Zachary Yukio Kerr, PhD, MPH
Associate Professor of Exercise and Sport Science
Zachary Yukio Kerr, PhD, MPH, is an associate professor in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science at the University of North Carolina, and serves as Core Faculty with the UNC Injury Prevention Research Center. Kerr’s expertise provides leadership in traumatic brain injury research at IPRC. His research focuses on the evaluation of injury prevention strategies related to concussion and exertional heat stroke, with a focus on injury surveillance and survey research, and the epidemiology and prevention of injury in populations at high risk, including young athletes who are especially vulnerable to sports related traumatic brain injuries.
Kerr previously served as the director of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance Program. Kerr’s work has been funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute of Health, National Football League, National Athletic Trainers’ Association Research and Education Foundation, and National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment.
Kerr’s collaborations with numerous injury prevention, athletic training, and sports medicine experts have resulted in the publication of over 240 research articles. In 2018, Kerr was the recipient of the New Investigator Award, awarded by the American College of Sports Medicine. Kerr is highly interested in work related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity (DEI), and currently serves on the College of Arts and Sciences DEI Strategic Plan Committee, the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Faculty Diversity Advisory Committee, and the Classrooms Modernization Advisory Group (CMAG). Kerr is also a Carolina Covenant mentor.