Derek Monroe

Derek Monroe is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Exercise & Sport Science at UNC Chapel Hill. Leveraging his multidisciplinary training in neuroscience, psychology, and physiology, Dr. Monroe’s current research uses multimodal brain imaging to define novel measures of brain health in populations that are at risk for TBI and associated long-term sequelae (e.g., athletes, warfighters). His research interests include (i) the acute changes in brain structure and function after (sub)concussion, (ii) how those changes affect downstream brain development and brain aging, and (iii) how lifestyle factors—like sleep and physical activity—modify these trajectories.

Prior to joining the EXSS faculty in 2024, Dr. Monroe received is BA in Psychobiology from Occidental College and his MS and PhD in Kinesiology (Exercise Psychology concentration) from the University of Georgia. He also completed an NIH-sponsored Postdoctoral Training Program in the Department of Neurology at the University of California, Irvine.