Dr. Pender developed the Health Promotion Model that is used internationally for research, education, and practice. During her active research career, she conducted research testing on the Health Promotion Model with adults and adolescents. She also developed the program “Girls on the Move” with her research team and began intervention research into the usefulness of the model in helping adolescents adopt physically active lifestyles, developing a number of instruments that measure components of the model. In retirement, she consults on health promotion research nationally and internationally.