Abby Smith, a Boston native, returned to the city this summer after spending four years…
TO ORACORE AND BEYOND: KHARA JAMES’ JOURNEY TO ORACORE AND HER EXCITING NEXT STEPS
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Khara James, hails from Mason Neck, VA and found her way to OrACORe in 2024 through the NIH-funded T32 COMET Program, which provides advanced training in clinical research methods for orthopedic and musculoskeletal conditions. Khara’s research focuses on understanding how human movement and physical activity behaviors influence disease prevention and progression. As a COMET trainee, she contributes to ongoing research projects (including KArAT and GLOW), engages in grant and manuscript writing, and is expanding her skills in the conduct of clinical trials, longitudinal data analysis, and qualitative research methods. Khara will be leaving OrACORe this summer to join the faculty at Providence College in the Department of Health Sciences.
It would be a shame to send our trainee Khara James along on her new journey as Assistant Professor at Providence College without first reminiscing upon her time at OrACORe and the winding road that led her here. Like many others who find themselves in the world of Rehabilitation Science or Sports Medicine, Khara’s interest in the field was sparked by her own athletic career. As a soccer player planning to compete at the collegiate level, two ACL tears in a single year threw her plans off course in her late teens. However, Khara’s recovery was both enlightening and fascinating because she became captivated by the rehabilitation process and the significant impact it had on her quality of life.
Inspired by this and her love for sport, Khara earned her BS in Exercise Science from the University of Pittsburgh with the idea that she would become a Physical Therapist. Her path took another bend; however, when she landed her first job as a research assistant on a project investigating the utility of a yoga intervention for adults with obesity. She quickly fell in love with the research and her ability to apply her knowledge in exercise science to make a tangible difference in people’s lives. Khara describes this experience as the “kickstart” to her life in academic research as it encouraged her to continue her education at the University of Pittsburgh and earn her Master’s Degree in Health, Physical Activity, and Chronic Disease. Afterwards, she stayed in Pittsburgh to work for the Human Engineering Research Laboratories, where she collaborated with engineers and clinicians to develop a physical activity monitoring system – much like a Fitbit – that provides manual wheelchair users a method to measure and track their daily energy expenditure. Khara notes how rewarding it was to make physical activity more accessible to individuals who experience barriers to exercise.
The next leg of Khara’s journey took place in Boston at Northeastern University, where she earned her PhD in Human Movement and Rehabilitation Science. Here, she switched her focus to orthopedics with the same underlying motivation of improving people’s lives through movement. Throughout each endeavor, Khara’s ability to connect with individual stakeholders remained a constant source of inspiration. Khara joined OrACORe in 2024 through the COMET program because she was drawn to its strong emphasis on rigorous clinical research training and mentorship from Dr. Losina and Dr. Katz. She was especially excited by the opportunity to deepen her methodological expertise while continuing to pursue research with direct relevance to patient care and real-world outcomes, including new work on falls after knee replacement and efforts to support adults for whom physical activity is both a challenge and a source of rehabilitation. Here, Khara plays a role in each part of the research process – from grant writing to data collection to manuscript development.
While we will certainly miss Khara, we also could not be more excited for her to take on her new role at Providence College. In the months leading up to her new position, she notes that she is most excited to teach and to hopefully help some students catch “the research bug” as she did during her undergraduate years. Into this position, Khara brings a myriad of wisdom and advises those interested in research to be proactive and ask many questions early and often (especially when it feels intimidating). We are confident that Khara will be a great mentor and are excited to see what she will accomplish.
Despite research being a big part of her life, Khara also leads a rewarding personal life. Right now, she devotes most of her free time to her 18-month old daughter, whose personality is growing and changing each day. Outside of her position as Mom, Khara can also be found cycling, taking long walks along the esplanade, or exploring the many cafes and restaurants Boston has to offer. We know that you will have plenty more to explore in Providence, Khara!
