Brittany Goodman, PhD
Psychology, Sociology, and Public Health
College of Science, Technology and Health

This study explores the relationship between psychological and physiological factors contributing to differential outcomes following reproductive trauma, specifically perinatal loss. Mechanisms behind positive and negative psychological outcomes continue to be under studied. To date, no psychophysiological markers of this change have been investigated in this population. The study is investigating the relationship between emotional regulation as measured by heart rate variability (HRV), coping, and social support and their contribution to individual posttrauma outcomes. The purpose of the study is to investigate factors associated with differential outcomes following perinatal loss. Specifically, the study will focus on outcomes such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) in individuals who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, or termination of pregnancy due to fatal fetal diagnosis.

Patrick S. Harty, PhD, CSCS*D, CISSN
Kinesiology
College of Science, Technology, and Health

When analyzing athletic movements, sport science researchers and practitioners often rely on kinematic and kinetic data, both of which provide complementary insight into performance. Kinetic data refers to information about muscular forces generated during an activity and are often captured via force platforms or other strength testing equipment such as dynamometers. Kinematic data refers to changes in body position, joint, angle, or orientation that occur during a given movement and are often captured using sophisticated and expensive motion capture systems, or more economically, via high-speed video. High-speed video cameras collect footage with many frames captured per second (e.g., 240 fps or higher), allowing for minute changes in joint angles and body position to be examined which are not readily apparent using standard videography methods that are often limited to 30 or 60 fps. The data collected through this method can then be used to provide coaching cues or additional kinematic insight to researchers and practitioners. To date, human performance researchers at Lindenwood University have had a robust history of collecting kinetic data on athletes but have not yet examined kinematic aspects of performance in many contexts, primarily due to inadequate equipment. This project uses a consumer-grade high-speed video camera to capture athletic performance and human movements in several important applications – the Lindenwood University Olympic Weightlifting team during competition, ROTC cadets during training, and biomechanics students who are attempting to learn how to describe human movements using kinematic terms.

Petey Mumford, PhD
Kinesiology
College of Science, Technology, and Health

WNT proteins have been shown to stimulate muscle tissue repair and regulate stem cell differentiation, while rheumatoid arthritis can cause enhance muscle loss with aging. However, the precise relationship between WNT proteins and muscle tissue repair in the context of rheumatoid arthritis remains unclear, and effective treatments for rheumatoid arthritis-associated muscle degeneration are lacking. This study investigates the impact of WNT proteins on tissue healing in both healthy and inflamed tissues mimicking rheumatoid arthritis. By treating skeletal muscle cells with WNT proteins and inflammatory markers, inducing injury, and comparing the healing response, we seek to advance therapeutic research in this field.

Michiko Nohara-LeClair, PhD
Psychology, Sociology, and Public Health

Pernell Witherspoon, PhD
Criminology and Criminal Justice
College of Science, Technology, and Health

This project supports undergraduate interdisciplinary research in the areas of forensic psychology and criminology. Projects funded by this grant investigate the many areas of our criminal justice system that are in need of reform, such as examination of the difference in accuracy of eyewitness testimony between victims and bystanders of a staged theft. This research is important because recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence and its abuse have necessitated reliance on eyewitness testimonies to corroborate digital evidence in the courtroom (Maras & Alexandrou, 2019). It is important to be able to stage events to test the validity of eyewitness testimony as it varies across types of groups and individuals in an in-person experiment rather than resort to using low-budget methods that are more limiting in scope.

Karolina Schneider, EdD
Management
Plaster College of Business & Entrepreneurship

Global Brigades’ Community Development Program focuses on working with on-site community leaders to conceive and develop tangible plans for community improvement, with the mission of empowering rural communities throughout the world to rise out of global poverty. The PI will engage in this program to identify a challenge to embed within a core business management course. Implementation will include aligning Global Brigades’ Business Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies virtual program with existing course outcomes to engage students in learning about and applying concepts of entrepreneurship and business planning in the context of microenterprises located in a resource-limited rural community.

Kyle Sunderland, PhD
Kinesiology
College of Science, Technology, and Health

This longitudinal, collaborative project aims to improve the knowledge and understanding about youth athlete workloads in the local community. This project seeks to establish and strengthen relationships with local youth sports teams, high schools, and club organizations. Through these relationships, we will address key gaps in knowledge regarding workloads in local youth athletes while supplying impactful knowledge and education to athletes, coaches, and parents. Utilizing GPS and heart rate metrics as well as subjective measures of workload, this project will collect and interpret these objective and subjective measures of workload from participating teams and organizations. These data will be compared to current literature and best practices to identify key areas for educational and interventional opportunities. These opportunities will be comprised of presentations, infographics, pamphlets, and/or online resources delivered by Lindenwood faculty or students regarding workload management strategies for coaches, as well as nutritional and recovery strategies for athletes and their parents. Educational materials will supply coaches, athletes, and parents with evidence-based approaches that promote effective athlete development and wellbeing. The outcomes of this project will not only provide valuable insights into youth athlete workload and result in focused educational materials for stakeholders, but also serve as a foundation for future research projects. The interdisciplinary approach of this project will engage members of the Lindenwood campus professionals, undergraduate research students, local community, and alumni involved in youth sports to contribute to the advancement of youth athlete development, wellbeing, and education. By forging new community partnerships in the youth sports space and leveraging the expertise of the campus community, this project bridges the gap between academia and practice while making a positive impact on the greater St. Louis community