Phil Allsen

Dr. Allsen's research focuses on physical fitness and sports physiology. He has examined the effect of same day strength training on athletic performance with an emphasis on basketball and selected physiological variable, basketball and shooting performance, ball velocity in soccer, serving velocity in tennis, and bat velocity in baseball. In addition he is comparing the effect of front squat and back squat exercises on the vertical jump and lower leg power output.

Dr. Allsen is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, and the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He teaches Problems in Exercise Prescription (EXSC 468), Scientific Bases of Sport: Exercise Physiology (EXSC 366), Sport Fitness Techniques (EXSC 235), and Weight Training: Skills and Teaching Techniques (EXSC 239).

David Draper

Dr. Draper's research focuses on sports medicine and therapeutic modalities. Currently, he is treating patients who lack full range of motion in joints such as the ankle, knee, wrist or elbow, due to injury and prolonged immobilization. He uses deep heat (ultrasound or pulsed shortwave diathermy) and tissue mobilization and stretching, in an attempt to restore range of motion to these joints. He is also looking at the efficacy of topical analgesics (ie, ThermaCare, Flex-all, Icy- Hot) and doing comparisons of one-use electrodes to re-useable electrodes in the ability to conduct an electrical current. He also studies phonophoresis via ultrasound.

Dr. Draper is a member of the National Athletic Trainer's Association. He regularly teaches Upper Quarter Injury Evaluation (ExSc 417), Therapeutic Modalities (ExSc 415), Introduction to Athletic Training (ExSc 320), and a Capstone course which helps students prepare for the NATA exam (ExSc 498). On the graduate level, he teaches Joint Mobilization and Positional Release Therapy (ExSc 625R) as well as Electrotherapy (ExSc 625R).

In addition to being a professor, his other responsibilities at BYU include associate editor of the Journal of Athletic Training, modalities section editor for Athletic Therapy Today and a member of the department teaching evaluation committee.

J. Brent Feland

Dr. Feland's research focuses on stretching and flexibility in young and old populations. In addition he studies issues related to balance and aging. He is currently examining the effects of whole body vibration as it relates to flexibility and dynamic balance. Dr. Feland regularly studies senior athletes at the Hunstman Senior Games.

Dr. Feland is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Physical Therapy Association. He teaches Functional Anatomy (ExSc 400), Orthopedic Impairments (ExSc 460), Functional Neuroanatomy (ExSc 470), and Pathomechanics (ExSc 560). He is the physical therapy advisor for the Department of Exercise Sciences.

Ty Hopkins

Dr. Hopkin's research examines the neuromechanics of joint injury from the persepective of prevention and rehabilitation. He is currently involved in projects designed to study intervention strategies to improve dynamic joint stability in normal and pathological joints, the contribution of arthogenic muscle inhibition to chronic/functional joint pathologies, and therapeutic intervention strategies to limit the negative effects of arthogenic muscle inhibition. Dr. Hopkin is a certified athletic trainer. He is a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association and the American College of Sports Medicine. He teaches Rehabilitation of Orthopedic Injury (ExSc 418) and Neural Basis of Rehabilitation (ExSc 625). He is currently the Athletic training Undergraduate and Graduate Program Director for the athletic training program.

Iain Hunter

Dr. Hunter focuses on the biomechanics of track and field events and running economy. He is looking for modifications in technique that will improve performance. He is currently working on projects investigating optimal performance in the hammer throw and steeplechase events. He is the head biomechanist for USA Track and Field for the hammer throw and distance running. Each year, he attends track and field conventions to present current findings to athletes and coaches from around the country.

Dr. Hunter is a member of American College of Sports Medicine and American Society of Biomechanics. He teaches Kinesiology and Biomechanics (ExSc 362), Scientific Bases of Sport 2: Kinesiology (ExSc 365), Mechanical Analysis of Activities (ExSc 662), and Research Techniques in Biomechanics of Sports (ExSc 663). He also works on instrumentation in the biomechanics lab for a variety of projects involving motion, EMG, and force collection.

Wayne Johnson

Dr. Johnson's research focuses on outcomes and assessment of physical therapy treatment and evaluation. He is currently addressing whole-body vibration in individuals with total knee arthroplasty, hamstring flexability, and isometric neck strength testing and treatment. Efficacy of treatment is important in the timely and efficient treatment of patients. Evidenced-based practice is currently an area of great importance in the physical therapy discipline. This will determine the future of the profession and patient care as this type of research continues to develop.

Dr. Johnson is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association. He regularly teaches Functional Anatomy (ExSc 400) and Orthopedic Impairments (ExSc 460.)

Ken Knight

Dr Knight's research attempts to advance understanding of the neurophysiological mechanisms of orthopedic injury interventions so as to provide better health care. Most of his efforts have been directed toward understanding how to use cold applications more efficiently during both immediate care and rehabilitation. A second area of interest is strength development during rehabilitation, especially the neurological aspects.

Dr. Knight is a Certified Athletic Trainer and a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. He teaches Basic Athletic Training (ExSc 320), Therapeutic Modalities (ExSc 415), Seminars in Cryotherapy (ExSc 625) Strength Development in Rehabilitation and (ExSc 625), Scientific Reading (ExSC 693), Scientific Writing (ExSc 751), and Grantsmanship (ExSc 751).

