Charles F. Kearns, PhD, earned his BS and an MSESS from the Department of Health and Human Performance at the University of Florida, Gainesville. He then continued his education at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, where he completed a PhD in equine exercise physiology. He was a postdoctoral research fellow at the National Institutes of Health and the Schering-Plough Research Institute, Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases.

Dr. Kearns' research focused on various aspects of skeletal muscular function, with a particular interest in metabolism and endocrinology. His work integrated molecular biology and systems physiology to investigate the interaction of phenotype and genotype in several models of obesity.

Prior to working as a scientific director for theheart.org, Dr. Kearns worked as a medical writer and an associate medical director. He is the author or coauthor of over 30 peer-reviewed scientific articles in such journals as Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, the Journal of Applied Physiology, the European Journal of Applied Physiology, and the British Journal of Sports Medicine. He brings a unique perspective to Medscape that derives from his diverse educational and research background and writing experience.