Kash Rasmussen , an Exercise Science student and a forward for the Michigan Tech hockey team, was named an All-American Scholar by the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) for the 2022-23 academic year. Kash, who is a sophomore, had a 4.0 GPA in the fall and 3.78 in the spring to qualify for this recognition.
Read the complete press release on Michigan Tech Athletics’ website.
Guest blog by: Suma Durga Bommasani, College of Computing graduate student
Humans are social creatures as we are wired to interact and connect with others. However, over time we have become more isolated. Loneliness has become a serious public health concern that affects people of all ages, genders, and socioeconomic backgrounds in the United States. A new advisory report by the United States Surgeon General titled “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation” has shed light on the severity of this problem, showing that loneliness has a higher incidence rate than common medical conditions like smoking, obesity, and diabetes. Even though social isolation and loneliness have a considerable impact on individual health and society, only 20% of people consider it to be a serious problem.
As described in the report, about 1 in 2 adults experience loneliness. Loneliness has been linked to a higher risk of dementia, as well as cardiovascular disease, stroke, and mental health conditions. With a higher-than-average proportion of older individuals, this issue is of particular concern for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan region. Additionally, social isolation and loneliness among children and adolescents, which accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, increases the risk of anxiety and depression.
Experts highlight the critical need to implement strategies to build social interactions and boost health, safety, and well-being, as social ties are a fundamental human need. To address this serious issue, a national strategy with six main pillars has been presented, with the goal of building an integrated approach to improving community and social connectivity.
Individuals can prioritize their personal well-being by staying in touch with a varied network of people, limiting their use of social media, obtaining professional guidance when necessary, and expressing gratitude to others. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “How Right Now” platform provides some helpful resources for people currently experiencing loneliness. Parents and caregivers can positively affect the lives of children and adolescents by actively engaging with them, highlighting the value of social connections, and monitoring online activity. Getting assistance from mental health and medical professionals can also help with the behavioral alterations connected to loneliness. Educators can build in social connection content to health curricula and help to foster a sense of belonging in the classroom. Local organizations and businesses also play an important role in establishing social connection by introducing programs that increase social contact and bring community members together.
We can all contribute to strengthening social connections. This basic toolkit from the National Institutes of Health has some great examples for improving your social health. Even something as simple as reaching out to a friend, family member, or neighbor to say hi or to invite them for a short walk can help. By coming together to address social disconnection and loneliness, we can work towards building healthier and stronger communities.
Federal Resources
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Our Epidemic of Loneliness Social Isolation
https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
“How Right Now” platform
https://www.cdc.gov/howrightnow/emotion/loneliness/index.html
National Institutes of Health
Social Wellness Toolkit
https://www.nih.gov/health-information/social-wellness-toolkit
Campus Resources
Michigan Tech University Center for Student Mental Health
The Center for Student Mental Health and Well-being provides a wide array of resources for students to ensure mental and physical well-being.
National Resources
American Psychological Association (APA)
APA provides resources on workplace well-being, stress management, and mental health
American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
AARP provides various resources for older adults, including information on social connection, loneliness, and community engagement
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP)
AACAP offers resources on children’s mental health, including loneliness and social isolation https://www.aacap.org
Local Resources
Upper Peninsula Commission for Area Progress (UPCAP)
UPCAP offers classes and workshops across the U.P. for disease prevention and management, and general wellness
Dr. Isaac Wedig, who earned his PhD in Integrative Physiology in Spring 2023, had his dissertation manuscript published by Frontiers in Physiology. The article is titled “Blood Flow Restriction as a Potential Therapy to Restore Physical Function Following COVID-19 Infection.” It was included as a part of a special Research Topic on “Intervention for Prevention, Management of and Rehabilitation from COVID-19.” Learn more about Isaac’s research by reading the introduction below or the full article on Frontiers in Physiology‘s website.
Please join us on Monday, July 31, from 10-11 am in ATDC 101 for Isaac Lennox’s thesis defense. His defense can also be attended virtually through Zoom.
The title of Isaac’s thesis is “Exercise is Medicine® on Campus: A National Analysis and Assessment of Community Impact.” More information about his research can be found in the accompanying flyer.
A group of Michigan Tech students and faculty attended the 10th Annual Meeting of the Michigan Physiological Society (MPS) on June 26 – 27th at Alma College. The presence of Michigan Tech was prominent as students and faculty from two departments gathered for this notable 10th anniversary of the meeting. Several graduate students from the Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology (KIP), including Isaac Lennox and Abby Brooks, both master’s students, as well as Greg Miodonski and Kyle Wehmanen, both doctoral students, showcased their physiology-related research and outreach projects through captivating presentations. Joining them were undergraduate students Derrick Simet and Haley Marchese, and Dr. Robert Larson from the Department of Biological Sciences (BioSci), who also shared their research. Even more noteworthy, four of these students – Isaac, Greg, Haley, and Kyle – received recognition and awards for their outstanding presentations.
