Scott. M. Lephart, Ph.D., dean of the University of Kentucky College of Health Sciences, and colleagues have received a $4,188,000 grant from the Department of Defense to support research on injury prevention and performance optimization in U.S. Special Forces. The award, the largest ever received by the College of Health Sciences, coincides with the establishment of the new UK Sports Science Research Institute (SSRI).

Read the UKNow story. 

In his "Conduct of Life" address in 1873, British statesman Edward Stanley advised “Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.”

Regular exercise has long been linked to stress reduction, improvement in mood, and the prevention or delay of disease and disability. Yet despite the well-known health-related benefits associated with physical activity, many of us still find it difficult to exercise on a regular basis. We say we are too tired, or too busy.  

The University of Kentucky College of Health Sciences recently launched the undergraduate Certificate in Research in Human Health Sciences – the first of its kind on campus. The new certificate provides eligible UK undergraduate students with the opportunity to gain advanced knowledge in interdisciplinary clinical and translational research in the human health sciences fields. Read the UKNow story. 

Vitamin D may be the "sunshine vitamin," but did you know that in Kentucky we can't make vitamin D from sun exposure between October and February? Interest in vitamin D has intensified as scientists have discovered the various roles it plays in maintaining health. Read the health column, written by Dr. Travis Thomas.

Brian Noehren and his work with the BioMotion Lab are featured in a Runner’s World article. The writer, Cindy Kuzma, visited the lab in October and underwent a video gait analysis using a 3D- motion-capture system and a treadmill with built-in force plates to assess her running form with computerized modeling.

The article, “Hip Check”, focuses on the hips as a commonly overlooked culprit in running injuries. Many runners mistakenly blame their running shoes for their pain and injuries.  

Lab Staff Directory

Charlotte Peterson, associate dean for research at theUniversity of Kentucky College of Health Sciences, has been invited to serve as a member of the Board of Scientific Counselors of the National Institute on Aging (NIA). The NIA is one of the 27 institutes and centers of the National Institutes of Health, and it leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life. Read more. 

In 1987, the UK colleges of Education and Allied Health, now called Health Sciences, and the Center for Biomedical Engineering formed a collaborative Biodynamics Lab to study sports injuries and rehabilitation. Building upon this rich history of helping athletes prevent injury and increase performance, today the lab has a new location, extensive new equipment and capacities, and a new name: the Human Performance Lab.