Areas of specialization

Community-based physical activity interventions to optimize bone health during childhood and adolescence; childhood and youth obesity prevention; inter-relationships of physical activity, nutrition and endocrine status on bone health and fracture prevention; bone-muscle adaptation to mechanical loading

Education

• 1996-2000, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia; Ph.D.
  (exercise physiology; specialty: pediatric bone health)
• 1992-1994, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minnesota; M.S.
  (exercise physiology)
• 1988-1992, St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota; B.A.
  (psychology)
• 1988-1992, St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota; B.A.
  (sport science)

Academic appointments and employment

• 2005-present, Assistant Professor, Division of Kinesiology, University of Minnesota
• 2001-2004, Assistant Professor, Department of Health Evaluation Sciences, Penn State University College of Medicine
• 1999-2001, postdoctoral fellow, Division of Endocrinology, Vancouver Hospital
• 1999-2000, postdoctoral fellow, British Columbia’s Children’s Hospital, Pediatric Orthopedics

Awards

• 2003, Young Investigator Award, American Society of Bone and Mineral Research Conference
• 2002, Young Investigator Award, Children’s Bone Health Conference, Sheffield, UK
• 2002-2004, Clinical Loan Repayment Program Recipient, National Institutes of Health

Reviewer

• Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
• Journal of Pediatrics
• Journal of Bone and Mineral Research
• Journal of Applied Physiology
• Calcified Tissue International
• British Journal of Sports Medicine
• International Journal of Behavior, Nutrition and Physical Activity
• American Society for Bone and Mineral Research: Abstract Reviewer for "Bone Acquisition and Pediatric Bone Disease", ASBMR 24th annual meeting, 2002
•  NIH Loan Repayment Program reviewer, 2003.

Current grant support

National Institutes of Health, K-23, “Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award: Bone Strength: Measurement and Clinical Application”; principal investigator, 2003-2007 (Total costs: $379,137)

Publications

Refereed papers – published or in press

Petit MA, Beck TJ, Kontulainen SA. Examining the developing bone: What do we measure and how do we do it? Journal of Musculoskeletal and Neuronal Interactions. In Press, Sept. 2005.

Petit MA, Beck TJ, Shults J, Zemel BS, Foster BJ, Leonard MB. Proximal femur bone geometry is appropriately adapted to lean mass in overweight children and adolescents. Bone 36(2):568-576, 2005.

MacDonald HA, Kontulainen SA, MacKelvie-O’Brien KJ, Petit MA, Janssen P, Khan KM, McKay HA. Maturity- and sex- related changes in tibial bone geometry, strength and bone-muscle strength indices during growth: A 20-monty pQCT study. Bone Apr 7 [epub ahead of print], 2005.

McKay HA, MacLean L, Petit MA, Khan KM. A novel bout-based intervention – “bounce at the bell” – improves bone mass and structure: A controlled pilot study in 51 early pubertal children. British Journal of Sports Medicine. In Press 2005.

Petit MA, Beck TJ, Lin H-M, Bentley C, Legro RS, Lloyd T. Femoral bone structural geometry adapts to mechanical loading and is influenced by sex steroids: the Penn State Young Women's Health Study. Bone 35(3):750-759, 2004.

Whipple TJ, Le BH, Demers LM, Chinchilli VM, Petit MA, Sharkey N, Williams NI. Acute effects of moderate intensity resistance exercise on bone cell activity. International Journal of Sports Medicine 25(7):496-501, 2004.

Lloyd T, Petit MA, Lin H-M, Beck TJ. Lifestyle factors and the development of bone mass and bone strength in young women. J Pediatrics 144(6):776-782, 2004.

Fulkerson JA, Himes JH, French SA, Jensen S, Petit MA, Stewart C, Story M, Ensrud K, Fillhouser S, Jacobsen K. Bone outcomes and technical measurement issues of bone health among children and adolescents. Nutrition and physical activity intervention trials. Osteoporos Int 15(12):929-941, 2004.

