Sara Michaliszyn

Dr. Sara Michaliszyn - profile photo

Dr. Sara Michaliszyn

Dean and Professor

Bitonte College of Health and Human Services

Cushwa Hall 2104

phone: (330) 941-2116

sbmichaliszyn@ysu.edu

Bio

Dr. Sara Michaliszyn is Dean of the Bitonte College of Health and Human Services at Youngstown State University, where she leads innovative academic, research, and community initiatives across one of the region’s most comprehensive colleges in the health and human services disciplines.

A proud YSU alumna, Dr. Michaliszyn earned her bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science before completing her master’s and Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology at the University of Pittsburgh. She went on to complete postdoctoral fellowships at both the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Arizona, where her research focused on metabolic health, exercise interventions, and noninvasive methods to study mitochondrial function and insulin sensitivity in youth and adults.

Her scholarly work on physical activity, obesity, and chronic disease prevention has earned national and international recognition, including investigator awards from the American College of Sports Medicine and Youngstown State University. She has also received multiple Research Professorships, the Excellence Award for Department Chairperson in Scholarship, and Mentor of the Year honors.

Dr. Michaliszyn serves on several national and community boards, including but not limited to the American Kinesiology Association Board of Directors. A passionate advocate for collaboration she is also a member of the American Heart Association’s Circle of Red.
Beyond her professional commitments, Dr. Michaliszyn is a devoted mother who enjoys spending her time with her two daughters and engaging in community wellness initiatives.

Research Interests

Dr. Michaliszyn’s research explores the intersection of exercise physiology, metabolism, and chronic disease prevention, with a particular focus on insulin resistance, obesity, and metabolic health across the lifespan. Her work investigates how physical activity influences metabolic and mitochondrial function, and how tailored exercise interventions can improve outcomes in populations at risk for or living with chronic disease.

Building on her postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Arizona, Dr. Michaliszyn has advanced research using noninvasive techniques to assess mitochondrial function, metabolic flexibility, and insulin sensitivity in youth and adults. Her studies have contributed to a better understanding of sex, race, and developmental differences in metabolic responses to exercise and their implications for early disease intervention.

At Youngstown State University, she has expanded her research agenda to include exercise oncology and community-based health initiatives. As principal investigator of the Cancer Rehabilitation Program, she examines how structured physical activity can enhance recovery, functional capacity, and quality of life among cancer survivors. She also leads collaborative projects addressing maternal health, infant adiposity, and health disparities in underserved populations, reflecting her commitment to translational research that connects laboratory findings to real-world health impact.

Teaching Interests

Dr. Michaliszyn’s teaching interests focus on exercise physiology, clinical exercise testing, and the integration of physical activity in disease prevention and rehabilitation. She is deeply committed to bridging scientific research with hands-on clinical application, preparing students to translate evidence-based exercise science into meaningful patient outcomes.
She developed and launched the Individualized Training Program, a signature senior-level experience that pairs students with real clients to design and implement personalized exercise prescriptions. In addition, she established the college’s Cancer Rehabilitation initiative, which introduces students to the role of exercise in oncology care while serving local cancer survivors through safe, supervised movement programs.

  • 2006

    Ph D, Exercise Physiology

    University of Pittsburgh

    Dissertation/Thesis Title — "Obesity, body composition and insulin resistance in women with and without bipolar disorder"

  • 2003

    MS, Exercise Physiology

    University of Pittsburgh

    Dissertation/Thesis Title — "Energy Metabolism in Overweight and Normal Weight Women"

  • 2000

    BS, Exercise Science

    Youngstown State University

  • 2022

    Youngstown State University

    BCHHS Dean's Appreciation Award

  • 2020

    Youngstown State University

    Excellence Award for Department Chairperson in Scholarship

  • 2019

    Phi Kappa Phi

    Phi Kappa Phi inductee

  • 2019

    Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber

    Nomination for Athena Award

  • 2018

    Youngstown State University

    Mentor of the Year

  • 2016

    Youngstown State Universities

    Youngstown State Universities Junior Investigators Award

  • 2014

    Golden Key Honors Society

    Golden Key International Honors Society (honorary member)

