Research Faculty

Meet Our Research Faculty

Learn more about our faculty research projects and interests by using the links below.

Angelique Brellenthin

Title: Assistant professor
Area of research: Exercise psychology and physical activity epidemiology
Research projects:

My research primarily focuses on physical activity in the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders.  My research methods include both large cohort data analysis to investigate population-level relationships between physical activity and substance use as well as lab-based mechanistic studies to examine the effects of exercise on brain health and function throughout all stages of addiction.  A secondary research interest of mine is health behavior change.  Specifically, I examine how physical activity can help enhance the adoption of other healthy behaviors (e.g., quitting smoking) and how the principles of successful behavior change from addiction science can be applied to promote physical activity at the individual and population levels.    

Li-Shan Chou

Title: Professor and Chair
Area of research: Biomechanics; Human Movement Analysis
Research projects:

My research falls under general areas related to biomechanics and motor control of human movement, with focuses on the investigation of mobility impairments associated with ageing, musculoskeletal diseases or injuries, and traumatic brain injury. Below is a list of my current research projects.

Tim Derrick

Title: Professor
Area of research: Biomechanics
Research projects:

Impact biomechanics. The Biomechanics Laboratory has close ties with industry in the area of impacts:

Osteogenic exercise. Older adults and astronauts during long duration spaceflight have decreased bone strength that can lead to fracture. Exercise has been shown to increase bone strength and could be used as a preventative measure if the boundaries of safe and effective use can be identified.

We are using biochemical blood markers that are associated with bone resorption and formation in an effort to identify optimal patterns of impacts. We are also collecting impacts from various sport and exercise activities so that we can eventually identify those activities that produce the greatest osteogenic effect. The pattern of impacts can also play a role in stress fractures in athletes and military recruits. These are serious injuries that result in significant health care costs, lost training time, and interference with job performance and competition.

Lower extremity foot function. Foot disorders are difficult to study in humans because the foot is complex and resistant to internal examination. We have built a machine that allows us to move the muscles and skeleton of a cadaver foot in a natural motion so that we can measure bone movements and strains. We are working on using this information to build an accurate model of the foot so that function and dysfunction can be studied.

Jason Gillette

Title: Associate professor
Areas of research: Biomechanics, Ergonomics
Research projects:

My research interests include injury mechanisms and injury prevention. I utilize video, force, and EMG measurements combined with musculoskeletal modeling to analyze human motion and estimate internal loading on the structures of the human body. Several current research projects are listed below:

Field-based exoskeleton assessments

Exoskeletons are an emerging technology but are difficult to assess using standard ergonomic techniques. We have tested passive shoulder support exoskeletons in field-based settings using electromyography (EMG) to quantify effects on muscle activation and fatigue. Field-based exoskeleton data collections have included John Deere and Toyota manufacturing sites, along with Emcor and Granite Construction work sites.

Lab-based exoskeleton assessments

While field-based studies provide ‘real world’ data, lab-based studies allow for systematic testing that can be applied to predictive models. We use IMU, video, or observational data to determine job task movements and duty cycles in occupational settings. These job tasks are then matched with lab-based EMG values for postures, tool weights, and exoskeleton usage to predict fatigue risk.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury risk

Biomechanical factors such as jump landing entry and exit angles are manipulated to determine their effects on ACL injury risk. In addition, neuromotor control risk factors such as decision making and response time during the directional jump landing movements are tested through dynamic visual cues. The goal is to gain insight into ACL injury mechanisms and how we might train to prevent such injuries.

Marian Kohut

Title: Professor
Area of research: Exercise physiology
Research projects:

My research is focused on factors that modulate the immune response to viral infection or vaccines. In particular, my laboratory is currently studying how aging impacts the immune response to influenza viral infection and influenza vaccine. We aim to understand:

Currently, we are seeking to identify the mechanism(s) by which moderate exercise improves resistance to influenza infection and minimizes inflammatory responses within the respiratory tract in aged populations (a five-year project funded by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease).

We have recently completed another NIH-funded study demonstrating that moderate aerobic exercise in older adults improves antibody response to influenza vaccine, minimizes the age-related decline of T-cell immunity, and reduces inflammatory factors (CRP, TNFα,IL-6, IL-18). This study found that the improvements associated with exercise appear to be independent of psychosocial factors such as depression and stress.

Other exercise-related studies in my laboratory focus on intense, prolonged exercise (typically performed by competitive athletes), and how this type of exercise may compromise immunity resulting in increased vulnerability to infection. Our additional ongoing work also funded by NIH is focused on studying how botanical products (Echinacea, St. John’s Wort, and Prunella) may improve the immune response to viral infection and/or limit inflammation.

