Maria Canino

Bio

Dr. Maria Canino is completing a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS). In her role, she aims to expand her work into nutrition and dietary supplements, using her experience to improve health and physical performance across the lifespan. Prior to joining ODS, Dr. Canino gained extensive experience in human performance research across diverse populations, including the general public, athletes, and military service members. During her pre-doctoral research fellowship at the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), she contributed to the development of the U.S. Army Occupational Physical Assessment Test (OPAT), a standardized physical employment test for recruits entering the Army.

During her doctoral training, Dr. Canino investigated the bidirectional interactions between the brain and musculoskeletal system in vivo. She used advanced techniques to understand the central mechanisms that govern human performance and the brain’s adaptations to musculoskeletal injuries.

Dr. Canino holds a B.S. in Exercise Science and a M.S. in Exercise Physiology from Illinois State University, and a Ph.D. In Rehabilitation Science from University of Pittsburgh.