Research Labs

Director: Arend Van Gemmert, PhD

The FMCL researchers focus on how individuals are able to perform and (re)learn everyday manual tasks, like drawing, handwriting, pointing, and grasping objects. Although these tasks are performed seemingly effortless, challenges to the individual’s motor system as result of cognitive, environmental, and/or physiologic stress may diminish the efficiency of movements needed to perform these tasks. Furthermore, these challenges may get exacerbated as result of physiologic deterioration due to advanced age, neurological disease, and/or trauma. In addition, the FMCL aims to understand motor learning to enhance protocols and treatments to alleviate some of the challenges to the motor system as result of fore mentioned factors and to improve motor task performance in general.

Current projects include learning to adapt movement control in novel environments, practice protocol to enhance batting efficiency in baseball, and the use of a novel device to improve movement control of individuals with essential tremor. 

Director: Nicholas Fears, PhD

The Human Development & Daily Life (HuDDL) Lab is a research lab interested in how neurodivergent and neurotypical people develop. Specifically, we are interested in how complex relationships between motor, sensory, and cognitive processes impact the performance of activities of daily living, such as feeding, dressing, and playing games in neurotypical and neurodivergent development, especially autistic development. We want to use our research findings to improve the lives of neurodivergent people by adapting their environments and providing support for them to achieve their goals.

 Director: Chris Hill, PhD

The Motor Neuroscience Laboratory researches how our nervous system controls our body. Specifically, how our brain changes when learning new skills, how the brain makes decisions when we are moving, and how neurological disease impacts our ability to learn and perform new skills. To address these questions, we utilize behavioral assessments and neurophysiological techniques. The long-term goal of our research is to inform and develop rehabilitation approaches to improve the quality of life for those suffering from neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Director: Hyun K. Kim, PhD

Musculoskeletal & Human Motion Lab conducts research to enhance our understanding of musculoskeletal disorders and to develop preventative measures for individuals with impact-related injuries during sports. Currently, we are investigating the feasibility of identifying high-risk individuals with patella tendinopathy and providing evidence-based knowledge for enhancing personalized prevention strategies at the muscle-specific level, in a timely and cost-effective manner. Our research employs a diverse range of experimental and computational techniques, such as 3D motion analysis, computational modeling, Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), and a freehand 3D ultrasound system (3DUS).

Director: Jan Hondzinski, PhD

The ability to coordinate movements is essential to the human experience. Whether young or experienced, the abilities to work, play, and live require control of various parts of the body. Researchers in this lab study motor control and sensorimotor which involve the movement of multiple body segments, including the eyes, upper limbs, and lower limbs, with an emphasis on tasks requiring whole body movements. Studies involve the effects of gaze direction, sensory alterations, sensory cueing, fatigue, exoskeleton use, or neurodegeneration on movements of the body. The results of the experiments are used to identify coordination strategies of healthy people and contribute to the basic understanding of sensory use and movement variations effects on movement control. Such information is used to improve training regimes or expand rehabilitation strategies for individuals with deficits due to normal aging or pathology such as vestibular loss, peripheral neuropathy, and Parkinson’s disease.

Director: Wan-Chun Su, PhD

The Growing Brains & Moving Bodies Lab (GBMB) uses advanced motion tracking systems, behavioral coding, and neuroimaging tools—such as functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS)—to study neurodevelopmental trajectories in children with and without developmental disorders. The lab also develops parent education and creative movement interventions, incorporating yoga, dance, and music activities, to promote children’s social and motor development and enhance family well-being. Our goal is to identify behavioral and neurobiomarkers that support the early identification of children with developmental disorders and to provide tailored interventions for children and families in need.

Director: Chris Hill, PhD

Much of our nervous system is dedicated to moving our body and moving it well. We as humans can perform many different kinds of skilled movement, ranging from dunking a basketball to knitting a sweater. All are the results of perfectly tuned brain and body working together to achieve a goal. 

The overarching goal of the Motor Neuroscience Laboratory is to determine how our nervous system controls our body. We try answer questions like:

• How does your brain change when you learn new skills? 
• How does you brain make decisions when you are moving? 
• How does neurological disease impact your ability to learn and perform new skills?

To address these questions utilizes behavioral assessments and neurophysiological techniques.  The long-term goal of our research is to inform and develop rehabilitation approaches to improve the quality of life for those suffering from neurological disease, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. For more detail about our lab members and our current lines of research, please check out the associated tabs!

