Roberto Benzo

Roberto Benzo is a health promotion and behavioral scientist and director of the Lifestyle Lab at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute. He studies how lifestyle behaviors influence cancer-related health outcomes to develop innovative lifestyle interventions to prevent disease, improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities.
   
Benzo combines quantitative, qualitative and design methods to advance science. He uses mHealth technologies such as fitness trackers and health apps to improve our understanding of lifestyle behaviors such as physical activity and sedentary behavior where people live, work, play and age. For example, fitness trackers allow us to passively sense and understand how individuals behave (physical activity, sleep, etc.) and react (heart rate, oxygen saturation, etc.) in real-world environments. He also uses ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) to collect information that may not be possible through passive sensing alone; for example, EMA can be used to understand fatigue patterns throughout an individual’s day. Lastly, Benzo's work integrates design and qualitative methodologies to identify empathic solutions to real-world problems.
   
The Lifestyle Lab strives to conduct transdisciplinary research that leads to a meaningful societal impact. The Lifestyle Lab is a venue for undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, health care providers, scientists and others to collaborate on behavioral science, mHealth and lifestyle research. Benzo welcomes volunteers who share the lab’s mission and are passionate about developing innovative methods through design, technology and science to empower individuals to live healthier within their means.
   
Benzo has authored or co-authored several publications in peer-reviewed journals including the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Psycho-Oncology, Journal of Clinical of Oncology and Pediatric Physical Therapy. He is  also a member of the Society of Behavioral Medicine and the American College of Sports Medicine.

• PhD, Health and Human Physiology, University of Iowa
• MS, Health and Human Physiology, University of Iowa
• BS, Biology, West Virginia University