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: 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 […]
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 […]
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.
Illinois Sport Psychology: A ‘once in a lifetime’ reunion
Aug. 05, 2025 | Ethan Simmons Today’s Department of Health and Kinesiology once hosted the nation’s foremost researchers of sport psychology. Nearly 50 years on, these pioneers reunited at Huff Hall for a weekend on campus. When Rainer Martens arrived at the University of Illinois in the summer of 1966, he stepped out of his […]
New study reveals nitrous oxide misuse deaths are steeply increasing
July 31, 2025 | Ethan Simmons Misuse of nitrous oxide, or “laughing gas,” is on the rise nationally. Researchers warn that the U.S. may be at the “bottom of the hill” for this public health issue. An anesthetic most often used at the dentist or doctor’s office, nitrous oxide or “laughing gas” has been misused […]
From Mayo Clinic to Urbana-Champaign
May 22, 2025 | Anna Flanagan In addition to their professional experience, Gabrielle Dillon and Jack Senefeld share research interests When Gabrielle Dillon joined the Department of Health and Kinesiology in the College of Applied Health Sciences last fall, she was greeted by a familiar face. She and Jack Senefeld, who had joined HK in fall 2023, had briefly overlapped […]
Study shows smart home technology to be beneficial for aging in place
May 22, 2025 | Jonathan King Mobility disabilities, defined as a “serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs,” affect approximately 21 percent of adults 65 years of age and older Saul Morse believes his wife might not have survived a recent health episode without assistive technology. “Had it not been for our voice-activated digital home assistant, […]
Wolff brings hands-on approach to musculoskeletal anatomy course
May 22, 2025 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo Many students majoring in HK want to pursue careers in occupational therapy, physical therapy and athletic training Whitney Wolff had just completed a semester as an assistant professor at tiny Lakeland University in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, when the opportunity to work at an R1 university arose. Wolff, who earned her Ph.D. […]