Dr. Brian Helsel is an Assistant Professor with the University of Kansas Alzheimer's Disease Research Center in the Department of Neurology at the University of Kansas Medical Center. He has a background in exercise physiology and physical activity epidemiology with over a decade of experience working with special populations in programs related to physical activity promotion.

Dr. Helsel is originally from Grand Rapids, MI but moved to South Carolina in 2014 where he served as a YMCA Healthy Living Director before starting his PhD at Clemson University in 2016. He gained valuable experience working with aging adults and individuals with disabilities through clinical- and community-based YMCA programs. In March of 2020, Dr. Helsel accepted a postdoctoral fellowship with the Division of Physical Activity and Weight Management at The University of Kansas Medical Center. His interests in the promotion of physical activity for chronic disease prevention in underserved populations, including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and Alzheimer’s Disease, aligned with the division’s on-going research portfolio.

Early in his training, Dr. Helsel developed an interest in wearable devices for the measurement of physical activity and the impact of exercise on Alzheimer's disease risk in adults with Down syndrome. This led to Dr. Helsel's current faculty appointment with the KU Alzheimer's Disease Research Center in the Department of Neurology and funding (K01 AG083130) with the National Institute of Aging and the NIH INCLUDE Project.