Category: Research

Michael Phelps, Serena Williams and Simone Biles have all been named the GOAT of their sport, but what makes them different from other swimmers, tennis players and gymnasts who never made it to the Olympic level? Brooke Macnamara, associate professor in the Purdue University Department of Psychological Sciences, is studying skill acquisition and expertise to help understand why these athletes stand out.

A recent international study from Aaron Specht, assistant professor in the Purdue School of Health Sciences, and his team of researchers analyzing avocados from Mexico and California for toxic elements — metals like lead, manganese and mercury that can be harmful to humans if consumed in large amounts.

“Beyond Money: How Social Motives Drive Green Purchases in the Sharing Economy” is the latest publication by Kevin So, the C.B. Smith Endowed Professor in the White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. The work looks at sustainability issues within the sharing economy.

Subin Han, a PhD candidate in the Purdue University School of Health Sciences, developed a novel, patent-pending air sampler that utilizes an inertial impactor to collect harmful viruses and bacteria from the air. This device was designed and fabricated under the guidance of Health Sciences associate professor Jae Hong Park.

As AI agents are becoming more pervasive for both work and personal use, people are increasingly turning to these agents for socioemotional help and support. Purdue Psychological Sciences William C. Byham Professor Louis Tay’s latest work will be a three-year study exploring the impact of AI conversational agents on human well-being, as funded by a $3.5 million John Templeton Foundation grant.

Evans Appiah Osei overcame major obstacles before thriving in the Purdue University School of Nursing. Studying by lantern light as a child, Osei is now a PhD student that led a session on “Palliative and End of Life Care for Gynecologic Malignancies” at the 2025 Ghanaian Diaspora Nursing Alliance and World Continuing Education Alliance conferences this summer. He spoke in front of about 500 nurse practitioners from all over Africa about his Purdue research experience working with cervical cancer patients toward the end of their lives.

Mariel Schroeder, a combined MS-SLP and PhD graduate student in Purdue University’s Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences (SLHS) whose research focuses on language development, has been awarded the prestigious extramural F31 Fellowship from the NIH’s National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. The award provides predoctoral individuals with supervised research training in specified health and health-related areas leading toward their research degree.

Li-Shan Chou is a leading expert on how adult humans move and maintain balance. The researcher and professor was named the head of the Purdue University Department of Health and Kinesiology this summer and has brought in a wealth of research, technical know-how, and cutting-edge hardware and software that tracks human movement.

Upcycled, biodegradable, ethically sourced, zero-waste. There are plenty of sustainability buzzwords that float around brand marketing today. With companies being aware of making these more environmentally conscious efforts, what might cause consumers to hesitate before jumping onboard with this greener version of luxury retail?

Jiyun Kang, associate professor in the Purdue University White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM), has found messaging to be key when it comes to consumer perception of the choices their favorite brands make. As a key influencer of the fashion world, luxury brands have been the focus of Kang’s efforts through a top-down approach toward shaping the retail landscape.

From coffee to protein bars to olive oil, people make many decisions every day about how they fuel their bodies. However, colorectal cancer risk typically is not front of mind when choosing what to eat.

Patricia Wolf, assistant professor in the Purdue University Department of Nutrition Science, recently published a study looking at secondary bile acid derivatives and their ability to reduce colorectal cancer risk. While a lot of work has been done looking at cancer-causing properties of secondary bile acids, a form of the chemical that helps absorb fat, little has been studied about their derivatives. These derivatives form when microbes in the gut adapt as a reaction to the harmful acids.

The work is part of associate professor Jiyeon Lee’s ongoing National Institutes of Health-funded project exploring aphasia patients’ speech patterns and word selections.

Protein, fiber and vitamins — there is a lot to consider when building a balanced diet. When factors such as socioeconomic status and access to nutritious foods come into play, diet choices become even more complicated.

Marian Liu’s recent time in Taiwan planted the seeds of a Purdue College of Health and Human Sciences study abroad opportunity. The proposed summer program would allow students interested in health care to earn credits by taking summer classes at National Cheng Kung University in southern Taiwan as well as exploring Taipei in northern Taiwan, the capital with a population of about 2.5 million people.

Matt Scarpelli, assistant professor in the Purdue School of Health Sciences, was part of an international all-star team of scientists that orchestrated a successful surgery and recovery of a 10-year-old male Australian shepherd that had brain tumors removed.