Directors: Guillaume Spielmann, PhD and Brian Irving, PhD

The IBL hosts federally-funded research aimed at harvesting the benefits of acute and chronic exercise to improve muscle, immune and whole-body metabolism to reduce the risk for muscle loss, frailty and mortality in older adults using safe, economical and efficient non-pharmaceutical therapeutic approaches. Other research projects focus on using exercise as an adjuvant for cancer immunotherapy, and to improve immune response to breast cancer cells. In addition, researchers in the IBL study the effects of stress and spaceflight on immune function with, for the first time at LSU, an ongoing research project assessing the impact of 1-year mission in the International Space Station on the immune function of astronauts. 

Another fascinating area of research in our labs includes the isolation, quantification, and characterization of exosomes, small particles that are released into the blood from tissues (e.g., skeletal muscle) and help coordinate tissue to tissue signaling (e.g., skeletal muscle to liver).

Director: Neil Johannsen, PhD

Equipped with state-of-the-art equipment to measure body composition (including Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry imaging, 3D body scanners, and electrical bioimpedance analysis scales). The BCL operates in close collaboration with LSU Athletics and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. Research conducted in the BCL helps track changes in muscle mass and bone density in all LSU athletes in response to training, thus providing them with an unmatched competitive edge over their competitors. The BCL also tracks change in muscle mass and bone density in older adults at risk for chronic diseases to identify and test novel therapies to reduce frailty and improve bone mineral density in the elderly.

Director: Neil Johannsen, PhD

The Environmental Chamber at LSU enables research to be conducted on the effects of sustained heat and humidity on cardiovascular function and performance in athletes and military personnel. Furthermore, the Environmental Chamber is used to design effective countermeasures to heat-stress to be used by collegiate and tactical athletes (rapid cooling of extremities etc…) exposed to extreme environments.

Directors: Heather Allaway, PhD; Neil Johannsen, PhD; Brian Irving, PhD; and Guillaume Spielmann, PhD

The Exercise Testing Laboratory is equipped with a myriad of equipment to assess the physiological response to exercise in individuals ranging from sedentary to recreational and elite athletes (Aerobic Fitness, EKG, Metabolic Rate etc.). In addition to promoting exercise physiology research, the ETL is used for undergraduate and graduate hands-on instruction, providing LSU students with valuable real-world experience. 

Director: Heather Allaway, PhD

The SBL contains a myriad of equipment to explore the integrative physiology of the skeleton. The SBL equipment is used to prepare and analyze human and animal skeletal tissue samples at the cellular level and in conjunction with the IBL, VML, BCL, and the micro-computed tomography lab and histology preparation facility at the School of Veterinary Medicine to assist in fully explaining the observed skeletal responses. Serum samples analyzed in the IBL can be incorporated into the data gathered with the equipment in the SBL to provide a more complete picture of the integrative physiology of the skeleton. In conjunction with the IBL and BCL, the SBL can be used to test novel therapies to reduce frailty and improve skeletal health in multiple populations

Director: Brian Irving, PhD

The VML has established state-of-the-art non-invasive methods to measure in vivo vascular function (e.g., ultra-sonography, pulse wave velocity) and muscle metabolism (near-infrared spectroscopy). These groundbreaking techniques enable the collection of novel data on muscle and circulatory health, without the need for expensive and invasive clinical procedures. Ongoing projects include assessing the short-term impact of blood flow restricted (BFR) resistance exercise on skeletal muscle metabolism and assessing whether BFR combined with neuromuscular stimulation can prevent the disuse atrophy. Research in the VML also examines the alterations in vascular function and central blood pressure responses to acute and chronic exercise in young and older adults and those with vascular diseases including hypertension and diabetes.

Director: Heather Allaway, PhD

The WPRL conducts research aimed at maximizing the health of women across the lifespan on Earth and in space. Research projects in the lab focus on how physiological and psychological stressors (e.g., exercise, diet, hormonal contraception) lead to perturbations in reproductive function and the impact altered reproductive function has on other critical physiologic systems (e.g., musculoskeletal, immune, cardiovascular) and athletic performance. Researchers in the WPRL are trained to develop scientific studies to assess physiologic responses in a clinical and basic science manner. Depending on the study, research at the WPRL involves working with both human and animal research participants to understand all factors associated with the physiologic response.