  • 2006

    Mid-Atlantic Regional Chapter of American College of Sports Medicine

    Graduate Student Investigators Award

  • 2019 - 2020

    American Kinesiology Association

    Fellowship

  • 2024 - present

    Dean

  • 2021 - 2024

    Associate Dean

  • 2020 - 2021

    Department Chairperson

  • 2018 - 2020

    Department Chairperson

  • 2014 - 2019

    Director

  • 2023

    "Insulin Dynamics across the Glucose Tolerance Spectrum in Youth with Obesity"

    W. Cho, F. Bacha, H. Tfayli, S. Lee, S. Michaliszyn, J. Kim, S. Arslanian

    DIABETES, volume 72

  • 2023

    "An active classroom intervention to improve physical activity, on-task behavior, and academic achievement outcomes for students with disabilities"

    K. Aspiranti, S. Michaliszyn, M. Dula, C. Tischner, A. Fedewa

    PSYCHOLOGY IN THE SCHOOLS, volume 60, issue 11, p. 4545-4562

  • 2022

    "Hepatic Insulin Resistance Index (HIR-I) in Youth-Does Race/Ethnicity Matter?"

    W. Cho, F. Bacha, H. Tfayli, S. Lee, S. Michaliszyn, J. Kim, S. Arslanian

    DIABETES, volume 71

  • 2021

    "Exercise Adherence in Hispanic Adolescents with Obesity or Type 2 Diabetes."

    M. Faulkner, S. Michaliszyn

    Journal of pediatric nursing, volume 56, p. 7-12

  • 2020

    "β-cell function, incretin response, and insulin sensitivity of glucose and fat metabolism in obese youth: Relationship to OGTT-time-to-glucose-peak."

    J. Kim, H. Tfayli, F. Bacha, S. Lee, S. Michaliszyn, S. Yousuf, N. Gebara, S. Arslanian

    Pediatric diabetes, volume 21, issue 1, p. 18-27

  • 2020

    "Maternal Fitness And Physical Activity Levels Decrease Infant Adiposity Up To 1 Year Of Age"

    J. Rasey, J. Mincher, S. Michaliszyn

    MEDICINE & SCIENCE IN SPORTS & EXERCISE, volume 52, issue 7, p. 454-454

  • 2020

    "Effects Of Exercise Desks On Activity And Reading Skills In Youth With Neurodevelopmental Disorders"

    S. Michaliszyn, K. Aspiranti, M. Kulisek, H. Crites

    MEDICINE & SCIENCE IN SPORTS & EXERCISE, volume 52, issue 7, p. 121-121

  • 2020

    "Techniques to Assess Insulin Action in Youth"

    S. Michaliszyn, S. Arslanian

    Humana Press

  • 2019

    "Elementary school classroom physical activity breaks: student, teacher, and facilitator perspectives."

    N. Mullins, S. Michaliszyn, N. Kelly-Miller, L. Groll

    Advances in physiology education, volume 43, issue 2, p. 140-148

  • 2019

    "Adipose Tissue Insulin Resistance in Youth on the Spectrum From Normal Weight to Obese and From Normal Glucose Tolerance to Impaired Glucose Tolerance to Type 2 Diabetes."

    J. Kim, F. Bacha, H. Tfayli, S. Michaliszyn, S. Yousuf, S. Arslanian

    Diabetes care, volume 42, issue 2, p. 265-272

  • 2018

    "Patterns of Physical Activity Adherence by Adolescents With Diabetes or Obesity Enrolled in a Personalized Community-Based Intervention."

    S. Michaliszyn, M. Higgins, M. Faulkner

    The Diabetes educator, volume 44, issue 6, p. 519-530

  • 2018

    "Impaired Lipolysis, Diminished Fat Oxidation, and Metabolic Inflexibility in Obese Girls With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome."

