As a student in the School of Physical Education and Tourism Management, you'll have access to top-notch research labs with all the equipment you need to make the next great discovery.
Research Facilities
Human Performance Research Laboratories
Test the capacity of the human body at the Department of Kinesiology's Human Performance Research Laboratories. Located on the main floor of the National Institute for Fitness and Sports building on the IUPUI campus, the labs provide dedicated space and equipment for PETM faculty and students to conduct clinical and applied research as it relates to human performance.
- Exercise Physiology Laboratory
The objective of the Exercise Physiology Laboratory is to provide exercise testing and energy expenditure measurement, physical training, and sport equipment testing. Equipment in the lab includes a Parvo Medics metabolic cart, a COSMED portable metabolic system, a Quinton Q-Stress ECG system and treadmill, a multistation resistance training machine, KAATSU training equipment, skin temperature probes, and more. There also is a small body composition room that houses a BOD POD, which is used for measuring body fat levels in humans.
The lab's emphasis is on undergraduate and graduate student research and independent and collaborative faculty research that relates to the measurement of physical fitness and performance, physiological adaptations to training, and the efficacy of sport- and fitness-related trends and devices.
Faculty contact: Anthony Kaleth
- Human Movement and Biomechanics Laboratory
The objective of the Human Movement and Biomechanics Laboratory is to examine the forces associated with movement and how those forces result in changes in motion. Equipment in the lab includes a six-camera motion-capture system that surrounds a modular walkway with force plates embedded in it, portable force plates that can be taken into the field, electromyography equipment to measure muscle function, a virtual reality system, and a full-body wireless motion-capture system based on inertial sensor technology. This variety of equipment allows researchers to measure human motion in multiple settings and in normal and abnormal populations.
Faculty contacts: Rafael Bahamonde and Jake Streepey
- Neurophysiology Laboratory
The objective of the Neurophysiology Laboratory is to study how repetitive actions (i.e., physical activity) change the excitability and connections between nerve cells within and between the brain and the spinal cord. The lab uses noninvasive brain and peripheral nerve stimulation techniques to examine changes in the nervous system. This, coupled with surface electromyography and single motor unit recordings, allows researchers to see changes in the output of the motor system directly.
Faculty contact: Zach Riley
- Physical Activity and Pain Laboratory
The objective of the Physical Activity and Pain Laboratory is to study the impact of physical activity behavior and exercise as a therapeutic and preventative strategy for pain-related conditions. The lab also uses quantitative sensory testing to understand central and peripheral mechanisms of behavioral interventions for pain. In addition, the lab researches active gaming and its various uses in physical activity, rehabilitation, and pain management.
Faculty contacts: Keith Naugle and Kelly Naugle
Support PETM research
Being able to hire students and pay them for their time ensures my research lab is more productive, and it also helps students gain valuable experience.
Kelly Naugle, kinesiology facultyLearn how Dr. Naugle makes research happen