The research conducted in the WPRL utilizes the techniques and equipment of the six research laboratory spaces in a complementary manner to explore the whole-body physiologic responses of women within different studies. Additionally, we work with other research groups within the School of Kinesiology to highlight gender differences in research studies and expand the inclusion of women in research as study participants. We are actively working to develop collaborations and connections within LSU and the community to expand the research of the WPRL to include transgender and non-binary persons and make LSU a leader in research involving all aspects of gender differences research. 

Director: Jaclyn Hadfield, PhD

The Women’s Exercise Culture and Behavior Lab produces research focused on finding meaning in the relationship between social, cultural, and behavioral factors with health beliefs and behaviors among women. The lab primarily explores the relationship of health beliefs within physical activity/exercise/fitness behaviors using theory-based methods with a translational and community-based approach. The purpose of the lab’s research agenda is to create preventative health lifestyles for women to enhance overall well-being and bridge gender health inequity gaps domestically and globally. Even though the primary research focus lies within women’s movement behaviors, the innovative mixed methodologies used in the lab permeate into other areas that impact health, which invites collaborative and interdisciplinary scholarship opportunities. Studies in the lab investigate the impact messaging has on women's physical activity engagement, beliefs women have about moving their bodies, addressing racial-ethnic differences in women’s physical activity beliefs/behaviors, and cross-cultural differences in fitness programming. The lab produces multilingual (English/Spanish/Italian) research to uncover salient health determinants that address the unique needs of women to live healthy and active lives across the lifespan while bettering exercise culture in Louisiana, and beyond.

Director: Alex Garn, PhD

Motivation is a key psychological factor that shapes the way people think as well as their actions. In many cases, motivation is an X factor that helps explain why some people achieve their goals while others do not. The Advancements in Motivation Science (AIMS) laboratory investigates how motivation can improve health, personal well-being, and success across diverse settings. Specifically, we systematically examine how motivational factors can be used to improve one’s life. We focus on how motivation can enrich health behaviors such as physical activity, enhance physical fitness and body composition, improve sport performance, optimize mental health (i.e., increase positive emotions; decrease negative emotions), and advance academic functioning. Research from the AIMS lab receives widespread attention nationally and internationally with over 15,000 downloads and 480 citations in 2020 alone. 

Director: Ryan Hulteen, PhD

A prerequisite for living an active, healthy lifestyle is developing the skill competencies to participate in a wide array of activities (e.g., run, throw, rising from your seat). Across the lifespan, the skills we use or require changes, thus the goal of the M-SAIL is to better understand when skill development occurs and what can be done about these changes. This work is done from both a measurement and intervention perspective. We strive to identify skill deficiencies efficiently and quickly, then implement interventions to improve skill competencies. The long-term goal of our work is to create feasible, translatable programs and environments which cultivate physical health and motor skill development. Previous work in this lab has led to interventions which promote leadership and skill development in elementary school students, promoting physically active physical education for adolescents, or providing online, virtually delivered classes to older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Success in our lab means seeing individuals live healthy, independent lives regardless of their age. 

Director: Senlin Chen, PhD

The PK Lab is focused on examining factors contributing to K-12 students’ competence and confidence related to life-time physical activity and wellness. Many factors may facilitate or hinder students’ learning both in and out of the schools: curriculum, environment and context, teacher, pedagogy, resources, personal attributes and characteristics, as well as broader sociocultural conditions. As a result, a major emphasis of the projects within the PK Lab has been on the developing and testing of theory-driven curriculum and programming interventions to advance healthful-living in youth. To achieve this, the PK Lab has been involved in multiple funded, interdisciplinary intervention projects. With support from the NIH, USDA, SHAPE, and other grant sources, the PK Lab has successfully developed several evidence-based interventions (i.e., SWITCH PE, SWITCH-MS, HIIT PE 1.0, & HIIT PE 2.0). These interventions were field-tested in thousands of students from dozens of schools. In the first decade of its history, the PK Lab has produced over 60 research papers and 100 presentations. It is equipped with four data processing workstations and a variety of equipment and resources needed to carry the missions of research and instruction in pedagogical kinesiology. The PK Lab has involved numerous graduate and undergraduate students in research and independent studies, which has contributed to the research intensive atmosphere of the School of Kinesiology. 

Director: John Nauright

The purpose of the WSDBL is to develop opportunities for girls and women in sport by analyzing opportunities to participate, organizational structures and operations of sporting competitions for girls and women. We are driving the LSU Women’s Sport and Health Initiative in collaboration with our other labs. We also focus on on the expansion and best practice operations of intercollegiate and professional sport for women in Louisiana and around the world. The WSDBL engages in the creation of optimal outcomes for girls and women in sport.