Stuart Warden earned his bachelor’s degree in physiotherapy and Ph.D. from the University of Melbourne in 1997 and 2001, respectively. He completed postdoctoral training at the Australian Institute of Sport in 2001 and later at the Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) in 2003. He joined the IU School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences as an assistant professor in 2004. He was later promoted to associate professor in 2010 and full professor in 2017. In 2022, he became a Chancellor’s Professor of Physical Therapy and the associate dean for research within the School of Health & Human Sciences at IU in Indianapolis.
Warden’s research focuses on the form and function of the musculoskeletal system with a particular interest in bone stress injuries (including stress fractures) and the contribution of physical activity to skeletal health. He directs the Musculoskeletal Function, Imaging, and Tissue Resource Core (or FIT Core) within the Indiana Center for Musculoskeletal Health and has contributed to over 150 peer-reviewed publications, including in high-impact journals such as Nature Reviews Disease Primers, Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. He has received funding from numerous agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, the National Health & Medical Research Council, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Basketball Association, and the Department of Defense.
Warden has served as Deputy Editor for the British Journal of Sports Medicine and Associate Editor for the Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy and Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise. He has taught within the Indiana University Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program since 2005 with his teaching being recognized by students (Golden Goniometer Award), colleagues (Trustee Teaching Awards), and the discipline (American Society of Bone and Mineral Research Early Career Excellence in Teaching Award). Warden is currently on a quest to complete each of the world’s major marathons.