KIP Newsblog

Category: News

Student Daniel Heaman Recevies Award for Research Presentation

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Daniel Heaman, a biological sciences undergraduate student, recently presented his research from Dr. Qing-Hui Chen’s Laboratory at Michigan Technological University’s 2025 Fall Health Research Institute (HRI) Student Forum. Here, undergraduate and graduate students from laboratories across campus come together to share their research. For his poster presentation on the sex-dependent metabolism of alcohol in the brain, Daniel received highest marks & received first prize. The alcohol metabolism project Daniel works on is a collaborative effort with Dr. Andrew Chapp (MTU 2017), an assistant professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota.

Dr. Chen (left) with Daniel Heaman (right) at Poster Presentation

Abstract

Central Amygdala Ethanol Microinjection Affects Activation of Splanchnic Sympathetic Nerves in Sprague-Dawley Rats in a Sex Dependent Manner

The central amygdala (CeA) plays a critical role in integrating emotional and autonomic responses, including sympathetic outflow. Ethanol is known to influence amygdalar activity and autonomic regulation, but potential sex differences in its central effects remain unclear. This study examined the influence of ethanol microinjection into the CeA on splanchnic sympathetic nerve activity (SSNA) in male and female rats. Adult male and female Sprague–Dawley rats (n=3 for each group) were anesthetized using urethane and α-chloralose. Using a recording electrode placed on the splanchnic sympathetic nerve, SSNA was continuously recorded. Following baseline recording, 1.7 µmol of ethanol was bilaterally microinjected directly into the CeA. Nerve activity was monitored for approximately 2 hours post-injection. SSNA responses were quantified as the percent change from baseline. Ethanol administration in the CeA produced an excitatory effect on SSNA in both sexes, but the magnitude of response was significantly greater in females. Females displayed a significantly greater SSNA response to ethanol (133.6 ± 30.24 %) compared to males (74.96 ± 11.63 %) relative to baseline. This data indicates that ethanol acts within the CeA to elevate sympathetic drive, with a more pronounced
effect in females. Microinjection of ethanol into the CeA elicits a robust increase in splanchnic sympathetic nerve activity, demonstrating the CeA’s pivotal role in central autonomic regulation. The exaggerated response in females suggests sex-dependent differences in CeA sensitivity to ethanol, potentially reflecting hormonal modulation of CeA circuitry or neurotransmitter systems influencing sympathetic output. These findings provide new insight into the neural mechanisms by which ethanol modulates autonomic activity and highlight the importance of considering sex as a biological variable in studies of central ethanol effects.

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KIP Doctoral Student Elected as GSG Vice President

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Oluwatosin Oyeniran, a doctoral student in Integrative Physiology, has been elected to
serve as Vice President of the Michigan Technological University Graduate Student
Government (GSG) for the 2025–2026 academic year.


In this capacity, he supports the President in fulfilling the organization’s mission and
assumes key leadership responsibilities as necessary. He also spearheads targeted
initiatives designed to enhance graduate student experience while ensuring continuity
and effective governance within the GSG.

Oluwatosin Oyeniran


Oyeniran’s engagement with graduate student governance began in February 2024,
when he was elected as the departmental representative for Kinesiology and Integrative
Physiology. In April 2024, he was further elected to the GSG Executive Board as
Research Chair, a role in which he served before being re-elected by the graduate
student body to his current position as Vice President in April 2025.


His one-year term as Vice President extends from May 1, 2025, through April 30, 2026.

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Exercise Science Professors Practice What They Preach

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Dr. William Cooke (KIP professor) and Dr. Isaac Wedig (former KIP graduate student and assistant professor NMU) competed in the OCB Natural Michigan bodybuilding championships. The Organization of Competitive Bodies (OCB) is dedicated to the development and presentation of the natural physique. Performance enhancing drugs are not allowed in OCB competitions.

Dr. Cooke place 2nd in the 50+ division, 3rd in the 40+ division, and 5th in the open division.

Dr. Wedig placed 1st in the open division and won his OCB pro card.

