Mary O. Whipple, PhD, RN, PHN, FSVM

Mary O. Whipple, PhD, RN, PHN, FSVM, is an Assistant Professor in the University of Minnesota School of Nursing. Her research focuses on understanding the health effects of sedentary behavior and physical inactivity on older adults with chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes and peripheral artery disease. Whipple aims to identify practical strategies that can be incorporated into daily life to help older adults increase their physical activity levels and reduce the time they spend sitting. She utilizes wearable activity monitors and techniques like flow-mediated dilation ultrasound to measure changes in vascular function with different activity patterns. Whipple previously completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Colorado examining vascular and metabolic impacts of sedentary behavior in women with type 2 diabetes. She earned her PhD from the University of Minnesota in 2019 where her dissertation explored the effects of supervised exercise therapy on sedentary behavior in individuals living with peripheral artery disease.

The SRSB is designed to evaluate an individual’s confidence in their ability to interrupt their sedentary behavior.  To request permission to use the SRSB, please complete the user agreement: z.umn.edu/SRSB.

• Sedentary Behavior, Physical Activity; Cardiovascular Disease; Diabetes; Peripheral artery disease; Vascular disease; Gerontology; Women's Health; Sex and Gender Differences; Nursing Research; Grant Writing and Development

• Society for Vascular Nursing
• Society for Vascular Medicine
• Midwest Nursing Research Society
• American Heart Association
• Gerontological Society of America
• Sigma Theta Tau International

My philosophy of teaching and advising is centered around the art and science of nursing. As a teacher, advisor, and mentor, I believe it is my responsibility to:

• Facilitate the development of supportive and trusting relationships with students
• Support student learning and foster a sense of curiosity
• Provide students with opportunities to develop and expand critical thinking and nursing skills using innovative and accessible methods
• Give timely feedback and be receptive to constructive criticism of my own teaching approaches/abilities

This philosophy is shaped by:

• My decade of experience as a research study coordinator and study participant
• Experience as a student at the University of Minnesota as a BSN and PhD student
• Mentorship by interdisciplinary team of clinicians and scientists

I expect my students and advisees to:

• Be accountable for their own learning through attending class sessions and meetings
• To communicate with me when challenges arise so that together we can identify solutions that will facilitate the student’s ability to succeed at their educational and professional goals
• Treat their peers, staff, and faculty in a way that reflects respect and responsibility

Sex Differences in the Effects of Breaking Up Sedentary Behavior on Vascular Function Among Older Adults with Type 2 Diabetes

Funding Source: Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health
(BIRCWH) K12 Scholar Training Program (K12AR084223)
Principal Investigators: Allen, Sharon; Thyagarajan, Bharat; Mark, Kristen
Role: Scholar/Project PI
Project Period: 07/16/2023-07/15/2026

Participation and Outcomes of Supervised Exercise Therapy for Peripheral Artery Disease: 2017-2023

Funding Source: Building the Evidence Base for Vascular Medicine, Society for Vascular Medicine
Principal Investigator: Whipple, Mary O.
Project Period: 06/21/2023-08/25/2023

Prolonged Sedentary Behavior in Older Women with Type 2 Diabetes: A Program of Research to Understand Knowledge, Engagement, and Relationship to Cardiometabolic Risk

Funding Source: Loan Repayment Program, National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health (L30NRO19425)
Principal Investigator: Whipple, Mary O.
Project Period: 07/01/2020 - 06/30/2022

Understanding the Role of Knowledge, Mood, and Sense of Meaning in Sedentary Behavior Engagement Among Older Women with Type 2 Diabetes

Funding Source: Ludeman Family Center for Women Health Research Junior Faculty Research Development Award, University of Colorado Anschultz Medical Campus
Principal Investigator: Whipple, Mary O.
Project Period: 09/01/2020 - 12/31/2021

Relationship Between Sedentary Behavior, Glucose Tolerance, and Microvascular Function in Older Women with Type 2 Diabetes

Funding Source: Small Grants Program, Division of General Internal Medicine, School of
Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Principal Investigator: Whipple, Mary O
Project Period: 2019 - 2021

Physiologic Effects of Prolonged Sedentary Bouts Among Older Women with and without Type 2 Diabetes

Funding Source: Integrative Physiology of Aging T32, Division of Geriatric Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Funded through National Institute of Aging, National Institutes of Health (T32AG000279)
Principal Investigator: Schwartz, Robert
Role: Postdoctoral Fellow/Project PI
Project Period: 2019 - 2021