The first day of the meeting was marked by a keynote presentation by Dr. Pablo Ortiz from Henry Ford Hospital. He discussed the role of emerging research technologies that will lead to exciting discoveries in the field using fantastic examples from his own research involving kidney function. In the evening, there was a special presentation featuring the current and former presidents of the MPS. Among them was Dr. Steve Elmer, the current MPS president and faculty member from the KIP department at Michigan Tech, as well as former KIP faculty members and MPS presidents Dr. John Durocher and Dr. Jason Carter. The first day festivities concluded with an exhilarating physiology trivia quiz competition, where eight teams of students from universities around the state competed against each other, facing challenging physiology questions. The Michigan Tech trivia team (Abby, Derrick, Haley) represented the university well and certainly had a lot of fun!
The second day of the meeting brought another highlight, the captivating ‘Living History’ lecture delivered by Dr. Sue Barman, a respected colleague from Michigan State University and past president of the American Physiological Society. Dr. Barman shared her inspiring journey to success, recounting her experiences from a young girl to a distinguished professor. She also imparted valuable advice to aspiring students and professionals, emphasizing the importance of staying true to oneself and persevering in the face of adversity. There was also a great breakout session encouraging professional development with collaborative presentations on physiology careers in industry, teaching pedagogy with emerging artificial intelligence tools, and science policy in our governments. Finally, the students from Michigan Tech conducted a special edition of their UP & Moving workouts early in the morning, showcasing their ongoing initiative to promote physical activity on campus and within their community.
In summary, the 10th Annual Michigan Physiological Society meeting proved to be a resounding success for both Michigan Tech students and faculty members. The meeting provided a perfect blend of learning, networking, and fun for all attendees, leaving lasting memories. One of the students even had the unforgettable experience of crossing the Mackinaw Bridge for the first time and again a second time on the way home. Congratulations to all the student presenters who are already eagerly looking forward to the 11th annual meeting next year!
Finally, a special thank you to Dr. William Cooke and the Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology for supporting the students with their trip, as well as serving as one of the major sponsors for the meeting. — Written by Kyle Wehmanen, PhD Student
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Annual Meeting took place May 30-June 2, 2023 in Denver, Colorado.
In attendance were two KIP graduate students, Isaac Lennox (MS) and Kyle Wehmanen (PhD), along with recent PhD graduate Isaac Wedig. All three attendees were proud to present their recent research at the ACSM conference.
Isaac Lennox presented a poster from his master’s research focusing on the nationwide impact of the “Exercise is Medicine-On Campus” (EIM-OC) initiative. EIM-OC is a program run by the ACSM that promotes physical activity on college campuses and is a pillar of their continuing community outreach. Isaac L.’s work was very well received and garnered excitement and interest from other EIM-OC colleagues across the country.
Isaac Wedig gave a short, rapid-fire oral presentation on a portion of his doctoral research. He outlined his work with blood flow restriction (BFR) and exercise. Specifically, Isaac W. has built tools designed to help bridge the gap with BFR between research and practical usage in a clinical setting.
Finally, Kyle Wehmanen delivered a 10-minute talk as part of a group session on endurance athletes and events. He spoke about his ongoing analysis of long-distance winter ultra-endurance racing, including the 1000-mile Iditarod Trail Invitational which traverses the same course as the legendary dog-sled race.
Overall, the Michigan Tech crew had a fantastic showing at the 2023 ACSM Annual Meeting and are already looking forward to next year! — Written by Kyle Wehmanen, PhD student
Students and faculty from the Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology (KIP) recently attended the 2023 American Physiology Summit in Long Beach, CA on April 20–23, 2023. PhD students Greg Miodonski, Sherry Chen, Kyle Wehmanen, and Isaac Wedig presented posters to their colleagues at the annual event.
Greg, a member of Dr. Qinghui Chen’s lab, did a poster presentation of his research project entitled “Exercise Augments Small Conductance Ca2+ -Activated Potassium Channel (SK) Function in the PVN of Sprague Dawley Rats to Reduce Sympathetic Outflow.” His poster was selected as “top 10% scoring abstracts” sponsored by APS Central Nervous Session (CNS). Read more about his research in his abstract below.
Congratulations to these students for a wonderful showing at the summit!
