Craig advancing cancer research through early implementation of healthy lifestyles

Derek Craig, PhD ’22, MPH, is a UTHealth Houston School of Public Health alumnus and the newest faculty member in the UTHealth Houston Institute for Implementation Science and the School of Public Health. In January 2023, he joined UTHealth Houston’s NCI T32 Cancer Control Research Training Program as a postdoctoral fellow.

Craig’s current work and research is focused on the promotion of a whole-of-school approach to physical activity and developing strategies to help schools improve the adoption and implementation of physical activity in all aspects of the school day. This can include before- and after-school programs, such as run clubs; active transportation, like walking or riding a bike to school; and opportunities during the school day including physical education, recess, and classroom-based activities.

“There are many benefits associated with physical activity,” Craig said. “Physical activity can help with things like increasing cardiorespiratory fitness, boosting the immune system, and maintaining a healthy weight, all of which are important for preventing disease.”

Craig will spend his first year as a faculty member cultivating research on physical activity and healthy lifestyles as protective factors against cancer and other chronic diseases.

“In terms of the cancer control continuum, my focus is on prevention,” he said. “My goal is to promote physical activity, especially among younger children, in ways that help them commit to healthy behaviors for a lifetime. If we can accomplish this, we can decrease their risk of experiencing a cancer diagnosis in the long term.”

Craig is originally from Indiana and a first-generation college student. He earned a Bachelor of Science in kinesiology from Indiana University, and a Master of Public Health with a focus on community health practice from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois.

While in Chicago, Craig worked at Lurie Children’s Hospital where he focused on physical activity and childhood obesity prevention programs funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mentors noticed he excelled in health behavior theory and intervention development courses and encouraged him to pursue additional education and research opportunities.

This led him to UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, where he earned a PhD in Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences in 2022.

“A big reason why I came to UTHealth Houston as a student was the access I had to faculty across campuses,” Craig said. “The NCI T32 fellowship program provided invaluable mentorship and skill development in physical activity and implementation science research that helped launch my career in public health. I’m excited to join the faculty here at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health and be giving back to the program that developed me.”

Craig’s work has seen him collaborate with multiple school districts throughout the Houston area including Alvin ISD, Fort Bend ISD, Spring ISD, Spring Branch ISD, and most recently, Pearland ISD.