McKay HA, Sievanen H, Petit MA, MacKelvie KJ, Forkheim KM, Whittall KP, Forster BB, MacDonald H. Application of magnetic resonance imaging to evaluation of femoral neck structure in growing girls. Journal of Clinical Densitometry 7(2):161-168, 2004.

MacKelvie KJ, Petit MA, Khan KM, Beck TJ, McKay HA. Bone mass and structure are enhanced following a 2-year randomized controlled trial of exercise in prepubertal boys. Bone 34(4):755-764, 2004.

MacKelvie KJ, Khan KM, Petit MA, Janssen PA, McKay HA. A school-based exercise intervention elicits substantial bone health benefits: A 2-year randomized controlled trial in girls. Pediatrics. 112(6 Pt 1): e447, 2003.

Lebrun CM, Petit MA, McKenzie DC, Taunton J, Prior JC. Decreased maximal aerobic capacity with use of a triphasic oral contraceptive in highly active women: A randomised controlled trial. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2003 Aug;37(4):315-20.

Petit MA, McKay HA, MacKelvie KJ, Heinonen A, Khan KM, Beck TJ. A randomized school-based jumping intervention confers site and maturity-specific benefits on bone structural properties in girls: A hip structural analysis study. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. 2002 17(3):363-372.

MacKelvie KJ, McKay HA, Petit MA, Moran O, Khan KM. Bone mineral response to a 7-month randomized controlled, school-based jumping intervention in 121 prepubertal boys: associations with ethnicity and body mass index. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 17(5):834-844, 2002.

Carter ND, Khan KM, McKay HA, Petit MA, et al. Community-based exercise programme reduces fall risk factors in 65-75 year old women with osteoporosis: a randomized controlled trial. Canadian Medical Association Journal. 2002 167(9):997-1004.

Carter ND, Khan KM, Mallinson A, Janssen PA, Heinonen A, Petit MA, McKay HA. Knee extension strength is a significant determinant of static and dynamic balance as well as quality of life in older community-dwelling women with osteoporosis. Gerontology 2002 48(6):360-368.

Carter ND, Khan KM, Petit MA, Heinonen A, Waterman C, Donaldson MG, Janssen PA, Mallinson A, Riddell L, Kruse K, Prior JC, Flicker L, McKay HA. Results of a 10-week community-based strength and balance training program to reduce fall risk factors: A randomized controlled trial in 65-75 yr-old women with osteoporosis. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2001 35:348-351.

Barr SI, Petit MA, Vigna YM, Prior JC. Eating attitudes and habitual calcium intake in peripubertal girls are associated with initial bone mineral content and its change over two years. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. 16(5):940-947, 2001.

McKay HA, Petit MA, Schutz RW, Prior JC, Barr SI, Khan KM. Augmented trochanteric bone mineral density after modified physical education classes: a randomized school-based exercise intervention study in prepubescent and early pubescent children. Journal of Pediatrics. 136(2):156-162, 2000.

McKay HA, Petit MA, Bailey DA, Wallace WM. Analysis of proximal femur DXA scans in growing children: comparisons of different protocols for cross-sectional 8-month and 7-year longitudinal data. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. 15(6):1181-1188, 2000.

McKay HA, Petit MA, Schutz RW, Khan KM. Lifestyle determinants of bone mineral: a comparison between prepubertal Asian- and Caucasian-Canadian boys and girls. Calcified Tissue International. 66(5):320-324, 2000.

Wilson G, McKay H, Waddell L, Notte J, Petit M. The health benefits of a “Healthy Bones” physical education curriculum: A Richmond, BC Schools Study. Physical and Health Education Journal. Autumn, 2000.

Petit MA, Prior JC, Barr SI. Running and ovulation positively change cancellous bone in premenopausal women. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 31:780-787, 1999.

Petit MA, Nelson CM, Rhodes EC. Comparison of a mathematical model to predict 10-km performance from the Conconi test and ventilatory threshold measurements. Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology. 22:562-572; 1997

Letters to the editor - Published

Petit MA, Prior JC, Hitchcock C, Barr SI, Vigna YM, McKay HA, Kahn KM. Ovulation and spinal bone density (letter). Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 83: 3757-3760; 1998.

