Oct. 25, 2025 | Ethan Simmons Can regular exercise reduce the protein needs of adults with type 2 diabetes? For healthy adults, roughly .8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day is enough to maintain muscle mass and support daily function. But for adults with type 2 diabetes, an estimated 1 in 10 […]
Category: Health and Kinesiology
Message from HK Department Head Kim Graber
Oct. 27, 2025 | Kim Graber Dear Alumni and Friends, Now that fall 2025 is underway, I’m excited to share some of the exciting stories from the Department of Health and Kinesiology. Each newsletter reminds me of how fortunate I am to work alongside such passionate faculty, students and alumni who are making a real […]
Insights from the 2025 Chittenden Symposium
Oct. 15, 2025 | Ashley Sims Human-Centered Solutions, Systems-Level Impact On October 8, faculty, students, and researchers from the Department of Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering and Department of Health and Kinesiology gathered at the iHotel for the 2025 Chittenden Symposium: “Lifelong Health by Design – Human-Centered Innovations in Chronic Disease Prevention.” The event united experts across disciplines to […]
WCIA: Otavio Leão explains the Illini Kindergarten Cohort
Oct. 10, 2025 | AHS Staff New research invites Champaign-Urbana families to help track children’s physical activity Health and Kinesiology Assistant Professor Otavio Leão appeared on WCIA 3 News segment “Community Spotlight” to explain a new research project recruiting young participants this fall. Illini Kindergarten Cohort is a study seeking to estimate the physical activity, […]
Exercise is Medicine On Campus month kicks off at Illinois
Oct. 09, 2025 | AHS Staff Join activities hosted by Health and Kinesiology faculty and students Exercise is Medicine on Campus (EIM-OC) is an annual initiative that calls upon colleges and universities to promote physical activity as a core component of health and wellness. More than 200 campuses in the United States have registered for […]
AHS Faculty Q&A: Megan Huibregtse on traumatic brain injuries, MRI and coming to Illinois
Oct. 8, 2025 | Ethan Simmons Megan Huibregtse, Ph.D., is a first-year assistant professor in the Department of Health and Kinesiology, but she’s no stranger to the Midwest. Huibregtse obtained her bachelor’s in neuroscience and a Ph.D. in human performance from Indiana University, Bloomington. She worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Emory University before joining […]
AHS Alumni Awards celebrate leadership, resilience and service
Sept. 29, 2025 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo Honorees embody resilience, leadership, service, and equity The College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign once again shined a light on extraordinary alumni at its annual Alumni Awards celebration, held during Homecoming weekend. This year’s honorees—Dr. Jack Groppel, Justice Adrienne Albrecht and Brandon Buchanan—embody the […]
Pedro Hallal honored with King James McCristal Distinguished Scholar award
Sept. 25, 2025 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo Pedro Hallal has built an international reputation for his research on physical inactivity Like many young researchers, Pedro Hallal thought his first study would be groundbreaking and potentially change the paradigm of the study of physical activity. Ultimately, he said, it didn’t, but now, with the value of experience […]
Featuring physical activity courses in the department of health and kinesiology that promote health and well-being
Sept. 24, 2025 | Tia King What if earning course credit could be fun, while helping you manage stress? Students can register for Fall Term B, and soon registration will open for the Spring semester.
Measuring pain in postpartum women: A first look
Sept. 12, 2025 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo Postpartum depression linked to heightened pain perception in mothers’ brains Bringing a new baby into the world is often described as joyful, overwhelming, and exhausting all at once. But what’s less often talked about is how the postpartum body—and brain—handle pain, especially for mothers dealing with postpartum depression. A […]