Students of Kinesiology Archives | Page 12 of 14

Bye Receives the Horwitz/Horowitz Abstract Award

Published March 5, 2018

Congrats to exercise science major, Thomas Bye, on his recent award from the American Physiological Society (APS). Bye was one of 30 recipients of the Barbara A. Horwitz and John M. Horowitz Undergraduate Research Abstract Award for his abstract entitled “Effects of Respiratory Muscle Fatigue on Upper-Body Exercise Tolerance.”

Recipients receive $100, a 2-year membership to APS, and will present their research at the annual Experimental Biology meeting in April with an opportunity to compete for the Barbara A. Horwitz and John M. Horowitz Excellence in Undergraduate Research Award.

Students Participate in Cancer Rehabilitation Workshop

Published November 6, 2017

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A total of 14 students (seven exercise science, one biomedical, six physical therapy) and 15 clinicians from across the Upper Peninsula recently participated in a weekend-long cancer rehabilitation workshop. UP Health System-Portage and the Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology hosted the event in an effort to inspire future cancer rehabilitation research.

Lead by Nicole Stout DPT, CLT-LANA, FAPTA, a renowned healthcare researcher, consultant, educator, and advocate, the workshop created an excellent opportunity for students to work side-by-side with physical therapists.

Joel Kangas, a third-year graduate physical therapy student, describes the event in detail below.

UP Health System-Portage (Physical Therapy) and Michigan Tech’s Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology hosted a two-day Cancer Rehabilitation Continuing Education Course. The course was led by Dr. Nicole Stout. Stout is nationally recognized as an expert and leader in cancer rehabilitation, has given over 200 lectures, and published more than 20 peer-reviewed publications. There were over 30 individuals that participated including experienced physical therapists, graduate physical therapy students from Central Michigan University’s satellite physical therapy program, and undergraduate exercise science and biomedical engineering students from Michigan Tech. The course primarily consisted of lectures and case study breakout sessions. Additionally, student participants had the opportunity to network with physical therapists and talk with Dr. Stout.

Dr. Stout did an incredible job of offering an exciting and interactive experience for everyone. The course has made it quite clear that physical therapy plays a crucial role in cancer rehabilitation for many forms and stages of cancer. Regardless of whether you are a physical therapist with 15+ years of experience, a graduate physical therapy student, or an undergraduate pre-physical therapy student there was much to learn from this experience.

Following the conclusion of the course, several individuals were asked to reflect on how they felt about the experience.

Colleen Toorongian, an exercise science undergraduate student commented that the course opened up her thoughts on cancer rehabilitation and “The need for rehab providers and doctors to come together and approach treatment options differently”.

Alyssa Vinckier, a second year graduate physical therapy student stated, “The course allowed me to expand on my knowledge from school and helped me realize how beneficial physical therapy can be for individuals who have cancer or have a history of cancer”.

From a patient care standpoint, Katie Temple, a physical therapist with UP Health System-Portage, had a few words to say. She emphasized how highly regarded Dr. Stout is in the physical therapy profession, “We are so lucky to have someone of her expertise and experience come up here. Dr. Stout has made some great accomplishments having received service awards from the National Institute of Health Clinical Center, the Navy Surgeon General, and the Oncology Section of the American Physical Therapy Association”. Katie expanded on the course saying “there is much more we should be doing as a physical therapy profession in cancer rehabilitation beyond addressing just lymphedema, fatigue, and soft tissue stretching”. Katie also adds, “Dr. Stout talks about the much greater risk of falls in patients who have undergone cancer treatment, and the role that we as physical therapists have in appropriate screening and prehabilitation options to reduce that risk”.

A special thanks goes out to Dr. Stout for her time, to Physical Therapist Mark Randell from UP Health Systems-Portage, and Professor Steve Elmer from the Department of Kinsiology and Integrative Physiology for sponsoring the event. The two institutions hope this course sparks an initiative to perform future research pertaining to cancer rehabilitation.