Petit MA, Prior JC, Barr JC, Vigna YM. An unsuccessful attempt to relate bone loss and ovulatory disturbances (letter). Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 81:4176-4178; 1996.

Book chapters and conference proceedings

Petit MA, McKay HA, Khan KM (2000). Physical activity in women and girls for the prevention of osteoporosis. In: The Benefits of Physical Activity for Women and Girls. W Frisby, H McKay, and C Reid (editors). British Columbia Centers of Excellence in Women’s Health.

Petit MA, Prior JC (2000). Exercise and the hypothalamus: ovulatory disturbances. In: Sports Endocrinology. MP Warren (editor). Humana Press.

Petit MA, Prior JC, Barr SI, McKay HA (1998). Menstrual cycle ovulatory adaptations to exercise: influence on cancellous bone. In: Proceedings of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research. AC Dan (editor). Univ. of Illinois Press, Chicago, IL.

Martin AD and Petit MA (1997). Oestrogen, exercise and bone: hormone replacement therapy and oral contraceptives, pp. 101-110. In: The Clinical Pharmacology of Sport and Exercise. Proceedings of the Esteve Foundation Symposium VII, Sitges, Spain, 2-5 Oct. 1996. T Reilly and M. Orme (editors). Excerpta Medica. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Abstracts and conference presentations (*=Oral presentation by first author)

*Wetzsteon R, MacDonald HM, Petit MA, McKay HA. The overweight child: Bone and Muscle Development. Forum on Musculoskeletal Interactions. Black Forest, Germany. May 2005.

Petit MA, Beck TJ, Shults J, Zemel B, Foster BJ, Leonard MB. Proximal femur bone bending strength is appropriately adapted to muscle mass in overweight children and adolescents. ASBMR 26th annual meeting. Seattle, WA. September, 2004.

*Lloyd T, Petit M, Lin H, Bentley C, Beck T. Mechanical adaptation to weight gain in late adolescence: Do Fat Kids Have Weaker Bones? ASBMR 26th annual meeting. Seattle, WA. September, 2004.

Burnham JM, Shults J, Semeao E, Petit MA, Beck TJ, Zemel BS, Leonard MB. Altered geometry of the proximal femur reduces cortical bone strength in pediatric Crohns disease. ASBMR 26th annual meeting. Seattle, WA. September, 2004.

*Petit MA, Beck TJ, Lin H, Bentley C, Lloyd T. Adult Bone Structure and Strength are Influenced by Lean Mass, Exercise History, and Estradiol Levels: The 10-year Longitudinal Penn State Young Women's Health Study. ASBMR 25th annual meeting. Minneapolis, MN. September, 2003. Young Investigator Award

*MacKelvie KJ, Petit MA, Khan KM, McKay HA. Femoral Neck Bone Strength Changes in Prepubertal Boys: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a 2-Year, School-Based Exercise Intervention. ASBMR 25th annual meeting. Minneapolis, MN. September, 2003.

Whipple TJ, Le B, Demers L, Petit MA, Sharkey N, Williams NI. Acute Effects of Moderate Intensity Resistance Exercise on Bone Cell Activity. ASBMR 25th annual meeting. Minneapolis, MN. September, 2003.

Petit MA, Beck TJ, Oreskovic TL, Uusi-Rasi K, Bentley C, Lin H-M, Lloyd T. Site-specific effects of adolescent physical activity and body weight on adult bone strength and geometry: Findings from the Penn State Young Women’s Health Study. ASBMR 24th annual meeting. San Antonio, TX. September, 2002.

Oreskovic TL, Petit MA, Uusi-Rasi K, Bentley C, Tulchinsky M, Beck T, Lloyd T. Changes in bone geometry and body composition during adolescence: Findings from the Penn State Young Women’s Health Study. ASBMR 24th annual meeting. San Antonio, TX. September, 2002.

*Petit MA, Oreskovic TL, Beck TJ, Tulchinsky M, Lloyd T. High activity during adolescence influences adult bone strength: Findings from the Penn State Young Women’s Health Study. Children’s Bone Health Conference. Sheffield, UK. June, 2002. Young Investigator Award.

