About Our Team
The Exercise Physiology Labs are led by a collaborative team of faculty, staff, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers committed to advancing exercise science through high-quality, impactful research.
Our core team includes seven principal investigators, a full-time lab manager, and a research manager. These individuals oversee all ongoing projects, mentor graduate and undergraduate researchers, and maintain the day-to-day operations of the lab. Each brings a unique area of expertise to the research being conducted.
Professors & Principal Investigators
| Name | Research Interests | Biography | Contact Info |
| Heather Allaway, PhD | Women’s health and female lifespan physiology | https://www.lsu.edu/chse/kinesiology/faculty_listing/allaway.php |
Office #2139 HPL Field House |
| Brian Irving, PhD | Skeletal muscle health, metabolism, and aging | https://www.lsu.edu/chse/kinesiology/faculty_listing/irving.php |
Office #2137 HPL Field House |
| Neil Johannsen, PhD | Chronic disease, fluid intake, and obesity | https://www.lsu.edu/chse/kinesiology/faculty_listing/johannsen.php |
Office #2144 HPL Field House |
| Efthymios "Makis" Papadopoulos, PhD | Aging, sarcopenia, and cancer survivorship | https://www.lsu.edu/chse/kinesiology/faculty_listing/efthymios.php |
Office #2140 HPL Field House |
| Hailey Parry, PhD | Impact of metabolic disease on mitochondrial function relative to cellular structures in the skeletal muscle. | https://www.lsu.edu/chse/kinesiology/faculty_listing/parry-hailey.php |
Office #2212 HPL Field House |
| Xavier Thompson, PhD | Injury risk and movement analysis | https://www.lsu.edu/chse/kinesiology/faculty_listing/thompson-xavier.php |
Office #2146 HPL Field House |
| Guillaume Spielmann, PhD | Exercise immunology and stress physiology | https://www.lsu.edu/chse/kinesiology/faculty_listing/spielmann.php |
Office #2142 HPL Field House |
Managers
Lab Manager
Victoria Fairchild
Biography:
Tori is the Lab Manager for the Exercise Physiology Labs at LSU, where she oversees daily operations across multiple research spaces, manages equipment and maintenance schedules, ensures compliance with safety protocols, and assists with sample analysis. She also coordinates training for new lab members and supports investigators and graduate students in executing complex research protocols.
Before joining LSU, Tori worked in clinical research at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital and as a lab assistant at CliniCore Diagnostics Laboratory. She began her laboratory career just one month before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a pivotal experience that taught her to adapt quickly and reinforced the importance of flexibility in the ever-evolving world of science.
Email: victoria.fairchild@lsu.edu
Office: #2203 Huey P. Long Field House
Research Manager
Heather Quiriarte
Biography:
Heather is the Research Manager for the Exercise Physiology Labs at LSU, where she leads research operations for the Exercise Physiology faculty. She manages study implementation, external grants, IRB documentation, and subject-level records, while also contributing to presentations, posters, and manuscripts. Heather trains and mentors students in lab techniques, data collection, clinical best practices, and safety protocols.
Before joining LSU, she was the lead research assistant in the Immunology Lab at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, overseeing studies on how psychological and physical stressors impact immune function. Her current research focuses on how stress and aging affect muscle and immune health, and how exercise can be used as an intervention.
Email: hquiriarte1@lsu.edu
Office: #2205 Huey P. Long Fieldhouse