Celebrating Physiology Friday

Published October 25, 2017

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With the assistance of exercise science student, Thomas Bye, KIP Assistant Professor Steve Elmer, and Advisor/Outreach Coordinator Kathy Carter were recently awarded a $500 Physiological Society Outreach grant for funding activities that promote Physiology Friday. As part of Biology Week during October 9-13, Physiology Friday was an international event with students all over the world participating in events and celebrating Physiology, the function of the human body.

Lead by Elmer and Carter, students from Kinesiology and Biomedical visited 6 area schools. Over 135 area high school students took part in numerous engaging activities that demonstrated how basic knowledge of physiology is important for understanding how we move.

In addition to bringing the awareness of Physiology to area high school students, this event creates learning opportunities for our students as well. Here are a few quotes from the MTU students that participated:

“I learned a lot about myself in doing this project. It was really fun, I found that I wasn’t as nervous about presenting as I thought I would be and I sort of just let my enthusiasm and passion take over. It’s really easy to present on a topic you’re already excited and possionate about!”

– Abby Sutherland, Second Year Exercise Science

“This experience actually alowed me to learn more about physiology, because when you educate others about a topic it helps you to better understand it as well. I was also able to learn how to be a more effective speaker from my fellow outreach participants in our preparation meetings.”

– Jana Hendrickson, Second Year Exercise Science

“I learned that I love teaching and I may want to try and pursue more things related to the area. It was nice to step out of my departments and experience more of the physiology and athletic sciences research opportunities.”

– Levi Oxner, Fourth Year Biomedical and Electrical Engineering

“From this experience I learned how to problem solve, we had two mess ups during our activity but easily solved them.”

– Thomas Bye, Fourth Year Exercise Science

“I helped with this event because I enjoy teaching. Also, when I was in high school I was unaware of what kinesiology was and all the cool job opportunities that came with a degree in this field. It feels great to introduce students to this and help them realize what they may want to do in the future.”

– Kevin Phillips, PhD Student Integrative Physiology

KIP Faculty and Students Attend Experimental Biology 2017

Published May 10, 2017

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Experimental Biology 2017 (EB) was held in Chicago, IL the end of April. Faculty, numerous graduate students and one undergraduate student were in attendance from The Department of Kinesiology and Intregrative Physiology. EB is an annual meeting of six societies comprised of more than 14,000 scientist and 50 guest societies. The conference focus areas include anatomy, biochemistry and molecular biology, investigative pathology, nutrition, pharmacology, and physiology. Conferences like EB provide faculty opportunities for collaboration with top scientists from around the world, preview latest technologies from exhibitors, and allows a platform to present their latest research. Students gain valuable presentation experience and acknowledgment of their work through oral presentations and poster sessions.

Integrative Physiology Laboratory
Jason Carter, PhD

JasonCarter_Portrait.2011 (2) Dr. Carter, department chair and professor, participated in a Sleep, Circadian Clocks and Metabolism symposium where he presented “Consequences of Sleep Deprivation and Circadian Misalignment on Sympathoneural and Adrenomedullary Control”. Carter had two students presenting work from his laboratory.

Ida Fonkoue, recent PhD graduate
Oral Presentation Title: Black Adults Display Reduced Sympathetic Reactivity to Mental Stress Compared to Non-Hispanic White Adults, I.T. Fonkoue, C.E. Schwartz, B.M. Gervais, J.R. Carter

Poster Title: Sympathetic Neural Control in Chronic Insomnia, J.R. Carter, D. Grimaldi, I.T. Fonkoue, L. Medalie, B. Mokhlesi, E.Van Cauter

Travis Wakeham, master’s student and laboratory supervisor (BIO)
Oral Presentation Title: Reliability of Heart Rate Variability as an Assessment of Cardiac Sympathetic Activity in Humans, TR. Wakeham, I.T. Fonkoue, J.J. Durocher, W.H. Cooke, J.R. Carter

Congratulations to Dr. Fonkoue who was the recipient of the Neural Control and Autonomic Regulation (NCAR) Research Recognition Award for her first author abstract. This award recognizes an outstanding investigator in the early stages of their independent career. Dr. Fonkoue adds this to a long list of awards and accomplishments throughout her time as a Michigan Tech graduate student.