For Keehn’s research within his Attention and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Lab, summer is pivotal for collecting data from school-age children. Despite being the traditional time for internships, family vacations and summer jobs for Purdue students, his lab is often full of Purdue College of Health and Human Sciences undergraduate students gaining summer research experience.

Adolescents, which typically span ages 10-19, have the poorest nutrition quality among any age group in the United States, according to data presented in the 2020-25 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. In fact, a recent study comparing 21 micronutrients across both food secure and food insecure adolescents by Anali Morales-Juarez, a PhD student in the Purdue University Department of Nutrition Science (NUTR), found that regardless of food security status, adolescents have equally poor diets overall.

A new study co-led by Cori Running, associate professor in the Purdue University Department of Nutrition Science, along with her PhD candidate Wajiha Zulfiqar will examine the effects — and hopeful successes — of getting Indiana Black and Latino adolescents ages 12-18 away from soda.

When Deborah Nichols, associate professor in the Purdue University Department of Human Development and Family Science, was on “The Bozo Show” as a kid and won the Bucket Bonanza Grand Prize Game, she was hooked on media production. What she didn’t realize at just 5 years old was that she would go on to conduct research that would inform popular children’s shows such as “Sesame Street” and “Between the Lions.”

With weather playing a major role in falls in winter — ice, snow and wind, researchers wondered what other environmental factors could lead to falls. While digging around with air quality index measurements from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, they looked at the air pollution levels on days that had the most reported falls from young Boilermakers.

The National Institutes of Health stated organic, grass-fed beef in moderation can safely occupy a balanced diet. This was also confirmed in Professor Wayne Campbell’s lab in the Purdue University Department of Nutrition Science.

In a noisy school cafeteria, two children speak over the conversations and clanging utensils happening around them. While many observers may see the children talking and think their ears are doing all of the comprehension, Natalya Kaganovich, associate professor in the Purdue University Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, is exploring how the eyes play a role in understanding speech and how that might influence language disorders.

This energy only spells faster, more convenient meals for the consumer. Kevin So and Alei Fan, researchers in the Purdue University White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, foresee apps and in-person dining at fast-casual restaurants co-existing, for now.

Aaron Specht, assistant professor in the Purdue University School of Health Sciences, has investigated bird flu cases in critically endangered California condors since 2023, soon after 21 condors died from an avian flu event. Specht administered a vaccine developed by “animal health company” Zoetis for vultures to prevent the spread of bird flu. Specht also used his trusty X-ray fluorescence technology to scan birds for potential lead poisoning and see how such an exposure would interact with the vaccine.

The study led by A.J. Schwichtenberg, associate professor in the Purdue Department of Human Development and Family Science; her graduate student Moon West; Yunjie Tong, associate professor in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering; and his graduate student Andrew Frels has analyzed MRI and 36-channel electroencephalogram scans of 33 adults ages 30-55 so far as they sleep. The researchers have found cerebrospinal fluid flushes cellular brain waste earlier than originally thought.

Roughly 8-9% of young children have a speech sound disorder, which results in difficulties producing speech sounds correctly and often has no known cause, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.  

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have watched this statistic grow, as more families seek support for their children’s difficulties with producing speech sounds accurately. This includes Françoise Brosseau-Lapré, certified SLP and associate professor in the Purdue University Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, who is trying to uncover the root causes of speech sound disorder in her Child Phonology Lab within the College of Health and Human Sciences.

Chang Geun Lee, a PhD candidate in Health Sciences, and Jae Hong Park, associate professor of Health Sciences, teamed up with Laurent Couëtil, professor of Large Animal Internal Medicine, to assist asthmatic horses by designing a respirator that the animals could wear.

With limited therapies available to slow disease progression and an aging U.S. population, the number of Parkinson’s disease cases in the United States is expected to rise to 1.2 million by 2030, according to the Parkinson’s Foundation.  

While many researchers focus on the disease after it has progressed, Jason Cannon, professor and acting head of the Purdue University School of Health Sciences, and Fatema Currim, a postdoctoral researcher in the Cannon Lab of Experimental and Translational Neurotoxicology, are looking into the first environmental and dietary exposures that influence Parkinson’s disease development.