Dr. Wedig center, Dr. Cooke far right
Dr. Wedig left, Dr. Cooke right
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KIP Graduate Student Attends 72nd Annual American College of Sports Medicine Conference in Atlanta, Georgia

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Third year KIP doctoral student, Kyle Wehmanen, recently returned from attending the 72nd Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). This year’s conference was held in Atlanta Georgia, home of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), a keystone of the Civil Rights Movement, and birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr.

A big highlight of the trip was when Kyle presented his research, titled “Twenty Year Performance Trends in the Arrowhead 135 Winter Ultra-Endurance Race.” This data explores a portion of Kyle’s dissertation work which seeks to determine if a particular mode of travel (e.g., bicycles, XC-skis) offers a performance advantage when humans travel long distances on packed snow. Describing his presentation experience, Kyle said, “Sharing portions of my dissertation research, for which I’ve worked so hard, with a new, interested, and inquisitive audience was fun and invigorating. I met some wonderful people and possibly made contacts that will lead to future collaborations.”

Kyle Wehmanen presenting his research

The conference was also a fantastic opportunity for Kyle to catch up with several of his committee members in person and listen to them present on their cutting edge work. This included listening to Dr. Shalaya Kipp speak on her respiratory research which she conducts at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

In the time away from the conference, Kyle took opportunity to explore Atlanta and was even able to attend a Braves’ baseball game at Truist Park in the vibrant Battery Atlanta complex. Although the Braves lost, it was amazing to visit one of the newest ballparks in America.

View of the field from inside Truist Park, Atlanta Georgia

In the end, spending four days in Atlanta at the ACSM annual meeting was a great opportunity for this KIP graduate student to share their research and learn from the best in the field. The speakers, panel discussions, and poster presented by others at the conference covered a wide range of topics and offered ample opportunity to learn about new and exciting topics across realms of physiology. Overall, the trip to Atlanta was an illuminating experience and it reinforced the importance of contributing to the field while providing new tools and connections to do so.

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Upper Peninsula Adaptive Track & Field Clinic Held at MTU

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On Saturday, February 22, 2025, adaptive athletes from across the Upper Peninsula gathered at the MTU Student Development Center for an Adaptive Track and Field Clinic, co-sponsored by KIP. This clinic was hosted by “I Am An Athlete Too”, a nonprofit established by Houghton native Maria Velat to lobby the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) to create an adaptive division for middle and high school track and field, and to raise up and support adaptive athletes to join their school sports teams. The clinic was led by Amie Day, a Paralympian and track coach for the Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association, as well as the University of Michigan Adaptive Sports and Fitness department.  Athletes, coaches, family members and support personnel learned about the basics of racing, how to maintain equipment, how to cultivate an athlete mindset and deal with stress, and modified strength and conditioning programs. The day ended with a mini-track meet! KIP students volunteered to make the day a resounding success!

Adaptive Track & Field Clinic Volunteers and Participants
Adaptive Track & Field Seminar Information Session

“I volunteered to help set up for the track and field clinic and have also volunteered with Maria at her other adaptive sports events like the E.L.K. Sled hockey event. It is truly amazing to see the impact that “I Am An Athlete Too” and E.L.K. have on the adaptive athlete community. It is always so much fun volunteering and participating in these events,” says Ella House a KIP Exercise Science Student. ‘It was great to see so many people supporting our local adaptive athletes. I learned a lot about racing chair maintenance, adapting workouts, and local opportunities for adaptive athletics. Overall a good experience both as a volunteer and as a community member”, says Leah Berkey a KIP Exercise Science Student.

