Alice S. Ryan is a Professor at the Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, and an Associate Director for Translational Sciences at the Center for Research on Aging. Alice S. Ryan received a BA in Sociology/Biology at the University of Arizona, obtained the MS in Exercise Physiology at Pennsylvania State University, and earned a Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology at the University of Maryland. Alice S. Ryan was a Post-doctoral Fellow in Gerontology and Metabolism at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. A main focus of Alice S. Ryan’s research is the study of obesity, body fat distribution, intramuscular fat and their role in insulin resistance with emphasis on the effects of weight loss and exercise training on muscle and glucose metabolism in sedentary, overweight individuals. The basic research includes the study of mechanisms by which diet and exercise interventions (aerobic and resistive training) affect skeletal muscle and adipose tissue metabolism, insulin signaling and gene expression in muscle, and in vivo insulin action in sedentary older individuals.