Research Groups

As part of LSU’s One Health Initiative, the University is committed to having a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of citizens in Louisiana and across the globe. This mission is exemplified by the research and outreach conducted in the Exercise Physiology Laboratories, where faculty and graduate students alike study the exercise response throughout the lifespan in healthy adults, athletes, military personnel, astronauts and elderly civilians in order to improve performance, resilience and overall health. This research is supported by various federal funding agencies, including the NIH, NASA, and the DoD. The Exercise Physiology Research Area consists of ten research groups with distinct, yet complementary missions.

Biochemistry and ImmunoBioenergetics Laboratory (IBL)

Directors: Guillaume Spielmann, PhD and Brian Irving, PhD

The IBL hosts federally-funded research aimed at harvesting the benefits of acute and chronic exercise to improve muscle, immune and whole-body metabolism to reduce the risk for muscle loss, frailty and mortality in older adults using safe, economical and efficient non-pharmaceutical therapeutic approaches. Other research projects focus on using exercise as an adjuvant for cancer immunotherapy, and to improve immune response to breast cancer cells. In addition, researchers in the IBL study the effects of stress and spaceflight on immune function with, for the first time at LSU, an ongoing research project assessing the impact of 1-year mission in the International Space Station on the immune function of astronauts. 

Another fascinating area of research in our labs includes the isolation, quantification, and characterization of exosomes, small particles that are released into the blood from tissues (e.g., skeletal muscle) and help coordinate tissue to tissue signaling (e.g., skeletal muscle to liver).

Body Composition Laboratory (BCL)

Directors: Neil Johannsen, PhD and Brian Irving, PhD

Equipped with state-of-the-art equipment to measure body composition (including Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry imaging, 3D body scanners, and electrical bioimpedance analysis scales). The BCL operates in close collaboration with LSU Athletics and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. Research conducted in the BCL helps track changes in muscle mass and bone density in all LSU athletes in response to training, thus providing them with an unmatched competitive edge over their competitors. The BCL also tracks change in muscle mass and bone density in older adults at risk for chronic diseases to identify and test novel therapies to reduce frailty and improve bone mineral density in the elderly.

Exercise Oncology and Muscle Aging Lab

Director: Efthymios "Makis" Papadopoulos

The skeletal muscle is an organ with important metabolic functions beyond locomotion, contributing to overall health. Therefore, its preservation becomes increasingly important with aging. Cancer and its treatment negatively affect muscle mass, muscle quality, and function, increasing the risk of adverse outcomes and reducing quality of life, particularly among older patients.

The Exercise Oncology & Muscle Aging Lab focuses on three primary areas: i) elucidating the role of skeletal muscle health in predicting clinical outcomes among patients undergoing cancer surgery and systemic therapy; ii) identifying targeted strategies to improve muscle mass, quality, and function before, during, and after cancer treatment; and iii) developing individualized prehabilitation interventions aimed at improving postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing cancer surgery.  Collectively, research at the Exercise Oncology & Muscle Aging Lab aims to inform treatment personalization, improve cancer treatment outcomes, and enhance quality of life for patients.

Exercise Testing Laboratory (ETL)

Directors: Heather Allaway, PhD; Neil Johannsen, PhD; Brian Irving, PhD; and Guillaume Spielmann, PhD

The Exercise Testing Laboratory is equipped with a myriad of equipment to assess the physiological response to exercise in individuals ranging from sedentary to recreational and elite athletes (Aerobic Fitness, EKG, Metabolic Rate etc.). In addition to promoting exercise physiology research, the ETL is used for undergraduate and graduate hands-on instruction, providing LSU students with valuable real-world experience. 

Skeletal Biology Laboratory (SBL)

Director: Heather Allaway, PhD

The SBL contains a myriad of equipment to explore the integrative physiology of the skeleton. The SBL equipment is used to prepare and analyze human and animal skeletal tissue samples at the cellular level and in conjunction with the IBL, VML, BCL, and the micro-computed tomography lab and histology preparation facility at the School of Veterinary Medicine to assist in fully explaining the observed skeletal responses. Serum samples analyzed in the IBL can be incorporated into the data gathered with the equipment in the SBL to provide a more complete picture of the integrative physiology of the skeleton. In conjunction with the IBL and BCL, the SBL can be used to test novel therapies to reduce frailty and improve skeletal health in multiple populations

Sports Therapy Rehabilitation Injury Prevention and Exercise Science Lab (STRIPES)

Director: Xavier Thompson, PhD, ATC

The Sports Therapy Rehabilitation Injury Prevention and Exercise Science (STRIPES) Lab is dedicated to advancing research focused on sports related injury, rehabilitation, and performance. The lab investigates factors that influence recovery and performance across a wide spectrum of athletic populations including elite, recreational, youth, and tactical athletes. Research projects in the STRIPES Lab focus on injury prevention and rehabilitation, biomechanics and muscular traits relevant to athletic performance and recovery. The lab’s goal is to generate clinically meaningful insights to inform best practices in sports medicine and sports science.

Vascular and Metabolism Laboratory (VML)

Director: Brian Irving, PhD

The VML has established state-of-the-art non-invasive methods to measure in vivo vascular function (e.g., ultra-sonography, pulse wave velocity) and muscle metabolism (near-infrared spectroscopy). These groundbreaking techniques enable the collection of novel data on muscle and circulatory health, without the need for expensive and invasive clinical procedures. Ongoing projects include assessing the short-term impact of blood flow restricted (BFR) resistance exercise on skeletal muscle metabolism and assessing whether BFR combined with neuromuscular stimulation can prevent the disuse atrophy. Research in the VML also examines the alterations in vascular function and central blood pressure responses to acute and chronic exercise in young and older adults and those with vascular diseases including hypertension and diabetes.

Women’s Physiology Research Laboratory (WPRL)

Director: Heather Allaway, PhD

The WPRL conducts research aimed at maximizing the health of women across the lifespan on Earth and in space. Research projects in the lab focus on how physiological and psychological stressors (e.g., exercise, diet, hormonal contraception) lead to perturbations in reproductive function and the impact altered reproductive function has on other critical physiologic systems (e.g., musculoskeletal, immune, cardiovascular) and athletic performance. Researchers in the WPRL are trained to develop scientific studies to assess physiologic responses in a clinical and basic science manner. Depending on the study, research at the WPRL involves working with both human and animal research participants to understand all factors associated with the physiologic response.

The research conducted in the WPRL utilizes the techniques and equipment of the six research laboratory spaces in a complementary manner to explore the whole-body physiologic responses of women within different studies. Additionally, we work with other research groups within the School of Kinesiology to highlight gender differences in research studies and expand the inclusion of women in research as study participants. We are actively working to develop collaborations and connections within LSU and the community to expand the research of the WPRL to include transgender and non-binary persons and make LSU a leader in research involving all aspects of gender differences research.