Dr. Acevedo’s primary research focus is on the impact of stress and fitness level on an individual’s health. He has examined the effects of concurrent mental and physical challenges on cardiorespiratory responses, and indicators of inflammation and endothelial wall function. More recently, his research group has conducted a number of research projects focused on telomere length, a biological marker of cellular age. Physical activity prevents the premature shortening of telomere lengths that occurs with chronic levels of psychological stress. By investigating the cellular components attributed to the preservation of telomere length, his laboratory provides a novel approach to examining cellular mechanisms that help to explain the benefits of physical activity to various chronic diseases.