Research: Exercise Physiology
Our faculty research interests cover a broad range of areas, from exercise epidemiology to genetic and molecular aspects of aging and exercise physiology. A number of our faculty are incorporating cutting-edge genetic and molecular techniques into their studies of aging skeletal muscle, cardiovascular physiology, and metabolism. Graduate teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and fellowships are available for outstanding students, including an NIH/NIA-funded Institutional Predoctoral Training Grant (T32). We are looking for excellent and highly motivated graduate students to apply to our program and join our research teams. Our admission requirements are at least a 3.0 GPA, strong GRE scores, and excellent recommendations.
Click here to download the Exercise Physiology Brochure.
The Exercise Physiology Laboratory is comprised of several laboratories:
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Skeletal Muscle Strength and Power
- Functional Genomics
- Molecular Systems
- Exercise Epidemiology
- Exercise Training Facility
Together, these labs study the muscular, cardiovascular and metabolic aspects of physical activity and exercise training. Our faculty specialize in a number of areas, including strength training, aerobic training, cardiovascular disease risk, sarcopenia, epidemiology, genetics, metabolic disease risk, molecular biology, etc.
Visit individual faculty member pages and lab pages for more information about specific research interests and on-going projects.
Faculty Research Interests:
Chin, Eva R
Assistant Professor, Kinesiology
Research Focus : Molecular Aspects of Exercise
Research Summary : Dr. Eva Chin is an Assistant Professor in Kinesiology. She received her PhD in Kinesiology at the University of Waterloo in Canada and then completed postdoctoral fellowships in Physiology at the University of Sydney in Australia and in Molecular Cardiology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Prior to coming to the University of Maryland Dr. Chin worked for Pfizer Global Research & Development as a Principle Scientist in the Frailty and Diabetes therapeutic areas. She then became an Associate Director working with teams on early stage clinical trials for novel Obesity and Osteoporosis drugs. Dr. Chin's research emphasis is on calcium signaling in skeletal muscle and the role that calcium plays in both maintaining muscle force output and regulating muscle gene expression. By understanding how calcium signals in skeletal muscle, this research may help in optimizing exercise and drug prescriptions for treating age-related muscle wasting and insulin resistance in diabetics. To date, she has 35 publications, most in top-tier journals, and a number of them very highly cited (one more than 400 times already).
Hagberg, James
Professor, Kinesiology
Research Focus : Aging, Cardiovascular Exercise Physiology, Exercise Intervention, Exercise and Genomics
Research Summary : Jim Hagberg, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Maryland, College Park. Dr Hagberg is also the Co-Chair of the University of Maryland Institutional Review Board (IRB). He is also a Professor of Geriatrics/Gerontology in the Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine and Baltimore Veterans Administration Medical Center. His major academic emphasis is research and teaching and he is and has been funded by NIH, the VA, the American Heart Association, and the US Olympic Committee. His graduate students, both Masters and Doctoral, are intimately involved in his research grant projects. His current research is addressing the effect of genetics, aging, and physical activity on conventional and novel cardiovascular disease risk factors, especially endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). Dr. Hagberg is also deeply committed to undergraduate teaching as evidenced by his KNES 260 course entitled "Science of Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health" that he teaches as part of the campus-wide liberal arts CORE program. Dr Hagberg was one of six campus-wide UMCP Distinguished Scholar-Teachers for 2002-2003. In 2002 Dr Hagberg also received the University System of Maryland Regent's Award for Research. He also was awarded the American College of Sports Medicine Citation Award in 2004.
Hurley, Ben
Professor, Kinesiology
Research Focus : Aging, Exercise Intervention, Exercise and Genomics
Research Summary : My research interests consist of the effects of aging and exercise training on risk factors for age-related diseases and disability, with emphasis on the effects of age, gender and genetics on health-related responses to strength training.
Rogers, Marc A.
Associate Professor, Kinesiology
Research Focus : Exercise Intervention
Research Summary : Trained as an exercise physiologist, Dr. Rogers' research interests are the effects of aging on skeletal muscle structure, function and metabolism. Dr. Rogers is currently the Human Subjects' Liaison for the Department of Kinesiology with the Institutional Review Board at the University. He can be contacted with questions about the process of human subjects review of research projects in the department.
Roth, Stephen M.
Associate Professor, Kinesiology
Research Focus : Aging, Exercise and Genomics, Molecular Aspects of Exercise
Research Summary : Dr. Roth's areas of interest include understanding the role of genetic variation (and environmental interaction) in determining inter-individual differences in body composition, sarcopenia risk, exercise responses, and other health-related phenotypes; as well as understanding the role of exercise/physical activity in modifying DNA structure (e.g., telomere length, methylation). He directs the Functional Genomics Laboratory.
Functional Genomics Laboratory
Affiliate Faculty, NACS Program
Spangenburg, Espen
Assistant Professor, Kinesiology
Research Focus : Integrative Exercise Biology, Molecular Aspects of Exercise
Research Summary : The primary goal of Dr. Spangenburg's NIH-funded laboratory is to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate skeletal muscle and adipose tissue function. In particular, the laboratory emphasis is focused on the cellular signaling mechanisms that various hormones and growth factors utilize to alter gene expression.
Molecular Systems Lab
Interdisciplinary Training Program in Muscle Biology. School of Medicine; Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology Molecular and Cell Biology Graduate Group, College Park, MD
