You could call it one of the world's most challenging to-do lists. The Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina has rolled up its sleeves to reduce the impact of health problems such as cardiovascular disease and stroke, childhood obesity and diabetes, health disparities, unintended injuries, and sexually transmitted diseases.

Established 32 years ago, the school has the nation's top-ranked program in kinesiology and exercise science and a growing reputation in many of its other academic disciplines.

“This ranking comes as no surprise, as the Arnold School has been recognized regularly as one of the best in the nation for conducting research on physical activity and human health,” said Harris Pastides, Carolina's vice president for research and health sciences. “The exercise science department is at the core of this activity and has become even stronger recently by recruiting outstanding talent and having a brand-new Public Health Research Center to work in.”

The Children's Physical Activity Research Group is an interdisciplinary team of faculty, staff, and graduate students who are dedicated to expanding the body of knowledge on physical activity and its promotion in children and adolescents. Scientists in this group have garnered significant federal research funding to help the 25 million children and teens in the United States who are overweight or obese.

The Arnold School has also devoted significant resources toward addressing the critical health disparities in South Carolina and across the nation. The Institute for Partnerships to Eliminate Health Disparities, the Center for Research in Nutrition and Health Disparities, and the S.C. Cancer Disparities Community Network are developing community partnerships, studying genetic and molecular-level processes, and conducting important screening and testing trials to reduce health disparities across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups.