College of Education and Human Development

School of Kinesiology

Daniel Craighead

  • Assistant Professor, Exercise Physiology

Headshot of Daniel Craighead

Areas of interest

  • Exercise physiology
  • Cardiovascular function
  • Hypertension 
  • Thermoregulation 
  • Time-efficient exercise 
  • Human performance
Degrees

2017 - 2020 University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO; Postdoctoral Fellowship
2012 - 2017 The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA; PhD Kinesiology
2008 - 2012 Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY; BS Exercise and Sports Science

Biography

My research revolves around understanding why the cardiovascular system becomes dysfunctional with aging and disease, and testing potential therapies for improving cardiovascular function. I am particularly interested in novel forms of physical activity that may overcome barriers to exercise adherence, such as time-efficient forms of physical training. I also investigate ways to improve exercise performance in endurance athletes. My recent research funding has been to investigate high-resistance inspiratory muscle strength training (IMST), a type of breathing exercise to lower blood pressure and improve health. Results from my work on IMST have been covered by NPR and the University of Colorado Boulder.

I am accepting new masters and PhD students.

Awards and Honors

  • NIH R03 Small Research Grant Program Award: Smartphone app-guided
    inspiratory muscle strength training for lowering systolic blood pressure. (2024-
    2026)
  • NIH K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development Award: Novel time-
    efficient inspiratory muscle strength training for lowering systolic blood pressure
    and improving endothelial, cerebrovascular, and cognitive function (2020-2025)
  • American Physiological Society, Caroline tum Suden Frances A. Hellenbrandt
    Professional Development Opportunity Award – Postdoctoral (2020)
  • Environmental & Exercise Physiology (EEP) Gatorade Sport Science Institute
    Postdoctoral Research Award (2019)
  • American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellowship: Efficacy of inspiratory
    muscle strength training for improving blood pressure and vascular function in
    mid-life adults (2018-2020)
  • Joseph and Jean Britton Graduate Fellows Endowment (2016-2017)

Positions and Academic Appointments

2024 - Present, Assistant Professor, School of Kinesiology, University of Minnesota
2022 - 2024, Assistant Director of Clinical Research, Integrative Physiology of Aging Laboratory, University of Colorado Boulder
2020 - 2024, Research Assistant Professor, Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder

Publications

Google Scholar
UMN Experts

  1. Craighead DH, Freeberg KA, Heinbockel TC, Rossman MJ, Jackman RA, McCarty NP, Jankowski LR, Nemkov T, Reisz JA, D’Alessandro A, Chonchol M, Bailey EF, Seals DR. Time-efficient, high-resistance inspiratory muscle strength training increases exercise tolerance in midlife and older adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc 56(2): 266-276, 2024.
  2. Freeberg KA, Udovich CC, Martens CR, Seals DR, Craighead DH. Dietary supplementation with NAD+-bloosting compounds in humans: current knowledge and future directions. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 78(12): 2435-2448, 2023.
  3. Craighead DH, Tavoian D, Freeberg KA, Mazzone JL, Vranish JR, DeLucia CM, Seals DR, Bailey EF. A multi-trial, retrospective analysis of the antihypertensive effects of high-resistance, low-volume inspiratory muscle strength training. J Appl Physiol 133(4): 1001-1010, 2022.
  4. Craighead DH, Heinbockel TC, Freeberg KA, Rossman MJ, Jackman RA, Jankowski LR, Hamilton MN, Ziemba BP, Reisz JA, D’Alessandro A, Brewster LM, DeSouza CA, You Z, Chonchol M, Bailey EF, Seals DR. Time-efficient inspiratory muscle strength training lowers blood pressure and improves endothelial function, NO bioavailability, and oxidative stress in midlife/older adults with above-normal blood pressure. J Am Heart Assoc 10(13): e020980, 2021.
  5. Heinbockel TC, Craighead DH. Case studies in physiology: impact of a long-distance hike on the Pacific Crest Trail on arterial function and body composition in a highly fit young male. Physiol Rep 9(5): e14767, 2021.
  6. Craighead DH, Freeberg KA, Seals DR. Vascular endothelial function in midlife/older adults classified according to 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association blood pressure guidelines. J Am Heart Assoc 9(17): e016625, 2020.