Dr. Christopher Kline is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health and Human Development. His research focuses on the interrelationships between physical activity, sleep, and cardiometabolic risk. Specifically, research focuses on three central topics: (1) the use of physical activity as a behavioral treatment for disturbed sleep (e.g., insomnia, sleep apnea) and the health consequences of these sleep disturbances; (2) how poor sleep impacts physical activity behavior; and (3) the independent and combined influences of physical activity and sleep on cardiometabolic risk. Dr. Kline also has a long-standing interest in studying the impact of sleep and circadian rhythms on athletic performance.
Born and raised in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Dr. Kline earned his BA in Sports Science from Malone College and his MS and PhD in Exercise Science from the University of South Carolina. He first came to Pittsburgh as a postdoctoral scholar with the University of Pittsburgh Sleep and Chronobiology research group, and later joined the Pitt faculty as an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry. He has been faculty in the School of Education since 2015.
Dr. Kline’s ExerSleep research group is always looking for motivated students. Please contact Dr. Kline for additional information about current openings. If you are a Pitt undergraduate or MS student who is interested in gaining volunteer research experience with our group, please contact Dr. Kline. The minimum commitment expected is 5-10 hours per week for at least 2 semesters. Students will gain hands-on experience at all stages of the research process, including sleep assessment methodology (e.g., actigraphy, polysomnography).
Dr. Kline teaches courses in the Health and Physical Activity academic programs. Presently, he teaches Physiology of Exercise (HHD 1042) and Research in Sports Science (HHD 1031) in the undergraduate program, and Physical Activity and Health (HHD 2268) in the graduate program.
Dr. Kline also serves as Program Coordinator for the Exercise Physiology PhD program.
Exercise as a behavioral treatment for sleep disorders (insomnia, sleep apnea)
Bidirectional relationships between physical activity and sleep
Cardiometabolic risks of subclinical sleep disturbance and sleep disorders
Sleep as a pathway through which physical activity improves cardiometabolic health
Sleep assessment technology and actigraphy editing standardization
Impact of sleep and circadian rhythms on athletic performance and recovery
Knutson KL, Dixon DD, Grandner MA, Jackson CL, Kline CE, Maher L, Makarem N, Martino TA, St-Onge MP, Johnson DA. Role of circadian health in cardiometabolic health and disease risk: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation 2025;152(21):e408-e419. PMID: 41147137.
Cheruka CA, Sherman SA, Quinn TD, Giordano EG, Lebegern SM, Lehrer HM, Buysse DJ, Davis KK, Kline CE. Effects of a single-evening vinyasa yoga session on sleep in US adults with insomnia symptoms. J Clin Ex Physiol 2025;14(3):75-84. PDF
St-Onge MP, Aggarwal B, Fernandez-Mendoza J, Johnson D, Kline CE, Knutson KL, Redeker N, Grandner MA. Multidimensional sleep health: definitions and implications for cardiometabolic health: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 2025;18(5):e000139. PMID: 40223596.
Kline CE, Kubala AG, Kowalsky RJ, Barone Gibbs B. The effect of replacing prolonged sitting with intermittent standing during a simulated workday on the subsequent night’s sleep. Sleep Biol Rhythms 2025;23(1):67-74. PMID: 39801934; PMCID: PMC11717747.
Thurston RC, Chang Y, Kline CE, Swanson LM, El Khoudary SR, Jackson EA, Derby CA. Trajectories of sleep over midlife and incident cardiovascular disease events in the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation. Circulation 2024;149(7):545-555. PMID: 38284249; PMCID: PMCID: PMC10922947.
Co-Investigator. Contributions of sleep to preclinical and clinical Alzheimer’s disease. NIH National Institute of Aging (R01 AG062531); 03/2021-02/2026 (NCE).
Co-Investigator. Sedentary behavior, physical activity, sleep, and cardiovascular risk in pregnancy: the Pregnancy 24/7 cohort study. NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01 HL153095); 09/2020-08/2026 (NCE).
Principal Investigator. Reducing sedentary behavior to improve sleep: an ancillary study to the RESET BP clinical trial. NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01 HL147610); 04/2019-02/2024.
Principal Investigator. Disentangling subclinical cardiovascular risk associated with insomnia, short sleep duration, and their combination. NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R03 HL148357); 08/2019-07/2021.
Principal Investigator. A novel risk factor for cardiovascular disease: the insomnia-short sleep phenotype. NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (K23 HL118318); 01/2014 – 12/2019.
- Fellow, American Heart Association (2025)
- American Heart Association Steven N. Blair Award for Excellence in Physical Activity Research (2024)
- Fellow, American College of Sports Medicine (2020)
Dr. Kline is an editorial board member of three journals: (1) Journal of Activity, Sedentary and Sleep Behaviors; (2) Mental Health and Physical Activity; and (3) Sleep. He also currently serves on the Sleep Health Committee for the American Heart Association.
