The College of Education consistently ranks among the top in the nation. This is largely due to the effort our students and faculty put into research. In fact, in 2018, the College of Education was ranked third in research expenditures among public colleges by the U.S. News and World Report.
The Department of Kinesiology and Health Education mirrors this success. It is ranked #9 by the National Academy of Kinesiology and has consistently averaged research expenditures above $4 million/year. This success is due to the work of several research labs and facilities aimed at promoting and understanding physical activity, health promotion, movement, behavior, physical culture and sport. Research in our department is funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and many foundation and corporate funders. This page highlights some of the many research accomplishments of the Department.
You've got to move it move it!
Features
E-cigarettes and Youth Discovery Minute
Join Professor Alexandra Loukas as she discusses the alarming jump in e-cigarette use within the past year among high school and middle school-age students.
The Power of Prediction
The Health & Integrative Physiology Lab identifies biomarkers that predict those at increased risk for these diseases or progressing to serious complications.
How to Choose a Sport for your Son or Daughter
Matt Bowers offers advice about how parents can navigate choosing the right sport for their son or daughter.
Labs and Research Areas
Autonomic Control of Circulation LaboratoryInvestigates the effects of type 1 and type 2 diabetes on the neural control of circulation during exercise. |
Cardiovascular Aging Research LaboratoryInvestigates the influence of aging and lifestyle modifications on vascular function and disease risks. |
Clinical Exercise Physiology LaboratoryExamines the cardiovascular limitations to exercise capacity in healthy individuals and clinical populations. |
Exercise & Sport Psychology LaboratoryDevelops interventions to increase physical activity and health eating, and seeks to understand the benefits of exercise for mental health. |
FALCON LabStudies the organization of memory systems with the goal of developing targeted treatments for memory disorders. |
Fitness Institute of TexasProvides clinical research services for health/fitness research and conducts the popular “Get FIT” program. Outcome measures include body composition, bone density, and cardio-respiratory and musculoskeletal health assessments. |
Health and Integrative Physiology LaboratoryInvestigates the mechanisms underlying the link between lifestyle behaviors, metabolic health, and chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in at-risk populations. |
Human Locomotion LabStudies how biomechanics affect physiology and performance. |
Human Performance LaboratoryInvestigating the types of physical activity and exercise that keep people healthy and allow them to achieve their physical potential. |
Kinetic KidzExamines the correlation between metabolic risk factors and cognitive health in children and young adults to determine how those factors may affect future health. |
Migration and Health LabFocuses on better understanding how migration-related factors influence vulnerability to substance abuse and related harms among Latino communities in the US and Mexico. |
Neuro Cardiovascular Control LaboratoryInvestigates the underlying mechanisms for attenuated vascular function and heightened sympathetic activation in at-risk populations such as African Americans and in clinical populations. |
Neuromuscular Physiology Research LaboratoryConducts studies specializing in the investigation of neuromuscular control patterns in healthy, clinical and aging populations with the use of intramuscular fine-wire recording and electrical stimulation. |
Neurorehabilitation and Biomechanics LabSeeks to understand the mechanisms of biomechanical and neuromuscular control of normal and pathological movements and to apply this knowledge to design interventions that improve functional movements. |
Physical Activity and Core LaboratorySupports investigators conducting research related to physical activity and exercise interventions. |
Physical Culture and Sport Studies at the Stark CenterThe world’s most extensive collection of materials, books, journals, and artifacts covering topics of sport training, sport history, sport philosophy, sport management, physical culture and alternative medicine. |
Prevention Research LabExamines how the marketing of unhealthy products impacts youth and young adults’ behaviors. Explores how risk behaviors may co-occur among adolescents and young adults. |
Sensorimotor Neuroplasticity LabStudies the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying control of normal and abnormal human movement. |
Sport + Development LabAn innovative network of research groups and practitioners working to advance the development of sport systems and sport’s impact on individuals and communities. |
Stress Adaptation and Health ResilienceFocus areas include diabetes self-management interventions, the role of positive emotions in reducing depressive symptoms, and the relationship between chronic psychosocial stress and metabolic health. |
Tobacco Research and Evaluation TeamConducts research on youth and young adult tobacco use, and develops effective tobacco prevention programs and intervention tools that are easily accessible for various populations. |