that led to KIM. Back in 2018, we were doing health screenings with church partners on the West Side of Chicago. I pitched the idea of measuring lower-extremity physical function, and it really resonated. People noticed it in themselves and in their congregations—like struggling to climb steps to the choir area. We found that about 40% of participants aged 40+ had mobility limitations.

That led to focus groups where we asked: Do you think mobility decline is just part of aging, or can it be changed? People were very open to intervention. So we took that community feedback and merged it with a physical activity program I’d worked on as a grad student. That became the KIM program.

So the focus is on lower body strength?

Yes—mobility means being able to move independently, and lower body strength is key to that. We target leg strength, balance, and endurance.

Were people losing mobility because of physically demanding jobs? Or lack of access to fitness?

A lot of it is the latter—people not having access to safe, convenient spaces for activity. Churches turned out to be perfect—large, safe, familiar. Chronic conditions like high blood pressure or arthritis also contribute. And yes, in some cases, wear and tear from past jobs plays a role too.

Can you tell me more about the pilot study that led to KIM?

We ran a four-month pilot in one church, starting January 2020. Of course, the pandemic hit, so we had to switch things up part way through.

Each session was about 90 minutes. We opened with prayer, then had an educational component—goal setting, motivation, addressing skepticism—and then a structured physical activity portion: walking, leg-strengthening with ankle weights, balance exercises, and stretching.

We have some video testimonials from participants who were in the KIM pilot which was done in 2020. This is one of my favorite lines from the testimonial:

“If you’re tired of hurting – if you want to be able to bend over–if you want to be able to reach up more–if you want a better quality of life–then you need to be a part of the Keep It Movin’ program.” (Rochelle Sykes)

One woman, I remember, said outright in a planning meeting, “This isn’t for me.” But she came, and eventually became one of our strongest supporters. That’s what makes the program so rewarding.

What’s the control group in your current trial?

It’s a self-guided version of the program. Participants get materials—books, videos from the National Institute on Aging, text reminders, etc.—but no group sessions. That’s our comparator arm.

What are you most proud of in your career?

Any time my research brings me into the community or helps students—that’s what I’m most proud of. I’m a first-generation college student. I never thought I’d become a scientist. Being able to mentor students and see them grow, that’s incredibly meaningful. And I’m proud of how Keep It Moving grew from a single meeting with community partners into something much bigger.

Any fun facts you’d like to share?

I’m pregnant with twins right now! I also have a three-year-old, so it’s going to be a full house.

Also, we have a special-needs dog named Lieutenant Dan. He had a neurological condition when he was born, so he used to have a little doggie wheelchair and wears diapers. He’s kind of a menace—but he’s our menace.