Healthy Age-Related Physical function & Ergonomics/Exercise Research (HARPER) Laboratory
UAH students: Please email me to discuss opportunities
Current Investigator Led Projects:
Home Stairway Survey - attitudes and intentions to use handrails on both sides of stairways and add tread-edge striping to home stairways
Instrumenting Lab Stairways [New Faculty Research Award] - use of instrumented (force plate) steps, eye-tracking, and motion capture combined for stairs foot placement and clearance
Biomechanical and Safety Considerations of Older Adult Fallers in Long-Term Care Homes
Department of Kinesiology Undergraduate Alumni Survey
Improving Stairway Designs for Individuals with Vision Impairment [Human Factors and Ergonomics Society]
Current (2025) Student-Led / Mentored Projects:
Hoover K, Murray K, Peters J, Patel R, Tewell J. Assessing shoulder strength: A comparison of peak torque in collegiate baseball pitchers and position players.
Dunn F, Evans L, Milligan H, Stoker W. Effects of blood flow restriction on the acute blood lactate accumulation during isotonic exercise.
Amano M, Mills M, Sharbutt K. Effects of ankle range of motion on trampoline jump performance in elite athletes.
Compton N, Filiyaw L, Roinrson A. ArmCare evaluation of recovery among baseball pitchers.
Hughes E, Steinman O, Thomas W, Rashid A. Free-throwing shooting accuracy: Comparison on NOAH basketball and eye-tracking.
Tucker A, Cuenco I, Mayonset JO, Guzman F. Assessing squat performance – where to look for form. Measures of muscle activation, motion capture, force, and eye-tracking.
In Development:
Look Before You Leap - outdoor observational stairway assessment
Comparative Analysis of Musculoskeletal Health and Fall Risk: A Multifaceted Approach Using DXA, Physical Performance Tests
Completed:
Grip Reinforcement Integrated Power with Magnetic Actuation for Seamless Tactical Exoskeleton Response (GRIPMASTER) [Phase I]
Piloting Head-neck motion measurement and neck muscle activity during piloting task motions wearing military head-supported mass loadings [Phase II sub-contract]
UAH – KINESIOLOGY DAY – POSTER RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS – APRIL 2024
Dervis J, Elrod-Erickson M, Jones C, Penfield S. Effect of postural stability on biolateral deficit in hand grip strength.
Tran CN, Faulkner BR, Reynolds EJ. Effects of fatigue on balance in sedentary versus active adults.
Conkle C, Eaton C, Dillashaw J. Effects of isometric shoulder exercises on shoulder movement.
Brown E, Kennedy C, Singley L, Springer I. Foam rolling on shoulder range of motion and pain threshold in baseball pitchers.
Dingo C, Nichols C. L-Citrulline effects on maximal vertical jump performance.
Major Equipment:
Motion Capture - Vicon 8 + 2 Vero cameras, FLIR Backfly video camera
Dynamic Fall Protection - SafeGait ACTIVE
Custom Stairs - Stairbuilders and Manufacturers Association
Instrumented Stairs / Force Platforms - Bertec
Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality - Meta Quest 3
Eye Tracking - Pupil Labs Neon
Electromyographic (EMG) - Delsys Centro (Engineering collaboration)
Custom digital multiplex lighting/control
Extech LT3000 light meter
3D printing
Additional Kinesiology Department Equipment:
Electromyographic (EMG) - DataLITE Biometric
Isokinetic Dynamometer - HUMAC Norm
Hand-held Isokinetic Dynamometers - Jamar +
Vertical Jump - Just Jump System, Vertec
Blood Glucose and Lactate - Cardio Check, Lactate Plus
BodPod - Cosmed
DEXA - Hologic Horizon
Metabolic Cart - Parvomedics
Portable force plates, Hawkin’s Dynamics
Monark Cycle Ergometers (828E), COSMED
Resistance Training Equipment, Perform®Better!
Blood flow restriction SmartCuffs
Hydrotrack Underwater Treadmill System, HydroWorx (Dr. Conners)