Electrophysiology Laboratory
Qing-Hui Chen, PhD

Dr. Chen, associate professor, chaired a section and presented an oral presentation. He had two graduate students in attendance from his laboratory.
Oral Presentation Title: Small-Conductance Ca2+-Activated K+ (SK) Channels Regulate Pre-Sympathetic Neurons in the Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus (PVN) and Parasympathetic Cardiomotor Neurons (CMN) in the Nucleus Ambiguus (NA): Pathological Changes, Z. Cheng, M. Lin, G.M. Toney, Q. Chen

Andrew Chapp, PhD student
Poster Title: Acetate, an Ethanol Metabolite increases Neuroinflammation and Neuronal Death: Implications in Ethanol Neurodegeneration, A.D. Chapp, K.M. Driscoll, J. Behnke, Z. Shan, Q.Chen

Jessica Behnke, master’s student
Poster Title: Acetate, the Metabolite of Ethanol, Increases Cytosolic Calcium and mRNA Expression Levels of EGR1 and TNFα in Dopaminergic Like PC12 Cells, J.E. Behnke, A.D. Chapp, K.M. Driscoll, Z. Shan, Q. Chen

Molecular Physiology Laboratory
Zhiying Shan, PhD

Dr. Shan, assistant professor, also attended the conference. There were three posters presented from her laboratory.

Taija Hahka, master’s student
Poster Title: High Salt Diet Plus Fructose Water Intake Induces Hypertension, T. Hahka, Y. Fan, E. Jiang, Q. Chen, Z. Shan

Enshe Jiang, visiting scholar
Poster Title: High Salt Intake Induces Sympathetic Activation in Dahl Salt-Sensitive Rats Through Activation of Orexin-TNFa Signaling in the PVN, E. Jiang, M. Huber, Y. Fan, F. Zhu, Q. Chen, Z. Shan

Yuanyuan Fan, visiting student
Poster Title: Orexin A Receptor 1 (OX1R) Activation Increases Cam K2 Expression in PC12 Cells, Y. Fan, E. Jiang, T. Hahka, Q. Chen, Z. Shan

Exercise Physiology Laboratory
Steven Elmer, PhD

Dr. Elmer, assistant professor, attended and presented a teaching section poster. He also had one undergraduate student attend from his labratory.
Poster Title: The “Locomotion”: Not the Pop Song But an Activity Designed to Link Energetics and Mechanics to Understand Human Movement

Thomas Bye, undergraduate student, presented a Physiology Understand (PhUn) Week poster.
Poster Title: Use of Course-Based, Required Service Learning Assignment to Increase Physiology Understanding in Local Schools, T. Bye, K. Carter, J. Carter, S. Elmer

Christopher Schwartz, PhD

Dr. Schwartz, lecturer, also attended this year and was a co-investigator on an oral presentation.
Oral Presentation Title: Elevated Sympathetic Nerve Activity Mediates Increases in Large Central Elastic Artery Stiffness Independent of Changes in Blood Pressure in Humans, S.W. Holwerda, D.P. Credeur, L.E. DuBose, R.E. Luehrs, C.E. Schwartz, P.J. Fadel, G.L., Pierce

Local Students Win Portage Health Foundation Making a Difference Scholarships to Michigan Tech

Published April 4, 2017

By Heather Powers

Four students who are entering Michigan Tech this fall to pursue health-related careers have received $8,000 Making a Difference scholarships from the Portage Health Foundation. Another 10 entering first-year students received $1,000 awards.

