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Department of Kinesiology

Kinesiology Research

Research and Outreach

Research is not just for graduate-level students. Undergraduates have the opportunity to participate in a variety of kinesiology research interests as well.

Kinesiology Research Centers, Institutes, and Labs

Center for Physical Activity and Health (CPAH)

Through a collaboration between the Departments of Kinesiology and Epidemiology, the Center for Physical Activity and Health (CPAH) partners with businesses, organizations, and industries to help develop policy initiatives related to promoting a healthier lifestyle. Our aim is to position MSU as a leader for impacting the lives of Michigan and U.S. citizens in terms of appropriate physical activity intervention strategies. Directed by James Pivarnik, Ph.D.

PhysicaL Activity in Youth with Disabilities (PLAY’d) Lab

The PhysicaL Activity in Youth with Disabilities (PLAY’d) Lab seeks to enrich the lives of infants, toddlers, and children with and without disabilities by increasing opportunities to be physically active. Much of our research seeks to understand how promoting physical activity behavior in early life influences body composition and motor skills throughout childhood. The PLAY’d Lab focuses on the health and development of typically developing children and children with Down syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Directed by Janet Hauck, Ph.D., CAPE

Motor Learning and Rehabilitation Engineering Laboratory (MOTRE)

Research in the Motor Learning and Rehabilitation Engineering Laboratory aims to understand the fundamental questions of motor learning - (i) how do humans learn to produce skilled and coordinated movement, and (ii) how is this ability altered in the context of development, aging, and movement disorders? By discovering underlying principles of motor learning and using these as a basis to develop novel training paradigms, our goal is to facilitate motor skill learning, especially in the context of the rehabilitation of movement disorders. Directed by Rajiv Ranganathan, Ph.D.

Social & Motivational Processes in Physical Activity Lab (SiMPL)

The Social & Motivational Processes in Physical Activity Lab (SiMPL) addresses social and motivational processes within sport, physical education, and other youth physical activity contexts. We are interested in how physical activity contributes to psychological and social development as well as how to promote physical activity motivation and behavior in young people. Our work draws heavily from developmental, social, and sport psychology perspectives and we collaborate closely with colleagues in clinical psychology, motor control, neuroscience, and physical education pedagogy. Directed by Alan L. Smith, Ph.D.

Sports Injury Research Laboratory (SIRL)

The Sports Injury Research Laboratory (SIRL) is a collaborative sports medicine research laboratory in the Department of Kinesiology with research focus in the areas of knee joint injury and sport related concussion. The knee research group focuses on investigating the effect of knee joint injury on physical activity behaviors and lower extremity neuromuscular function while the focus of the concussion research group is the neurocognitive and psychological effects of concussion in youth populations. The SIRL is co-directed by Dr. Chris Kuenze and Dr. Tracey Covassin.