Jereme D. Wilroy, Ph.D., has built his research career around a clear mission: improving health, physical activity and quality of life for people with disabilities through accessible, evidence-based programs that meet people where they are.
A behavioral researcher, Wilroy focuses on developing and testing physical activity interventions for people with mobility-related disabilities, particularly wheelchair users. His work addresses a major health equity issue: People with disabilities often face significant barriers to exercise, including limited access to adaptive programs, transportation challenges, a lack of trained professionals and environments that are not designed with disability in mind.
Through his research lab and collaborative teams, Wilroy aims to reduce these barriers by designing programs that are scalable, practical and grounded in the lived experiences of people with disabilities. His work emphasizes telehealth delivery, adaptive exercise, behavior change and long-term health promotion for individuals who have historically been underserved in traditional physical activity research and practice.
One example of that mission in action is the CHIME study, short for Cardiometabolic Health Intervention using Music and Exercise. Now in its fourth year, CHIME is a National Institutes of Health-funded research project led by Wilroy and conducted by a multidisciplinary team committed to advancing accessible exercise research for adult wheelchair users. The study is designed to evaluate whether a telehealth-delivered, movement-to-music exercise program can improve physical activity and cardiometabolic health.
The CHIME study has recruited more than 50 participants, marking an important milestone for the project. Participants have demonstrated high adherence to the program and have reported high levels of satisfaction with their experience, suggesting the movement-to-music format is both feasible and engaging for wheelchair users.
“CHIME reflects the kind of work our team is committed to,” Wilroy said. “We want to create exercise programs that are not only scientifically rigorous but also accessible, enjoyable and realistic for people to use in their everyday lives.”
The project uses virtual delivery to help reduce common barriers to participation, allowing individuals to engage in exercise from home. The intervention incorporates choreographed movement routines designed to be adaptable for a wide range of abilities, with support from the study team throughout the program.
For Wilroy, CHIME is part of a larger vision to build a stronger evidence base for disability-inclusive health promotion. His lab’s mission is to lead and support team science that helps people with disabilities increase physical activity, improve health outcomes and gain access to programs that support long-term wellness.
“People with disabilities deserve health promotion programs that are designed with them in mind from the beginning,” Wilroy said. “Our goal is to develop interventions that can improve individual health while also informing clinical practice, community programming and future research.”
Individuals interested in learning more about the CHIME study can visit chime-time.org.
