Biography
Dr. Aguiñaga is committed to advancing the scientific knowledge that addresses health disparities in cognition and dementia-related diseases through community-based physical activity research. She received an Alzheimer's Association Research Fellowship to Promote Diversity grant for a study of sitting time, activity, and dementia in underserved populations in central Illinois and Chicago. She also has investigated relationships among cognitive function, lifestyle, and exercise after cancer treatment. Through her research, she hopes to increase diversity in dementia-related research and reverse growing disparities in physical activity and dementia-related diseases, with the ultimate goal of creating culturally appropriate physical activity interventions for racially and ethnically diverse older adults with cognitive impairment and dementia-related diseases.
Additional Campus Affiliations
Associate Professor, Health and Kinesiology
Associate Professor, Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Recent Publications
Adeyemi-Benson, O. S., Adamu, I., Schwingel, A., Khan, N., Aguiñaga, S., & Singleton, C. R. (Accepted/In press). The Relationship Between Dietary Behaviors and Cardiovascular Risk Factors Among West African Immigrants in Chicago,IL. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-026-02890-7
Guzman, J., Soto, Y., Aguiñaga, S., Aguirre, K., Marques, I., Vasquez, P. M., Wilcox, S., & Marquez, D. X. (Accepted/In press). Cultural threads of memory: barriers and motivations for brain health, physical activity and nutrition among middle-aged and older Latinos. Ethnicity and Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/13557858.2026.2635589
Bakare, J. O., Choi, S., Aguiñaga, S., Wang, Z., & Sebastião, E. (2025). Domain-Specific Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Older Adults With Mobility Disability Risk Residing in a Continuing Care Retirement Community: A Cross-Sectional Study. Journal of Aging Research, 2025(1), Article 7436862. https://doi.org/10.1155/jare/7436862
Canton, I., Jakachira, V., Blackman, D., Rose, H., & Aguiñaga, S. (2025). A culturally tailored community gardening approach to improving physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, and psychological health among African American women: A pre-post feasibility study. Health Promotion Perspectives, 15(2), 122-137. https://doi.org/10.34172/hpp.025.43243
Choi, S., Chen, J., Sebastião, E., Aguiñaga, S., & Haegele, J. (2025). Codesigning a Home-Based Exercise Program With and for People With Visual Impairments: A Needs Assessment. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 42(2), 173-192. https://doi.org/10.1123/apaq.2024-0045