The $8,000 scholarships went to:

Peter Alger, Houghton, computer engineering
Alexa Destrampe, Lake Linden, exercise science
Hannah Kariniemi, Calumet, biological sciences
Karmyn Polakowski, Houghton, biological sciences

Receiving $1,000 scholarships were:

Blake Dupuis, Lake Linden, exercise science
Lauren Gabe, L’Anse, biological sciences
Austin Goudge, Houghton, medical laboratory science
Bella Nutini, Hancock, exercise science
Celia Peterson, Calumet, biomedical engineering
Anna Pietila, L’Anse, biological sciences
Lindsay Sandell, Houghton, biomedical engineering
Brooke Tienhaara, Calumet, biological sciences
Nicholas Walli, Finlandia University, biological sciences
Sloane Zenner, Houghton, mechanical engineering

The students are from Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga or Ontonagon counties.

The 14 recipients of the 2017 awards have an average GPA of 3.81. Their interests reflect a broad spectrum of majors including biological sciences, exercise science, biomedical engineering, computer engineering, medical laboratory science and mechanical engineering. The scholarship winners flip Michigan Tech’s male to female ratio of 3:1, with 10 female and 4 male recipients.

The scholarships are part of a Michigan Tech-Portage Health Foundation partnership established in 2015 to support health-related research and education, jobs and community health. The scholarships were first awarded in 2016.

“The awards reflect the high-caliber student talent we have locally, thanks to exceptional schools, outreach programming and parent support,” says Jodi Lehman, director of foundations at Michigan Tech. “We know that student talent is key in supporting the success of college peers and inspiring K-12 students to pursue health science and engineering pathways.

The Portage Health Foundation and Michigan Tech share the long-term goal of retaining or recruiting back local workforce talent — whether that be orthodontists, doctors, physical therapists, orthopedic surgeons, biomedical engineers or professionals in the field of medical informatics. Scholarships ultimately play a critical role in helping to grow our local economy while fostering healthy communities.”

At a dinner for finalists, the scholarship recipients heard from current students also supported by the Portage Health Foundation through the Undergraduate Research Internship Program (URIP). Both speakers shared their internship experiences and career goals.

Read the full story.

Stephanie Dietrich in Undergrad Research Symposium

Published March 24, 2017

By Heather Powers

Students of Kinesiology

Stephanie Dietrich’s research, Subjective and Objective Assessments of Sleep Differences in Male and Female Collegiate Athletes, was presented at Michigan Tech’s 2017 Undergraduate Research Symposium this past week.

With the assistance of Jason Carter, she hypothesized that female athletes would demonstrate improved objective, and worse subjective, assessments of sleep when compared to men.

A number of studies report that sex (i.e., male vs. female) can influence subjective and objective assessments of sleep. Specifically, women tend to report lower subjective sleep quality compared to men, yet objective assessment via actigraphy have shown a paradoxically higher sleep duration and sleep efficiency in women compared to men. The vast majority of work in this area has been limited to middle-age and older adults. Despite the importance of sleep in athletic performance, no studies to date have focused on young, healthy athletes.

The Undergraduate Research Symposium highlights the amazing cutting-edge research being conducted on Michigan Tech’s campus by some of our best and brightest undergraduate students.

The students showcasing their work today have spent a significant portion of the past year working alongside Michigan Tech faculty and graduate students to explore, discover and create new knowledge. They’ve spent long hours in the lab or out in the field designing experiments, gathering data, creating new models and testing hypotheses. They’ve applied their classroom knowledge in new and sometimes unexpected ways, and developed new skills that will propel them forward in their careers.

KIP Student Thomas Bye participates in Undergrad Research Symposium

Published March 21, 2017

By Heather Powers

Students of Kinesiology

Thomas Bye presented his research, The Effects of Respiratory Muscle Fatigue on Upper-Body Exercise Performance, at the 2017 Undergraduate Research Symposium.

With the assistance of Dr. Steven Elmer, Bye evaluated the effects of respiratory muscle fatigue on upper-body exercise performance. Through his research, we will have a better understanding of the respiratory system, elite sport performance, and exercise prescription for patients with COPD and asthma.

The Undergraduate Research Symposium highlights the amazing cutting-edge research being conducted on Michigan Tech’s campus by some of our best and brightest undergraduate students.