    J. Kim, H. Tfayli, S. Michaliszyn, S. Arslanian

    The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, volume 103, issue 2, p. 546-554

  • 2018

    "Time to Glucose Peak during Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) and Pathophysiological Biomarkers of Type 2 Diabetes in Obese Youth"

    J. Kim, H. Tfayli, F. Bacha, S. Michaliszyn, S. Arslanian

    DIABETES, volume 67

  • 2018

    "Engaging Hispanic Adolescents with Type 2 Diabetes or Obesity in Personalized Exercise"

    M. Faulkner, S. Michaliszyn

    DIABETES, volume 67

  • 2018

    "Adipocyte Insulin Resistance Index in Youth along the Span of Glycemia from Normal Glucose Tolerance (NGT) to Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT) to Type 2 Diabetes (T2D)"

    J. Kim, F. Bacha, H. Tfayli, S. Michaliszyn, S. Arslanian

    DIABETES, volume 67

  • 2017

    "Increased Lipolysis, Diminished Adipose Tissue Insulin Sensitivity, and Impaired β-Cell Function Relative to Adipose Tissue Insulin Sensitivity in Obese Youth With Impaired Glucose Tolerance."

    J. Kim, A. Nasr, H. Tfayli, F. Bacha, S. Michaliszyn, S. Arslanian

    Diabetes, volume 66, issue 12, p. 3085-3090

  • 2017

    "The Relationship Between Gestational Weight Gain, Physical Activity, And Sleep Quality: A Preliminary Report"

    S. Michaliszyn, J. Mincher

    Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise

  • 2017

    "Differences in β-cell function and insulin secretion in Black vs. White obese adolescents: do incretin hormones play a role?"

    S. Michaliszyn, S. Lee, F. Bacha, H. Tfayli, L. Farchoukh, A. Mari, E. Ferrannini, S. Arslanian

    Pediatric diabetes, volume 18, issue 2, p. 143-151

  • 2017

    "Anti-Müllerian Hormone in Obese Adolescent Girls With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome."

    J. Kim, H. Tfayli, S. Michaliszyn, S. Lee, A. Nasr, S. Arslanian

    The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, volume 60, issue 3, p. 333-339

  • 2017

    "Maternal excess gestational weight gain and infant waist circumference: a 2-y observational study."

    S. Michaliszyn, L. Sjaarda, C. Scifres, H. Simhan, S. Arslanian

    Pediatric research, volume 81, issue 1-1, p. 63-67

  • 2016

    "The Shape of the Glucose Response Curve During an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test Heralds Biomarkers of Type 2 Diabetes Risk in Obese Youth."

    J. Kim, S. Michaliszyn, A. Nasr, S. Lee, H. Tfayli, T. Hannon, K. Hughan, F. Bacha, S. Arslanian

    Diabetes care, volume 39, issue 8, p. 1431-9

  • 2016

    "Distinguishing characteristics of metabolically healthy versus metabolically unhealthy obese adolescent girls with polycystic ovary syndrome."

    J. Kim, H. Tfayli, S. Michaliszyn, S. Lee, S. Arslanian

    Fertility and sterility, volume 105, issue 6, p. 1603-11

  • 2014

    "β-cell function, incretin effect, and incretin hormones in obese youth along the span of glucose tolerance from normal to prediabetes to type 2 diabetes."

    S. Michaliszyn, A. Mari, S. Lee, F. Bacha, H. Tfayli, L. Farchoukh, E. Ferrannini, S. Arslanian

    Diabetes, volume 63, issue 11, p. 3846-55

  • 2014

    "Personalized exercise for adolescents with diabetes or obesity."

    M. Faulkner, S. Michaliszyn, J. Hepworth, M. Wheeler

    Biological research for nursing, volume 16, issue 1, p. 46-54

  • 2013

    "Polycystic ovary syndrome and nonalcoholic fatty liver in obese adolescents: association with metabolic risk profile."

