Kristine Godziuk, PhD, joined the UCSF Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science in August, bringing with her a diverse background in occupational therapy, obesity research and rehabilitation science.
She started her career in sports medicine, helping people prevent musculoskeletal injuries and maintain an active lifestyle, but her focus shifted to obesity care while working as a clinical exercise physiologist in a hospital setting.
“I was part of a multidisciplinary team treating adolescents with obesity, and I saw the intergenerational impact of obesity in families,” she recalls. Witnessing the pervasive internalized and societal weight stigma many patients experienced spurred her interest in obesity research and pursuit of a PhD in Rehabilitation Science.
Dr. Godziuk’s career has been driven by a desire to develop more personalized and stigma-free approaches to obesity treatment. “As a clinician, you treat one patient at a time,” she notes, “but through research, you can have a broader impact.”
One of her key areas of investigation is sarcopenic obesity, where high fat mass is paired with low muscle mass and function. This condition is especially problematic in osteoarthritis, where clinical guidelines focus on weight loss to reduce stress on the joints. “If a patient has sarcopenic obesity, this might not be the right approach,” she explains. Dr. Godziuk’s research seeks to understand if improving muscle health and body composition should be prioritized over weight reduction.
Dr. Godziuk is eager to collaborate with colleagues at UCSF across multiple disciplines, including radiology, endocrinology and orthopedics. “We know that poor muscle quality – such as fat infiltration into muscles – is relevant in sarcopenic obesity. Collaborating with colleagues in other disciplines allows us to better investigate these factors and develop more comprehensive prevention and care strategies,” she explains.
As new medications for obesity management emerge, Dr. Godziuk is keen to explore their effects on body composition, particularly the potential for muscle loss. “There’s a growing interest in how these medications impact long-term muscle and bone health in older adults,” she says. Her research aims to identify which patients may be at greater risk for negative consequences, and how complementary treatments like resistance exercise and nutrition can be used to mitigate these effects.
Looking ahead, Dr. Godziuk sees a need for improvements in how obesity is defined and treated and hopes to contribute to a future where patients of all body sizes receive equitable and effective health care to live their best lives. “There’s still so much debate about how to best define obesity and ensure that we’re not perpetuating weight stigma in our research and clinical care,” she reflects.
Dr. Godziuk is currently setting up a research lab that integrates her diverse interests in exercise science, body composition, obesity care, and health equity. The lab will utilize body composition, strength, and function assessments to monitor muscle health and test interventions tailored to prevent and treat conditions like sarcopenic obesity.
“Patient partners help drive our research questions and guide our studies,” she states. This collaborative approach ensures that her research addresses the real-world needs of those affected by obesity and arthritis. She is also committed to fostering the next generation of researchers and welcomes student involvement in her lab, particularly those interested in health equity and personalized medicine and rehabilitation.