*Petit MA, McKay HA, MacKelvie KJ, Heinonen A, Khan KM, Beck TJ. Bone structural adaptation to exercise in pre- and early-pubertal girls: A randomized intervention trial. ASBMR annual meeting in Phoenix, AZ. October, 2001.

Khan KM, Carter N, Donaldson M, Waterman C, Mallinson A, Kruse K, Petit MA, McKay HA. “Osteofit”, a community based exercise program is effective for improving dynamic balance in 69-year old women who have osteoporosis. ASBMR annual meeting in Phoenix, AZ. October, 2001.

*MacKelvie KJ, McKay HA, Petit MA, Khan KM, Crocker PRE. Jumping intervention augments change in bone mineral content and areal density in average, but not high body mass, prepubertal Asian and Caucasian boys. ASBMR annual meeting in Phoenix, AZ. October, 2001.

Hitchcock CL, Kramer L, Petit MA, Joseph L, Barr SI, McKay HA, Vigna YM, Berger C, Lentle B, Prior JC and the CaMOS Research Group. Weight cycling – A population risk factor for prevalent fragility fracture in men: data from the Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study. ASBMR annual meeting in Phoenix, AZ. October, 2001.

*McKay HA, Heinonen A, Petit MA, Khan KM. The growing skeleton: A comparison of MRI, DXA, and cross-sectional geometric changes at the proximal femur over 7-months. ASBMR annual meeting in Phoenix, AZ. October, 2001.

Petit MA, Kramer L, Hitchcock C, Barr SI, McKay HA, Vigna YM, Prior JC. Weight cycling and depression - new risk factors for osteoporosis: B.C. Centre of the Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study (CaMOS) cross-sectional data. ASBMR annual meeting in Toronto, ON, October, 2000.

Petit MA, Barr SI, Prior JC, Vigna YM. Eating attitudes influence bone health in peripubertal girls (abstract). Endocrine Society 82nd annual meeting, Toronto, ON, July 2000.

Barr SI, Petit MA, Prior JC, Vigna YM. High oral control scores are associated with lower bone mass in peripubertal girls (abstract). Dietitians' of Canada annual meeting, 2000.

Petit MA, McKay HA, Bailey DA, Wallace WM. Size, location and rotation: Implications for the analysis of DXA scans of the femoral neck region in pediatric populations (abstract). Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 14(suppl):S250, 1999. Presented at the ASBMR annual meeting in St. Louis, MO, October, 1999.

McKay HA, Petit MA, Bailey DA, Wallace WM. Standardization issues when analyzing proximal femur DXA scans in growing children: A 7-year longitudinal comparison of 6 analyses protocols (abstract). Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. 14(suppl):S250, 1999.

McKelvie KJ, McKay HA, Petit MA, Schutz RW. Familial relationship in proximal femur bone mineral density is related to child’s stage of maturity (abstract). Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 14(suppl):S228, 1999.

*Petit MA, McKay HA. Randomized 8-month jumping intervention: Effects on proximal femur bone mineral in Asian- and Caucasian-Canadian children (abstract). Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 31(suppl):S83, 1999. Presented in Seattle, WA, May, 1999.

Petit MA, McKay HA, Khan KM, Schutz RW. Gender comparisons of bone mineral in prepubescent Asian- and Caucasian-Canadian children (abstract). Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 5(Suppl):S475, 1998. Presented in San Francisco, CA, December, 1998.

McKay HA, Petit MA, Khan KM, Schutz RW. Lifestyle determinants of bone mineral: A comparison between prepubertal Asian- and Caucasian-Canadian children (abstract). Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 5(Suppl):S493, 1998.

Petit MA, Prior JC, Vigna YM. Neuroendocrine adaptation causes reversible ovulation disturbance with marathon training: prospective controlled study in ovulatory women. International Society of Psychoneuroendocrinology (ISPNE) Conference Proceedings 1998. Trier, Germany, July 1998.

*Petit MA, Prior JC, Barr SI, Vigna YM. Exercise-associated cancellous bone change: Positive effect of ovulation (abstract). Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 1997 29 (5): S196. Denver, CO, May, 1997

July 2005