Troy Blackburn

Troy Blackburn is a Professor of Exercise and Sport Science and Adjunct Professor of Orthopaedics and Health Sciences.  He currently serves as Department Chair, and served as the Assistant Department Chair and the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Research in the College of Arts & Sciences from 2016 to 2023.

Dr. Blackburn’s research is focused on understanding neuromuscular and biomechanical factors that influence the risk of developing knee osteoarthritis following ACL injury and novel rehabilitation approaches for reducing this risk and disability.  He has published more than 175 peer-reviewed journal articles, and his work has been funded by the US Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, and National Science Foundation.  He was the recipient of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Research & Education Foundation David H. Perrin Outstanding Dissertation Award (2007) and Freddie H. Fu New Investigator Award (2009), and the American College of Sports Medicine Biomechanics Interest Group Career Achievement Award (2022).  He is also a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, National Athletic Trainers’ Association, and National Academy of Kinesiology.

Prior to joining the EXSS faculty in 2006, Dr. Blackburn received a BA in Exercise and Sport Science (Athletic Training Concentration) from UNC-Chapel Hill (1998), a MS in Sports Medicine from the University of Pittsburgh (2000), and a PhD in Human Movement Science (Biomechanics Concentration) from UNC-Chapel Hill (2004).