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Title: A Week of Science, Exploration, and the Great Lakes

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Last week, I had the opportunity to blend professional growth with a bit of adventure during a short trip through Michigan. My journey began in Grand Rapids, where I attended the annual Midwest Chapter of American College of Sports Medicine (MWACSM) conference. It was an exciting and enlightening event where I had the chance to deliver a long-form professional presentation titled “Metabolic Cost of Human Locomotion: A Historical Review and Future Considerations.” Getting the experience to present and engage with a broad audience from undergraduate students to professionals in the field was rewarding and provided great opportunity for personal growth. The other highlight of the MWACSM conference was undoubtedly the keynote by Dr. Philip Skiba. His talk on Nike’s “Breaking Two” project—a quest to break the 2-hour marathon barrier—was inspiring and highlighted some of the most cutting edge work marrying engineering and science to optimize human performance.

From Grand Rapids, I then headed to Ann Arbor to attend the Michigan Space Grant Consortium (MSGC) conference. Here, I presented a poster on my current research titled “Human Powered Locomotion on Variable Terrain: Implications for How to Move on Mars.” The interdisciplinary nature of the conference made it incredibly enjoyable. Presentations ranged from hard engineering to deep space science to ecology and biomechanics, fostering conversations that bridged numerous fields of research. It was refreshing to be part of such a diverse gathering of minds, all united by a common curiosity for the unknown.

Figure 1: The poster presented at the Michigan Space Grant Consortium Conference held October 19th 2024 in Ann Arbor, MI.

This trip was not just a personal and professional milestone but also an opportunity to represent Michigan Tech and the Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology (KIP). By presenting my research, I had the chance to showcase our work to undergraduates and other attendees from around the region. I hope that sharing cutting-edge topics and insights with future scientists and researchers could inspire collaborations both within and outside the department and university.

To cap off the trip, I embarked on a mini adventure. Driving back home, I took a scenic route that allowed me to touch three of the Great Lakes in a single day—Huron, Michigan, and Superior. Feeling the cool water from each of these massive lakes was a grounding experience, a reminder of the vast and varied landscapes that define this region.

All in all, the trip was a perfect mix of professional development, scientific inspiration, and personal exploration.

Submitted by Kyle Wehmanen

Figure 2: Scenes from my visit to three Great Lakes on the return trip to Houghton. The photo on the left is from near Lake Huron and the photo on the right, Lake Michigan.
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In Print: Elmer Supports Promoting Physical Activity for Americans Act

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The Daily Mining Gazette published a column written by Steven Elmer supporting the Promoting Physical Activity for Americans Act — a bill introduced to the U.S. Senate in 2023 — and encouraging readers to be physically active this spring.

About Steve Elmer

Steven J. Elmer
Steven J. Elmer
Interim Department Chair, Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology

Dr. Elmer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology at Michigan Technological University. His research goals are to find better ways to restore musculoskeletal function, maintain health, and improve performance in healthy and clinical populations. Specifically, his research is focused on three key areas: 1) mechanics of skeletal muscle contraction, 2) coordination of locomotor tasks, and 3) exercise interventions to improve physical conditioning and mobility. Applications for his research range from basic aspects of muscle contraction to applied human performance in a variety of settings including injury, rehabilitation, ergonomics, and sport.

About the Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology Department at Michigan Technological University

Tomorrow needs healthy communities. The Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology (KIP) at Michigan Technological University helps to build them. The KIP Department offers undergraduate degrees in exercise science and sports and fitness management. Graduate degree offerings include a PhD in Integrative Physiology as well as a master’s and accelerated master’s degree in Kinesiology. Housed in the new H-STEM Complex, KIP leads several important health and wellness collaborative research projects across eight different labs. Supercharge your human health skills to meet the demands of an increasingly active and aging society at a flagship public research university powered by science, technology, engineering, and math.

Questions? Contact us at kip@mtu.edu. Follow all the latest happenings on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and the KIP Blog.

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New Funding for KIP Faculty

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Steven Elmer, KIP

Michigan Tech researchers Tan Chen (Electrical and Computer Engineering) and Steven Elmer (Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology) received a research and development grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The project is titled “Investigating Lunar Bipedal Locomotion Mechanics and Predicting Human Musculoskeletal Health on the Moon.” Dr. Tan is serving as the PI and Dr. Elmer is the co-PI on this potential two-year award.

Full details can be found in Tech Today.

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