In Fall 2024, 22 Health and Human Sciences students presented at the regional Southwest American College of Sports Medicine conference in Irvine, California. This is the largest number of students the department has sent to the conference and highlights students’ dedication and interest in research.
Southwest ACSM is the regional chapter of ACSM that comprises of California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. SWACSM promotes the generation and dissemination of knowledge concerning the motivation, responses, adaptations and health aspects of persons engaged in sport and exercise.
LMU students presented research investigating a variety of topics. Under the guidance of Professor Todd Shoepe, numerous LMU students presented their findings from a yearlong intervention investigating the effects of blood flow restriction resistance exercise on bone mineral density.
“It was great to present my research contributions to SWASCM and meet other students from different universities also passionate about exercise physiology,” says Chadney Lim, a senior who worked with Professor Shoepe.
Kate Biggs and Alexis Doan presented their research with Professor Hawley Almstedt investigating effects of the off-season on collegiate-level men and women soccer players.
Professor Jen Roper, who also serves as President of the Southwest ACSM, and her research student James Ma, presented newly analyzed data collected from a sled-pull training intervention in collegiate athletes.
Morgan Daniel from Professor Robert Musci’s lab presented data from a yearlong study investigating the acute effect of exercise on the metabolism of circulating immune cells.
Manu Sune and Natalie Younan presented data from Professor Caio Sousa’s lab on stress reactivity in college students.
“Presenting research at such a large conference reflects the months- and often years-long dedication towards a project,” says Roper. “These students dedicated countless hours, not just towards collecting data, but also analyzing and synthesizing the data into a cohesive story. Research is an invaluable experience for these students as they develop an array of skills that will serve them well in their careers. As faculty, we are immensely proud of them.”
In addition, students participated in lectures from leading experts in the field. “I found it intriguing to observe people who focused on macro or micro components of exercise science and apply it to real world problems,” says senior Lim.
