Research/Teaching Expertise

• Physical Activity and Disability

Education

• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2009, Post-doctoral Training, Exercise Physiology)
• Oregon State University (2007, Ph.D., Movement Studies in Disability)
• Queens College, City University of New York (1998, M.S., Exercise Science)
• Queens College, City University of New York (1996, B.S., Physical Education)

Areas of Research

• Physical activity, physical fitness, mobility and health across the lifespan in people with disabilities
• Physical activity assessment in persons with disabilities
• Applied exercise physiology in persons with disabilities
• Physiological and biomechanical aspects of gait in persons with Down syndrome

Areas of Teaching

• Disability, Physical Activity, and Health
• Clinical Exercise Physiology

Selected Publications

• Agiovlasitis, S., Ballenger, B.K, Choi, P, Haider, M., Du, Q., & Motl, R.W. (2025). Accelerometer output and oxygen uptake in adults with Down syndrome: METs vs. percent VO2reserve. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 69(8), 693–702. https://doi.org/10.1111/jir.13253
• Ballenger, B.K., Brown, S.P., Fernhall, B., Motl, R.W., & Agiovlasitis, S. (2025). Cardiovascular disease risk factors and arterial health in adults with and without Down syndrome. Journal of Clinical Exercise Physiology, 14(1), 10-16. https://doi.org/10.31189/2165-6193-14.1.10
• Agiovlasitis, S., Ballenger, B.K, Schultz, E.E., Du, Q., & Motl, R.W. (2023). Calibration of hip-accelerometers for measuring physical activity and sedentary behaviours in adults with Down syndrome. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 67(2), 172-181. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jir.13002
• Choi, P., Motl, R.W., & Agiovlasitis, S. (2023). Feasibility of social cognitive theory-based fall prevention intervention for people with intellectual disabilities living in group-home. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 67(2), 159-171. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jir.13001
• Agiovlasitis, S., Jin, J., & Yun, J. (2021). Age-group differences in body mass index, weight, and height in adults with Down syndrome and adults with intellectual disability from the United States. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 38(1), 79-94.
• Xu, J., Choi, P., Motl, R.W., & Agiovlasitis, S. (2020). Is physical activity associated with physical performance in adults with intellectual disability? Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 37(3), 289-303.
• Jin, J., Yun, J., & Agiovlasitis, S. (2018). Impact of enjoyment on physical activity and health among children with disabilities in schools. Disability & Health Journal, 11(1), 14-19.
• Love, A., & Agiovlasitis, S. (2016). How is physical activity perceived by adults with Down syndrome? Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 33(3), 253-270.
• Agiovlasitis, S., McCubbin, J.A., Yun, J., Widrick, J.J., & Pavol, M.J. (2015). Gait characteristics of adults with Down syndrome explain their greater metabolic rate during walking. Gait and Posture, 41(1), 180-185.
• Agiovlasitis, S., Motl, R.W., Foley, J.T., & Fernhall, B. (2012). Prediction of oxygen uptake from wrist-accelerometry in people with and without Down syndrome. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 29(3), 179-190.
• Agiovlasitis, S., Motl, R.W., Ranadive, S.M., Fahs, C.A., Yan, H., Echols, G.H., Rossow, L.M., & Fernhall, B. (2011). Energetic optimization during over-ground walking in people with and without Down syndrome. Gait and Posture, 33, 630-634.
• Agiovlasitis, S., Collier, S.R., Baynard, T., Echols, G.H., Goulopoulou, S., Figueroa, A., Beets, M.W., Pitetti, K.H., & Fernhall, B. (2010). Autonomic response to upright tilt in people with and without Down syndrome. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 31(3), 857-863.

Professional Affiliations

• American College of Sports Medicine
• Southeast chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine
• Trisomy 21 Research Society