Associate Professor Bridgette Kelleher invites the families to share their stories to the benefit of her students. Quizzes on the syndrome they are studying spike after a visit from a family that has a child with a rare nuerogenetic syndrome.

From their earliest years all the way through high school, children and teenagers develop a variety of friends as they grow. Laura Elenbaas, assistant professor in the Purdue University Department of Human Development and Family Science, is interested in the way children and teenagers approach inclusion and exclusion and the implicit and explicit factors that play into who they choose to associate themselves with. 

Numbers, blocks, puzzles, rulers. Math is all around us every day. However, recent research by Suzanne Varnell, a graduate student in the Purdue University Department of Human Development and Family Science suggests math activities are more prominent in the households of five-year-old boys than five-year-old girls.  

A collaboration between the Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) and the College of Liberal Arts, MCAP consists of four co-directors, 15 core faculty, more than 100 affiliated faculty researchers, and over 50 graduate students and postdocs who have a passion for data analysis and statistical methodologies that make research projects sing.

Instead of taking samplers, respirators and other pieces of equipment to manufacturing facilities to show the importance of wearing respirators to avoid breathing in toxic particles, a red steel box allows researchers in the Aerosol Research Lab to create their own welding fumes.

Tom Redick’s work recently caught the attention of the Office of Naval Research. The professor of psychological sciences was pulled into a multi-university initiative that focuses on cognitive attention and decision making. The thrust of the project will be for recruits and officers in testing their abilities to make decisions and maintain attention during crucial situations.

Nancy Edwards, professor and head of the Purdue University School of Nursing, has always been interested in the ways people interact with animals and nature, having been surrounded by animals all her life. Combining her love of animals with her expertise in care for older adults and those with dementia, she has led countless studies as part of the College of Health and Human Sciences to investigate how animals and nature can influence older individuals’ health.  

Dan Foti, professor in the Purdue University Department of Psychological Sciences, has researched the brain’s reaction to such positive visual stimuli. The mood elevation from seeing your beloved pet may seem immediate, but it takes precious milliseconds for the information to be processed, no matter how cute the photo is.

Randy Hubach, professor and head of the Purdue University Department of Public Health, is part of the study “A Triad Approach Towards Improved Diagnostics for Maternal and Congenital Syphilis.” He and his team were awarded about $500,000 of the $2.4 million for this work.

Laura Claxton, associate professor of health and kinesiology, has been examining fall recovery in walking toddlers for years. The latest study focused on 39 13-month-olds from the Greater Lafayette community carrying one object as they navigate a padded, colorful play area within her lab.

Choices such as smoking or regular exercise have been suggested to lead to epigenetic changes that may be passed on from one cell to its daughter cells.

Valerie Knopik, the Ben and Maxine Miller Professor and head of the Purdue University Department of Human Development and Family Science, is the lead author of a textbook, “Behavioral Genetics,” that explores epigenetics, among other topics.

Since 2019, Purdue University Department of Psychological Sciences graduate students have earned six major awards at the renowned Psychonomic Society’s annual meeting. The international organization is the largest for cognitive study in psychology with more than 4,300 scientists as members.

The Purdue University Research Program on STEM Education (PURPOSE) postdoctoral training initiative assembled four postdoc researchers from across the United States for collaboration and mentorship opportunities.

The fight against hearing loss in central Indiana was strengthened with the opening of the Purdue University Accessible Precision Audiology Research Center in Indianapolis.The facility fitted with a sound booth, audiometer, wideband tympanometer and new mobile hearing assessment technology is now open in the 16 Tech innovation district, a home to research-focused start-up companies and facilities.

Marie Allsop, Purdue University Department of Nutrition Science clinical assistant professor, completed her two-year term as the first Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation diversity fellow.
Among Allsopp’s fellowship duties was a research project that would advance her field. Allsopp recently presented the results of her work, which focused on diversity issues in nutrition and dietetics in the workforce and in academia. “Prioritizing Diversity and Inclusion in Nutrition and Dietetics: Overcoming Obstacles to RDN Recruitment, Education and Advancement” fellowship explains the difficulties students of color face and registered dietitian nutritionists of color encounter to gain jobs and promotions.

As data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports declining combustible cigarette use, vaping and e-cigarette sales have continued to soar, increasing by more than 46% from January 2020 to December 2022, according to the Truth Initiative. While combustible cigarettes have a proven risk of cancers and other diseases, less is known about the health effects of vaping and e-cigarette use.