The students showcasing their work today have spent a significant portion of the past year working alongside Michigan Tech faculty and graduate students to explore, discover and create new knowledge. They’ve spent long hours in the lab or out in the field designing experiments, gathering data, creating new models and testing hypotheses. They’ve applied their classroom knowledge in new and sometimes unexpected ways, and developed new skills that will propel them forward in their careers.

KIP Student Sydney Smuck participates in Undergrad Research Symposium

Published March 21, 2017

By Heather Powers

Students of Kinesiology

Sydney Smuck’s research, Smart Exercise Application with Wearable Motion Sensor: Validity & Usability, was presented at Michigan Tech’s 2017 Undergraduate Research Symposium this past week.

With the assistance of Tejin Yoon, Smuck looked to improve the commitment levels of a home-based exercise program, a smart exercise application with a wearable motion sensor.

The Undergraduate Research Symposium highlights the amazing cutting-edge research being conducted on Michigan Tech’s campus by some of our best and brightest undergraduate students.

The students showcasing their work today have spent a significant portion of the past year working alongside Michigan Tech faculty and graduate students to explore, discover and create new knowledge. They’ve spent long hours in the lab or out in the field designing experiments, gathering data, creating new models and testing hypotheses. They’ve applied their classroom knowledge in new and sometimes unexpected ways, and developed new skills that will propel them forward in their careers.

Michigan Space Grant Consortium Award Recipients Announced

Published March 20, 2017

By Heather Powers

Students of Kinesiology

KIP students received awards tallying $10,000 in funding through the Michigan Space Grant Consortium (MSGC), sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for the 2017-18 funding cycle.

Michigan Tech Undergraduates receiving $2,500 research fellowships:

Thomas Bye (KIP): “NASAs Concern for Upper-Body Work Performance During Spaceflight: What Impact Does Respiratory Muscle Fatigue Have?” with Steven Elmer (KIP)
Marcello Guadagno (ME-EM): “Stratus Meteorological CubeSat: Payload Integration and Mission Level Design” with Lyon Brad King (ME-EM)

Michigan Tech Graduate Students receiving $5,000 research fellowships:

Matthew Kilgas (KIP): “Muscle Function Following Aerobic Exercise with Blood Flow Restriction: Implications for Spaceflight” with Steven Elmer (KIP) and Tejin Yoon (KIP)
Kevin Nevorski (Bio Sci): “Nitrogen in Space: An Examination of How Nitrogen Cycle Processes are Related in Streams and How Those Processes are Influenced at Multiple Special Scales” with Amy Marcarelli (Bio Sci)

NASA implemented the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program in 1989 to provide funding for research, education and public outreach in space-related science and technology. The program has 52 university-based consortia in the United States and Puerto Rico.

As an affiliate of the Michigan Consortium, Michigan Tech has been an active participant in MSGC for approximately 20 years. MSGC funding is administered through Michigan Tech’s Pavlis Honors College.

For more information, contact Paige Hackney in the Pavlis Honors College at 7-4371 or visit the MSGC website.

Kilgas and Bye Awarded Michigan Space Grant Consortium Awards

Published February 28, 2017

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Students of Kinesiology

Congratulations to doctoral student Matthew Kilgas and undergraduate student Thomas Bye as both received fellowships for their proposed research through the Michigan Space Grant Consortium (MSGC). Briefly, MSGC offers research fellowships to students pursuing projects directly related to NASA strategic interests, including aerospace, space science, earth system science, and other related science, engineering or mathematics fields.

Matt will be working with Dr. Elmer and Dr. Yoon on his project entitled “Muscle Function Following Aerobic Exercise with Blood Flow restriction: Implications for Spaceflight”.

Tom’s project, “NASA’s Concern for Upper-body Work Performance During Space Flight: What Impact Does Respiratory Muscle Fatigue Have?” is the first MSGC award for an undergraduate student in the Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology. He will be working with Dr. Elmer on his project.

We wish Matt and Tom the best of luck with their respective projects and strongly encourage other students to apply to MSGC in the future.

Category: Students of Kinesiology