Kinesiology Research
About
Kinesiology faculty researchers engage in an interdisciplinary approach to the study of human movement, investigating the mechanical, neurological, biochemical, physiological, and behavior components of human movement. Health and wellbeing outcomes of exercise and physical activity are considered for a variety of populations.
Faculty expertise extends to many pressing kinesiology concerns such as physical activity and health, including fitness, health and wellness, intervention, and the measurement of physical activity; motor systems, including sensory-motor control and biomechanics; and physiology, including muscle damage, cardiovascular health and recovery, muscle fatigue and aging, and energy metabolism.
Faculty-led research labs
Kinesiology graduate students enrolled in Fall 2023
Biomechanics
Biomechanics is the study of the structure, function and motion of the mechanical aspects of biological systems, at any level from whole organisms to organs, cells and cell organelles, using the methods of mechanics.
Movement Neuroscience
The study of the neural basis of movement and role of movement on brain health.
Physical Activity and Health
Applied research to understand how physical activity and related behaviors affect health.
Physiology
Applied research to understand the physiology of movement
In the spotlight
“The people who are the least active have the most to gain,” she says. “For those who are at 2,000 or 3,000 steps a day, doing a little bit more can mean a lot for their heart health. If you’re at 6,000 steps, getting to 7,000 and then to 8,000 also is beneficial, it’s just a smaller, incremental improvement.”
Graduate studies in Kinesiology
Graduate students in the Department of Kinesiology at UMass Amherst tell us more about their studies.