Academic Analytics, a privately owned ranking company, placed UH’s Department of Health and Human Performance number one in the nation among research universities with programs in health, physical education and recreation.
Health and Human Performance Chair Charles Layne said the UH Health and Human Performance department, which includes majors ranging from exercise science to nutrition, has made numerous advancements in the realms of research and recruitment.
"What makes this department unique is that we take an integral approach to answering scientific questions," Layne said. "Our faculty members often collaborate and add their special skills to each project which significantly improves our overall productivity."
The Academic Analytics’ Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index is based on several criteria, such as faculty members’ book publications, journal publications, citations, research grants, awards and honors.
The department, which has 12 faculty members and about 20 doctoral students, conducts a wide array of research.
HHP faculty members are involved in research projects concerning movement coordination, tobacco and drug use, and health and fitness programs for minorities.
The department’s Laboratory of Integrated Physiology houses advanced research equipment that allows students and faculty members to conduct cutting-edge research.
One of the research projects related to obesity is the Training Interventions and Genetics of Exercise Responses study. The study attempts to understand the role of genes in influencing the level of body fat prior to and following a 30-week exercise program. Another research project, conducted by assistant professor Adam Thrasher is related to movement behavior where researchers employ a variety of techniques to help improve walking skills of spinal cord injury patients.
The department’s goals are to continue its research endeavors, strengthen its graduate programs by attracting top students across the world and to develop a Master’s degree in Human Space Exploration Sciences and in Nutrition.
One initiative is to move the majority of the clinical research to the National Center for Human Performance located at the Texas Medical Center.
"This move will allow us to move closer to hospitals where we recruit most of our spinal cord patients and most importantly to create research partnerships with institutions at the Texas Medical Center," Layne said.
The move will take place gradually throughout the summer.
