WYOMISSING, Pa. — Praveen Veerabhadrappa, associate professor of kinesiology at Penn State Berks, was honored with the Keynote Speaker Award for his talk titled 'Tracking the truth: Evaluating the accuracy of wearable fitness technology' at the 4th International Cardiology Congress, in Zurich, Switzerland in June 2025.
In his talk, Veerabhadrappa stated “In summary, activity trackers go beyond simple fitness monitoring — they are impactful tools for promoting better health, particularly among those with chronic conditions. By tracking health data, encouraging consistent activity, aiding communication with healthcare professionals, and helping identify potential issues early, these devices can significantly enhance disease management and overall quality of life. As technology continues to evolve, their influence within the healthcare landscape is likely to grow even further.”
Veerabhadrappa is passionate about research, innovation and inspiring students to further scientific research. He considers his most important work to be on the long-term effects of exercise training on cardio-metabolic risk factors, prevalence of masked hypertension and blood pressure variability.
Currently, his research focuses on incorporating wearable technology to enhance physical activity and improve health. He conducts this research with students in the Penn State Berks Exercise Physiology Laboratory. Veerabhadrappa’s research group studies the cardio-metabolic effects of sedentary behavior using novel devices such as Actigraph, Fitbit, Vibralite and Apple Watch. His students have presented their research at local, regional and national professional conferences.
For more information, contact Veerabhadrappa at PMV505@psu.edu.