    S. Michaliszyn, S. Lee, H. Tfayli, S. Arslanian

    Fertility and sterility, volume 100, issue 6, p. 1745-51

  • 2013

    "β-Cell lipotoxicity in response to free fatty acid elevation in prepubertal youth: African American versus Caucasian contrast."

    S. Michaliszyn, R. Bonadonna, L. Sjaarda, S. Lee, L. Farchoukh, S. Arslanian

    Diabetes, volume 62, issue 8, p. 2917-22

  • 2013

    "β-Cell lipotoxicity after an overnight intravenous lipid challenge and free fatty acid elevation in African American versus American white overweight/obese adolescents."

    K. Hughan, R. Bonadonna, S. Lee, S. Michaliszyn, S. Arslanian

    The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, volume 98, issue 5, p. 2062-9

  • 2012

    "HbA(1c) diagnostic categories and β-cell function relative to insulin sensitivity in overweight/obese adolescents."

    L. Sjaarda, S. Michaliszyn, S. Lee, H. Tfayli, F. Bacha, L. Farchoukh, S. Arslanian

    Diabetes care, volume 35, issue 12, p. 2559-63

  • 2012

    "Metabolomic profiling of amino acids and β-cell function relative to insulin sensitivity in youth."

    S. Michaliszyn, L. Sjaarda, S. Mihalik, S. Lee, F. Bacha, D. Chace, V. De Jesus, J. Vockley, S. Arslanian

    The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, volume 97, issue 11, p. E2119-24

  • 2012

    "Metabolomic profiling of fatty acid and amino acid metabolism in youth with obesity and type 2 diabetes: evidence for enhanced mitochondrial oxidation."

    S. Mihalik, S. Michaliszyn, J. de las Heras, F. Bacha, S. Lee, D. Chace, V. DeJesus, J. Vockley, S. Arslanian

    Diabetes care, volume 35, issue 3, p. 605-11

  • 2011

    "The exercise-induced inflammatory and oxidative state paradox."

    S. Michaliszyn, B. Goodpaster

    Pediatric diabetes, volume 12, issue 5, p. 461-3

  • 2010

    "Physical activity and sedentary behavior in adolescents with type 1 diabetes."

    S. Michaliszyn, M. Faulkner

    Research in nursing & health, volume 33, issue 5, p. 441-9

  • 2010

    "A personalized approach to exercise promotion in adolescents with type 1 diabetes."

    M. Faulkner, S. Michaliszyn, J. Hepworth

    Pediatric diabetes, volume 11, issue 3, p. 166-74

  • 2009

    "Physical fitness, dietary intake, and metabolic control in adolescents with type 1 diabetes."

    S. Michaliszyn, G. Shaibi, L. Quinn, C. Fritschi, M. Faulkner

    Pediatric diabetes, volume 10, issue 6, p. 389-94

  • 2024 - 2027

    Committee Member
    American Kinesiology Association (AKA) - Communication & Marketing

  • 2024 - 2027

    Board of Advisors of a Company
    American Kinesiology Association (AKA)

  • 2022 - 2023

    Chairperson
    ACSM Exercise is Medicine Educational Committee Chair

  • 2021 - 2021

    Other
    Committee on Accreditation for the Exercise Sciences

  • 2021 - 2021

    Committee Chair
    Committee on Accreditation for the Exercise Sciences

  • 2020 - 2023

    Committee Member
    American Kinesiology Association (AKA) Membership Committee

  • 2019 - 2019

    Committee Chair
    Committee on Accreditation for the Exercise Sciences

  • 2019 - 2019

    Other
    Committee on Accreditation for the Exercise Sciences (CoAES)

  • 2018 - 2020

    Committee Member
    YMCA Medical Advisory Board

  • 2018 - 2022

    Committee Member
    ACSM Exercise is Medicine Educational Committee

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