The UK College of Health Sciences Biomotion Lab attracts students for many reasons - one of which is their continuing participation in the annual American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Conference. This year, second year rehabilitation sciences doctoral student Lauren Erickson, and senior human nutrition student Maddie Romines, both presented their own research at the national event and gleaned knowledge from world leaders in sports medicine. 

The conference, a priority for more than 6,000 industry professionals each year, is internationally recognized as a unique opportunity for students and professionals alike to learn about virtually any aspect of sports medicine as well as present and discover the latest research.

“The ASCM conference is a gathering of minds to share new research, learn from experts in numerous fields, and network with others passionate about sports medicine,” Romines explained. “Attending the conference is an incredible opportunity. Not only was I able to network with professionals in my field of interest, but I shared my own research, and absorbed so much new information from presenters.”

For Erickson, the opportunity to learn more about what’s happening in her own field of research is a welcome one. “This was my first time attending the ACSM conference, and I really enjoyed my experience,” she said. “There were a wide variety of programming sessions that discussed relevant research pertaining to multiple aspects of my PhD program. I was able to attend sessions related to biomechanics, fatigue and force development, bone and joint loading, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and reconstruction, and blood flow restriction training, all of which are areas we’re currently researching within our own laboratory.”

At the conference, Erickson presented a poster on her research and mentored another presenting student. “The research I presented on was from ongoing research that our laboratory does within the ACL injury population,” she said. “We assessed the impact of an early brace progression versus a delayed brace progression on knee range of motion following ACL reconstruction surgery. It’s always great to spread the word about research that you are conducting, and the best part is when you get to have engaging questions and discussions with others interested in your work.”

Romines also presented her research—a rare opportunity for an undergraduate student. “I was really intimidated to be an undergraduate in what felt like a sea of graduate students,” she said. “But overall the experience was extremely rewarding. I did a poster presentation about my research on an MRI sequence called T1ρ. The sequence was used to measure fibrogenic changes in muscle, specifically the vastus lateralis of ACL deficient patients. Through ACSM, I was able to share the results of my hard work and ultimately develop more passion for the field of sports medicine."