Gary Mack

Dr. Mack's research focuses on the interaction of three specific regulatory systems: body fluid balance, thermoregulatoy control of skin blood flow and blood pressure regulation. To examine body fluid balance, his research examines the impact of exercise on the synthesis, transport and distribution of the plasma protein albumin in humans and details the responses at the tissue, cellular and molecular level in an animal model. To examine thermoregulatoy control of skin blood flow, attention is focused on the mechanism of active cutaneous vasodilation. The aim of his studies is to improve understanding of the control of arterial blood pressure during conditions of thermal stress and provide new knowledge about the mechanisms that humans employ to resist syncope in conditions of high circulatory and thermal stress. His overall goal is to understand the mechanisms by which physiological adaptations associated with thermal strain convey physiological advantage to individuals.

Dr. Mack is a member of the American Physiological Society and the American College of Sports Medicine. He teaches Exercise Physiology (ExSc 363), Laboratory Methods (ExSc 667) and Advanced Cardiopulmonary Physiology (ExSc 766).

Bill Myrer

Dr. Myrer's research focuses primarily on the efficacy of therapeutic modalities, topical analgesics, and the theoretical explanations for and practice of flexibility training. He is currently embarking on the exploration of the relationships between the application of therapeutic heat and cold to intramuscular blood flow. Dr. Myrer is a member of the American Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, the National Athletic Trainers Association, and the American College of Sports Medicine. He regularly teaches (ExSc 400) Functional Anatomy, (ExSc 460) Orthopedic Impairments, (ExSc 668) Orthopedic Regional Anatomy and (ExSc 691) Graduate Orientation Seminar.

Dr. Myrer is currently serving as the Department Graduate Coordinator and coordinator for the anatomy laboratory.

Allen Parcell

Dr. Parcell is currently investigating the role and adaptive mechanisms associated with cytoskeletal (structural integrity) proteins in human skeletal muscle. The muscle cytoskeleton links the internal force generating proteins within the muscle cell to the cell membrane thus facilitating the transmission of forces from the sarcomere. Alterations in the cytoskeleton typically result in some form of muscle dystrophy or myopathy. Recent research from his laboratory has demonstrated that these proteins are part of the adaptive process in response to chronic muscular activity. A more comprehensive understanding of the functional and adaptive characteristics of the muscle cytoskeleton will facilitate the development of effective interventions to improve skeletal muscle function and possibly offset the debilitating effects of cytoskeletal myopathies.

Dr. Parcell is a member of American Physiological Society and the American College of Sports Medicine. He teaches Exercise Physiology (ExSc 363), Graduate Exercise Physiology (ExSc 666) and Advanced Skeletal Muscle Physiology (ExSc 769). He is currently the director of the Human Performance Research Center.

Matthew Seeley

Dr. Seeley studies various issues that are related to the biomechanics of human able-bodied locomotion. Additionally, he is interested in biomechanical research that is conducted to improve the outcomes of assorted physical therapy services. He has recently conducted several studies that were designed to elucidate specific causes of bilateral asymmetries that have been observed in the human able-body gait. This research will lead to more effective resolutions of various gait impairments. He is also examining a specific biofeedback device that was designed to combat lower- back pain.

Dr. Seeley is a member of American Society of Biomechanics International Society of Biomechanics, and National Athletic Trainer's Association. He regularly teaches kinesiology and biomechanics.

Larry Tucker

Dr. Tucker has two principal areas of research interest: 1) Lifestyle and the prevention of chronic disease, and 2) Obesity and weight management. He is currently directing the 5th phase of a ten-year prospective study designed to determine the effect of lifestyle, including dietary intake and objectively measured physical activity, on the risk of developing chronic disease, including insulin resistance, atherosclerosis, obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and osteoporosis. Additionally, Dr. Tucker recently completed two randomized controlled trials designed to study the effect of diet on weight loss and the effect of a special supplement on bone density.

Dr. Tucker is a Fellow in the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and also a Fellow in the North America Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO). He regularly teaches Advanced Lifestyle and Chronic Disease Prevention (ExSc 671), Advanced Obesity and Weight Management (ExSc 673), Advanced Worksite Wellness (ExSc 661), and Research Design (ExSc 631). Dr. Tucker is also Director of the Y Be Fit clinic and is co-director of the University Wellness program at BYU.

Pat Vehrs

Dr. Vehrs' research focuses on body composition, predicting cardiorespiratory fitness, and exercise testing. He has collaborated in the development of several exercise and non-exercise models to predict VO2max in apparently healthy young adults. These models have only been validated in Caucasian men and women. He is interested in developing new or validating existing exercise tests in children, adolescents, and African Americans. He is also involved in determining the validity and reliability of various methods of assessing body composition in adults, children, and adolescents, as body composition is an important component of health related physical fitness.

Dr. Vehrs is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Alliance for Health Physical Education Recreation and Dance. He teaches Exercise Physiology (ExSc 363), Exercise Physiology for Physical Educators (ExSc 363), Electrocardiography (ExSc 670), and Exercise Testing (ExSc 669). Dr. Vehrs is the Undergraduate Exercise Physiology Lab (EXSC 367) Coordinator.