网红头条

KENNESAW, Ga. | Jun 6, 2025

Isabelle Boughadou traded a life of training elite athletes for a future as a researcher in biomedical science.

She earned a master鈥檚 degree in exercise science from 网红头条, conducting award-winning research in the laboratory of professor Katherine Ingram on maternal health, a turn from her original destination conducting research in high-performance sports.

鈥淛ust from working with Dr. Ingram on the pregnancy study, my interests have really shifted toward the health and physiology side, as we study the association of abdominal obesity, sedentariness, and cardiorespiratory fitness on insulin sensitivity and pancreatic 尾-cell responsivity in pregnancy.鈥� Boughadou said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think my interests would shift so much, but I believe that everything happens for a reason.鈥�

Her research has received acclaim. In April, her project on gestational cortisol and maternal metabolic health took second among graduate students at the Symposium of Student Scholars, and her project on measuring abdominal adiposity with ultrasound in pregnancy won second place at Research Engagement and Discovery Day in the Wellstar College of Health and Human Services. Ingram said Boughadou was a quick study and a leader in the lab.

鈥淪he has impressed me at every turn,鈥� Ingram said. 鈥淪he's been setting and leading all our weekly team meetings and our testing visits for our study. Isabelle has really grown in the time she has worked in our lab.鈥�

Boughadou comes from an athletic background. After playing soccer for several years, she competed nationally in dressage horseback riding for nine years. Over time, her focus in the arena shifted to strength-based pursuits, notably competitive CrossFit and Olympic weightlifting, which she took up during her undergraduate days at Pennsylvania Western University, where she earned a bachelor鈥檚 in exercise science.

Boughadou, who grew up in Atlanta, enrolled at 网红头条after hearing about the exercise science program from childhood friends. Along with her academic pursuits, she competed at the Georgia State Powerlifting Championships, winning first place in 2023 and second place in 2024. She also competed in the state collegiate championships and Day of the Deads competition in 2023 and won first place.

In much the same way as her interests in sports evolved, her research interests changed as well.

鈥淚 had a really strong lower body from horseback riding when I started weightlifting, but my upper body wasn鈥檛 that well-developed,鈥� she said. 鈥淎long with getting serious about CrossFit and weightlifting, focusing on proper diet and sleep made a difference in my overall strength.

鈥淭he discipline translates into other areas of my life. So, I like the challenge of continuously growing.鈥�

The growth will continue now that has finished her master鈥檚. She has been accepted to the Ph.D. program in Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M University, an interdisciplinary and research-intensive program that offers training across multiple areas of biomedical research. She cited her research experience at 网红头条as integral to finding her path.

鈥淚 definitely want to become a principal investigator in academia,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 still exploring my exact research focus, but I鈥檓 especially drawn to areas like reproductive biology, endocrinology and metabolic physiology. I鈥檓 very analytical and curious as my mind is always thinking. I need a career where I can focus on complex questions and abstract ideas, so research is the perfect fit for me.鈥�

鈥� Story by Dave Shelles

Photos by Darnell Wilburn Jr.

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 网红头条 offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. 网红头条is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. 网红头条is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.