Physician Profile
Cris A. Slentz, PhD
Cris A. Slentz, PhD is a Senior Research Scientist at Duke University Medical Center. Cris received his Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science from Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, and his Master of Science degree in Exercise Physiology from the University of Arizona in Tucson. He received his PhD in 1988 from the University of South Carolina in Columbia after which he was awarded a two-year NIH Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship at Washington University Medical School in St. Louis, MO.
After his Post-Doctoral studies, Cris was an Assistant Professor at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska for three and a half years before he came to Duke University in 1995. He left Duke to teach Science at Neil Middle School here in Durham for two and a half years before returning to Duke to work with Cardiologist, William Kraus on the first large STRRIDE exercise training study in 1999. "I have been so very fortunate to be able to work with Bill Kraus and the rest of the research group for the past 10 years on two large exercise training studies and I am equally excited about the opportunity to work on the current exercise study in prediabetics." Cris has been involved with most every aspect of the NIH funded studies which were designed to determine the optimal amount and/or intensity of exercise for health benefits (STRRIDE I) or to compare the effects of aerobic exercise training versus resistance training on health benefits (STRRIDE II).
Cris is outgoing and enjoys talking about science, politics, the economy, families, philosophy, etc... He loves his work. "Working with such a talented and dedicated research team and visiting with and helping the study participants is great fun and truly rewarding." Cris also loves reading research papers, working with the STRRIDE data and writing scientific papers. One of his favorite things is relaxing at home on weekends with his family or going on family vacation at the beach - and of course reading. For exercise, Cris enjoys walking on the treadmill in the evenings and on weekends while watching a Netflix movie or TV show.
Cris was born in Springfield, Missouri and currently lives in Durham with his wife Dorothy (also a researcher at Duke and a competitive runner and swimmer), 16 year old daughter Hanna who attends Jordan High School, and 12 year old son Mitchell who attends Triangle Day School.
