Physiology Research

The research focus of Physiology in the Kinesiology Department is to understand movement from the organismal (i.e. human activities of daily living such as walking) to the molecular level (i.e. protein interactions that allow muscle contraction) and how this movement is altered under a variety of conditions, such as aging, fatigue and exercise. The overall goal of this work is to understanding the underlying mechanisms behind the improvement and degradation of movement, leading to various countermeasures designed to improve human health across the lifespan.

Research Labs

The Muscle Physiology Laboratory, directed by Dr. Jane Kent, studies the area of human skeletal muscle function and fatigue. In particular, their work examines the mechanisms of fatigue, and how these vary depending upon age, gender, chronic health status, and habitual physical activity level. A related interest is an examination of the influence that fatigue has on functional capacity. This group takes a state-of-the-art, integrated approach to understanding human muscle function from the cell to the organism. The main problem we are working on now is how to minimize the loss of mobility and health that occur in old age.

The Muscle Biophysics Laboratory is directed by Dr. Edward (Ned) Debold whose research focuses on the molecular basis on striated muscle contraction, with specific foci on the molecular basis of muscle fatigue and heart failure.

The Muscle Biology Laboratory, led by Dr. Mark Miller, examines the effects of exercise, disease and fatigue on skeletal muscle structure and function from the molecular to the whole body level, using both humans and animal models. One primary interest of the laboratory is examining male and female adaptations to muscle contraction in a variety of conditions, which inform potential sex-specific countermeasures that lead to a better healthspan for both sexes.