Applied Physiology & Kinesiology

The Department of Applied Physiology & Kinesiology (APK) studies the immediate and lasting effects of exercise and its use in performance enhancement and  disease prevention and rehabilitation. Degree specializations include exercise physiology, fitness/wellness, athletic training, biomechanics, sport and exercise psychology, motor learning and control and human performance.

APK is home to the Center for Exercise Science (CES) where researchers are working to improve our understanding of the basic mechanisms that underlie exercise-induced changes in the body at the system, organ, tissue, cellular and molecular level. CES scientists are investigating applied topics such as the development of rehabilitation techniques for regaining motor control after stroke, enhancing motor performance, maintaining optimal health, and delaying age-related declines in physiological function.

CES provides an outstanding laboratory environment to educate UF students and post-doctoral fellows who will become the next generation of health-related exercise scientists and clinicians. This multidisciplinary research center is dedicated to investigating the complex interactions between physical activity, movement, aging and muscle as well as neuromuscular adaptations. Our researchers are studying the treatment effects of nutrition, pharmacology, heat stress, muscle disuse, bimanual coordination and Parkinson’s disease.

The Center for Exercise Science also hosts a seminar series which brings speakers to campus who are reknowned in their fields — click HERE for more info.

We are dedicated to research:

• 16708 sq. ft. of space for research
• Two dedicated transportation vehicles
• Plentiful patient parking

And shared-core facilities with state-of-the art equipment for...

• cell culture
• molecular biology
• biochemical analyses
• neuroimaging analyses
• electrophysiology
• locomotion
• exercise training
• vascular responsiveness
• motor performance evaluation

Research Program Highlights

• Our Ph.D. graduates have taken positions at major research universities such as John’s Hopkins University, University of Texas Medical Center, Northwestern University, UCLA, and many others. Other students have acquired industry sponsored positions in a variety of biomedical fields.
• Recent APK funding awards include grants from the NIH, Department of Defense, American Heart Association and more.
• Our faculty, students and fellows have published in top-tier journals including: Journal of Neuroscience, Brain, Cerebral Cortex, Journal of Physiology, Physiological Reviews, Human Molecular Genetics, Journal of Gerontology, Journal of Applied Physiology, American Journal of Physiology, Critical Care Medicine, Pain, Neurology, Emotion, Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, PLoS One and Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews.
• With our full-time grant pre- and post-award clerical staff providing valuable assistance, we ensure that our Principal Investigators focus on science.
• A full-time engineer is available to assist investigators in developing reliable and valid measurements necessary for successful state-of-the-art research.
• The average Web of Science h-index of our graduate faculty is 26.

APK Research | Choose a Degree | How to Apply

Administration & Advising

Thomas Clanton, Ph.D. | tclanton@hhp.ufl.edu
Professor; Chair

Chris Hass, Ph.D. | cjhass@hhp.ufl.edu
Professor; Graduate Coordinator

DeEtta Rhodes | drhodes@hhp.ufl.edu
Undergraduate Advisor

Contact Info

College of Health & Human Performance
Applied Physiology & Kinesiology
PO Box 118205
1864 Stadium Rd., Room 100
Gainesville, FL 32611-8205
(352) 392-0584