Kim Innes

Kim Innes, PhD, is a professor in the West Virginia University Department of Epidemiology. She is an epidemiologist and clinical research scientist with a particular interest in yoga and related mind-body therapies for the prevention and management of cognitive impairment, restless legs syndrome (RLS), arthritis, diabetes, and other chronic disorders related to stress, sympathetic activation, and metabolic dysregulation. Funded by grants from the NIH National Center Complementary and Integrative Health, the Office of Women’s Health, the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation, and other organizations, her current research includes clinical trials to assess the effects of yogic practices on: cognition, neuropsychiatric impairment, sleep, quality of life, indices of cellular aging, inflammation, and epigenetic profiles in older adults with preclinical memory loss; RLS symptoms, sleep, mood, and related outcomes in adults with RLS; and pain, sleep, mood and related outcomes in older adults with osteoarthritis. Her previous trials have included studies regarding the potential benefits of yoga and meditation for sedentary, post-menopausal women at risk for cardiovascular disease; older adults with type 2 diabetes; healthy elders and adults with Parkinson’s Disease; older adults with osteoarthritis; and individuals with cognitive impairment and their caregivers. Her additional research projects include large epidemiologic investigations of memory loss and dementia, sleep disorders, arthritis, colorectal cancer, and other chronic conditions in Appalachian and other U.S. populations.  She is frequently invited to speak both nationally and internationally on these topics, and often serves on national and international expert panels.