Greg’s Abstract:
“Exercise Augments Small Conductance Ca2+ -Activated Potassium Channel (SK) Function in the PVN of Sprague Dawley Rats to Reduce Sympathetic Outflow”
Gregory Miodonski, Jessica Bruning, Derrick Simet, Haley Ruiter, Christian Johnson, Mingjun Gu, Zhiying Shan, Qing-Hui Chen
Elevated sympathetic outflow is a key feature of cardiovascular disease (CVD) that worsens disease progression. Our lab has shown that SK channels expressed in the PVN play a crucial role in regulating neuronal activity and sympathetic outflow, and that SK channels become dysfunctional in rats fed a high salt diet. Exercise has been shown to be an effective treatment for reducing sympathoexcitation in CVD including hypertension and heart failure, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. We hypothesized that aerobic exercise would upregulate SK channel function in the PVN to reduce sympathetic nerve activity (SNA). To test this, 5–6 week old Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into sedentary (SED) and exercise (EXT) two groups and fed a 0.4% NaCl normal salt diet. Following acclimation, EXT groups ran on a motorized treadmill 5 days/week for 8-10 weeks. Conscious blood pressure was measured weekly via tail plethysmography. After 8-10 weeks, animals were anesthetized and underwent in vivo surgery to record the renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) following PVN microinjection of the SK blocker, apamin (0.25mM, 60nL/side). The data showed that the RSNA response to PVN apamin was significantly enhanced in EXT rats compared with SED rats (320.8 ± 174.6 % baseline, n=9 vs 184.8 ± 143.1 % baseline, n=9; p = 0.02). The corresponding ABP response to apamin was not significantly different in EXT rats compared with SED rats (20.40 ± 9.98 mmHg, n=9 vs 25.27 ± 9.97 mmHg, n=8; p = 0.1658). Our data indicates exercise enhances PVN SK channel function to reduce sympathetic outflow. This improvement of SK channel function may be one mechanism by which exercise reduces SNA in CVD including hypertension and heart failure. Support: 1R15HL145655 (Chen); 1R15 HL150703 (Shan); MTU Health Research Institute (HRI).
Undergraduate Students
Devin Schmitz, BS, Sports & Fitness Management
Cody Tarnowski, BS, Sports & Fitness Management
Kaitlyn Brady, BS, Exercise Science
Blake Hewitt, BS, Exercise Science
Brendan Kaski, BS, Exercise Science
Jessica Lacy, BS, Exercise Science
Karina Madigan, BS, Exercise Science
Maxwell Marion, BS, Exercise Science
Armando Motz, BS, Exercise Science
Gracie VanLangevelde, BS, Exercise Science
Mariah Willmer, BS, Exercise Science
Graduate Students
Isaac Wedig, PhD, Integrative Physiology
Isaac Lennox, MS, Kinesiology
Gracie VanLangevelde, Isaac Wedig, and Isaac Lennox received scholar awards from the American Kinesiology Association. These students were nominated by the KIP department and selected by AKA based on their academic performance, scholarly interests/accomplishments, leadership, and service to the profession.
Gracie received the 2023 AKA Undergraduate Scholar Award.
Isaac Wedig received the 2023 AKA Doctoral Scholar Award.
Isaac Lennox has the distinction of having received the 2023 AKA National Master’s Scholar Award, the highest award for his category.
Congratulations to our students for achieving these accolades from a fantastic professional organization!
PhD student Ashley Hawke received the Gallagher Award at the 2023 National Safe Patient Handling and Mobility Education Event that took place in Glendale, AZ from March 20-23, 2023. This national event is hosted by the Association of Safe Patient Handling Professionals.
The award Ashley received is for her project proposal entitled “Effectiveness of Patient Handling Interventions on Reducing Musculoskeletal Disorder Risk in Healthcare Workers: A Study Proposal.” Below is her project’s abstract to learn more about Ashley’s work.
Background: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are extremely prevalent among healthcare workers, especially those who perform patient handling tasks. Previous research has found that sustained static and/or awkward working postures, frequent bending, repetitive and/or forceful work, and twisting were commonly associated with MSDs. The use of mechanical assistive devices reduces risks of MSDs during patient handling; however, availability and accessibility of equipment are common barriers to using these devices in clinical settings. Portable passive interventions, such as transfer slings, slider sheets, and exoskeletons have been proposed to assist with patient handling tasks as an alternative to mechanical assistive devices, but the effectiveness of these interventions in reducing MSD risk in healthcare workers is inconclusive. METHODS: In the proposed study, we will evaluate three passive patient handling interventions (transfer sling, slider sheet, and passive back-assist exoskeleton) in their ability to alter biomechanical and physiological responses associated with the development of MSDs when performing two standardized patient handling tasks: 1) turning a patient onto their side and 2) performing a sit to sit transfer. Twenty participants will be recruited to perform the tasks using an 80 kg mannequin in four different interventions: manual, using a transfer sling, using a slider sheet, and wearing a passive exoskeleton. Variables to be measured include muscle activity of the trunk, upper extremity, lower extremity muscles, shoulder/lumbar kinematics, kinetics, oxygen consumption, heart rate, energy expenditure, and rating of perceived exertion. FINDINGS: As this is a study proposal, no results are available at this time. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: Results from the proposed study will allow researchers to evaluate the biomechanical demands and physiological cost of each patient handling intervention and how together these may play a role in potentially reducing MSDs. Importantly, these findings may serve as a first step to developing more cost-effective and portable patient handling interventions.