Role of Diabetes and Sedentary Time in Outcomes of Structured Exercise Therapy for Peripheral Artery Disease

Funding Source: NIH NINR Natl Inst of Nursing
Principal Investigator: Whipple, Mary O.
Award Dates: 2017 - 2019

Diabetes and Sedentary Time in Outcomes of Exercise in PAD

Funding Source: Midwest Nursing Research Society
Principal Investigator: Whipple, Mary O.
Award Dates: 2017 - 2019

Barriers to Physical Activity and Association with Geriatric Syndromes in Older Adults with Peripheral Artery Disease 

Funding Source: National Hartford Center for Gerontological Nursing Excellence
Principal Investigator: Whipple, Mary O
Award Dates: 2015 – 2018

Kim ESH, Arya S, Bryce Y, Gornik HL, Long CA, McDermott MM, West Pollak A, Rowe VL, Sullivan AE, Whipple MO; American Heart Association Council on Peripheral Vascular Disease; Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing; Council on Clinical Cardiology; Council on Genomic and Precision Medicine; Council on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research; and Stroke Council (2025). Sex differences in peripheral vascular disease: A Scientific Statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation, 151(14), e877-e904. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000001310.

Smolderen, KG, Ujueta F, Buckley Behan D, Vlaeyen JW, Jackson EA, Peters M, Whipple MO, Phillips, K., Chung, J., Mena-Hurtado, C., on behalf of the American Heart Association Council on Peripheral Vascular Disease; Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing; and Council on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research (2025). Understanding the pain experience and treatment considerations along the spectrum of peripheral artery disease: A Scientific Statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, 18(3). doi: 10.1161/HCQ.0000000000000135

Whipple MO, Burt MA, Pergolski AL, McArthur P, Treat-Jacobson D, Salisbury DL (2024). Uptake and outcomes of supervised exercise therapy for peripheral artery disease: The importance of vascular medicine specialists at a large midwestern health care system during the first 5 years of CMS reimbursement. Vascular Medicine, 29(2), 112-119.  doi: 10.1177/1358863X231215246

Whipple, MO, Bergouignan A, Hooker SA (2023). Development and initial Validation of a measure to assess self-efficacy to reduce sedentary behavior. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. doi https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0000000000003215

Whipple MO, Pinto AJ, Abushamat LA, Bergouignan A, Chapman K, Huebschmann AG, Masters KS, Nadeau KJ, Scalzo RL, Schauer IE, Rafferty D, Reusch JEB, Regensteiner JG (2022). Sex differences in physical activity among individuals with type 2 diabetes across the lifespan: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Diabetes Care, 45(9), 2163-2177. doi:  https://doi.org/10.2337/dc22-0576

Whipple MO, Masters KS, Huebschmann AG, Scalzo RL, Reusch JEB, Bergouignan A, Regensteiner JG (2021). Acute effects of sedentary breaks on vascular health in adults at risk for type 2 diabetes: A systematic review. Vascular Medicine, 26(4), 448-458. doi:  https://doi.org/10.1177/1358863x211009307

Whipple, MO, Henkin S, Chaudhury P, Clark V, Gornik H L (2023). Strengthening the VMJ pipeline: Initial experience of the Next Generation Editorial Board. Vascular Medicine, 28(1), 3-5. doi:  https://doi.org/10.1177/1358863x231152026

Whipple MO, Schorr EN, Talley KMC, Lindquist R, Wolfson J, Bronas UG, Treat-Jacobson D (2021). Individual differences in response to supervised exercise therapy for peripheral artery disease. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 43(8), 770-784 doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0193945920977479

Whipple MO, Schorr EN, Talley KMC, Wolfson J, Lindquist R, Bronas UG, Treat-Jacobson D (2020). Influence of changes in sedentary time on outcomes of supervised exercise therapy in individuals with comorbid peripheral artery disease and type 2 diabetes. Annals of Vascular Surgery, 68, 369-383. doi:  tps://doi.org/10.1016/j.avsg.2020.03.040

Whipple MO, Schorr EN, Talley KMC, Lindquist R, Bronas UG, Treat-Jacobson D (2018). Variability in individual response to aerobic exercise interventions among older adults. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 26(4), 655-670. doi: https://doi.org/10.1123/japa.2017-0054

• Causes and consequences of physical inactivity and sedentary behavior in older adults
• Supporting behavior change and self-management in individuals with type 2 diabetes
• Preventing cardiovascular complications of diabetes