Elizabeth Lefferts

Title: Assistant professor
Area of research: Cardiovascular Exercise Physiology & Physical Activity Epidemiology

Research projects:

My research as a principal investigator within the Clinical Vascular Research Lab focuses on mitigating cardiovascular disease risk through the effects of physical activity and exercise on inflammation, vascular function, and cardiovascular control in populations with various forms of disease and chronic conditions. Within this area, I am interested in the effects of physical activity/exercise on mitigating cardiovascular disease risk in cancer survivors from a population, large cohort data analysis perspective, as well as using lab-based mechanistic studies. I am specifically interested in determining whether physical activity moderates the relationship between vascular function and cardiovascular disease and mortality in cancer survivors; the mechanisms underlying vascular dysfunction in cancer survivors; and whether we can use exercise or other nutraceuticals to target these mechanisms of vascular dysfunction to lower cardiovascular disease risk.

Please see our lab webpage for more information.

Wesley Lefferts

Title: Assistant Professor
Area of research: Cardiovascular exercise physiology
Research projects:

My research in the Clinical Vascular Research Lab focuses on two interrelated topics: 1) understanding vascular mechanisms of aging and their role in influencing brain and the heart, and 2) identifying vascular mechanisms through which exercise benefits the brain and the heart. Within this area, I have particular interests in large artery stiffness and brain blood flow, and how differences in vascular function between men and women in middle age influence later-life brain and heart health (described below). Our lab utilizes non-invasive vascular techniques to assess heart function, blood flow, artery stiffness, and cognitive function to address these research avenues. Some specific interests and topics include:

Understanding vascular mechanisms behind the protective effects of exercise on the brain: It is widely established that exercise benefits the brain and protects against later-life Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, but the mechanisms behind this protection remain elusive. Increasing evidence suggests that cardiovascular health is tightly connected to brain health. As such, our goal is to identify the role of large artery stiffness and pulsatile (i.e. discontinuous) brain blood flow in the protective effects of exercise in the brain in middle-aged adults.

Examining sex differences in vascular mechanisms of brain health: Alzheimer’s disease is forecast to impact nearly 14 million adults by 2050, with women impacted 2.5 times more than men. The mechanism behind these sex differences in brain health and Alzheimer’s disease risk is unknown but may be related to vascular health in middle age, a critical window during which vascular health is highly related to later-life brain health. Our goal is to examine sex differences in vascular mechanisms governing brain blood flow (artery stiffness, endothelial function) in men and women during middle age to identify vascular targets that can be utilized for preventive efforts (pharmaceutical, behavioral/lifestyle interventions) to reduce sex differences in Alzheimer’s disease that disproportionately burden women with advancing age.

Additional interests: Other research areas I am interested in include: high altitude physiology and the effects of high altitude on cerebrovascular and cognitive function, high altitude research expeditions (e.g. Everest base camp), cardio-/cerebro-vascular effects of firefighting, impact of different types of exercise (resistance, HIIT, aerobic) on vascular/cognitive function, vascular mechanisms of depression, effects of COVID on cerebrovascular and cognitive function, neurovascular coupling in health and disease, early vascular aging, and trying to identify new techniques to get my Siberian husky puppy to actually listen to me.

Please see Dr. Lefferts’ lab webpage for more information

Ann L. Smiley

Area of research: Motor learning and control
Research projects:

My research is focused on how the brain contributes to effective movement, with the long-range goal to impact remediation, rehabilitation, and therapeutic practices.

My current focus is the role of movement sequencing in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder and Developmental Dyslexia and the neurological control of movement sequencing and language. I am also involved in collaborative work in which we are examining interventions that impact executive processing in children.

Elizabeth Stegemöller

Area of research: Motor control

My main research focus is to understand  the neurophysiology associated with the therapeutic effect of music in persons with Parkinson’s disease (PD).  Current studies include examining the effects of singing in persons with PD and examining the effects of music on motor cortical activity. I use a variety of techniques from kinematics to electroencephalography and transcranial magnetic stimulation in my research. I also offer multiple outreach programs for persons with PD which further informs my research. 

Gregory Welk

Area of research: Health promotion and exercise and physical activity epidemiology

Research Interests: My research interests focus on the assessment and promotion of physical activity in different settings and populations. Accurate assessments of physical activity behavior are needed to evaluate the health effects of physical activity, to identify relevant behavioral correlates, to monitor patterns and trends, and to evaluate behavioral interventions. Therefore, a fundamental component of work in the lab is on improving the validity and utility of various assessment methods. This work has emphasized the use of accelerometry-based activity monitors and potential applications of consumer-based monitors for research or facilitated health coaching applications.

Research Priorities: The focus of my research on physical activity and health promotion is on the use of implementation science methods to improve the translation and dissemination of evidence-based programs into practice. I serve as the director of the ISU Translational Research Network (U-TuRN) which brings together expertise from faculty, staff, and students across campus to address complex translational research challenges. The implementation science approach to research emphasizes the need to study programming in context so that it can be adapted and customized to meet local needs for enhanced translation. The projects below are two examples of translational studies coordinated through U-TuRN.

For additional information about other research and outreach programming coordinated through the Physical Activity and Health Promotion lab visit the department lab page or my personal lab web page