Postdoctoral researcher Salvador R. Vazquez and assistant professor Sarah Eason, both in the Purdue University Department of Human Development and Family Science, examined how many cereal boxes in the aisles of major grocery chains contained math activities. They then coded what kind of math was being printed on the boxes.

Kevin So, the College of Health and Human Sciences’ Purdue Moveable Dream Hire, brings a bevy of research awards and thousands of research article citations and downloads.

Dyslexia affects 15-20% of people, according to the International Dyslexia Association, but from slow or inaccurate reading to poor spelling to trouble with comprehension, the severity of dyslexia symptoms varies from person to person. However, through both research and clinical practice, faculty in Purdue University’s College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) are working to improve outcomes for individuals with dyslexia.

The relationship between human hearing loss and balance is an important health correlation. Postural sway is a natural phenomenon that helps humans retain balance when upright. The slight, small movements around our centers of gravity help us from toppling when standing for periods of time.

From changes in legislation to political debates, abortion and reproductive rights have been a central issue explored in the media in recent years. The issue is often discussed in two camps: those who support abortion rights, who are often labeled as “pro-choice” in many political contexts, and those who are against abortion, who are often labeled as “pro-life.”

No matter how connected or distant they may be, siblings have a strong influence on a person’s life, from social development to identity formation. Kimberly Updegraff, professor in Purdue University’s Department of Human Development and Family Science, recognized the important role her own siblings played in her life, and beginning in graduate school, she took her first steps in trying to understand more about sibling relationships and how they can shape an individual.

Purdue Pete went in front of the cameras for exercise and mindfulness videos aimed at 10- to 12-year-old schoolers. Soon to be distributed to different schools in the state of Indiana for research purposes, the videos were produced by Purdue University’s Alvin Kao, assistant professor in the Department of Health and Kinesiology, and PhD  student Riley Schellingerhout.

ExpiWell has been used by more than 5,000 participants worldwide and has seven employees worldwide.

Breastfeeding is an influential factor on public health, providing dynamic nutrition and immune protection for infants and physiologic benefits for mothers. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization recommend infants be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of their lives, with breastfeeding continuing alongside complementary foods until 2 years of age or as long as the parent and child desire.

From trauma medicine to revolutionized prosthetics and beyond, some of the most cutting-edge innovations in health and medicine have come from projects through the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Veterans Affairs. The Health of the Forces initiative, developed by Purdue University’s College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) and Military Family Research Institute (MFRI) with support from the Purdue University Office of Research, aims to add to these innovations by providing Purdue faculty with the support needed to initiate their own life-changing discoveries that will serve military members, veterans and their families.

Mark Paulik utilizes his expertise in science, nutrition and biochemistry — as well as the grit three degrees from Purdue University earns you — to battle a formidable foe in Parkinson’s disease.

Pasta without sauce. Unsalted crackers. Plain white rice. What is traditionally known to be the renal diet — a complicated diet with a wide range of restrictions, including limited protein, potassium, phosphorus and sodium — often lacks flavor and color, leaving individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who have been prescribed the diet dissatisfied with their meal options. Some patients go as far as ignoring aspects of the diet altogether.

Airbnb is now a global force in vacation lodging with about 5.6 million active listings in 220 countries. About 150 million people have the app on their phones. That’s a lot of data points to dissect for the researchers in Purdue University’s Center for Hospitality and Retail Industries Business Analytics, which is housed in the White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.

Recent research published by Sébastien Hélie, professor in the Purdue University Department of Psychological Sciences, examined how male and female participants recalled the steps it took to solve a digital version of the Tower of London problem-solving task.

Professor Susan South will launch a new study to see how mood, cognition and social engagement levels and experiences affect 50 Indiana residents in the age range of 60-70, who traditionally are at risk for mild cognitive impairment.

In fall 2023, Kelleher was awarded a $2.97 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to improve and advance telehealth methods while gaining knowledge on care for people ages 2-35 who have been diagnosed with rare neurogenetic syndromes such as Angelman, Williams and Prader-Willi.

In a database compiled by Stanford University in partnership with Elsevier, 28 scientists and scholars in the Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) appear among the top 2% of the most-cited researchers across seven disciplines. Inclusion in the database means the individual met a variety of metrics that place them among the top 2% of researchers based on citations for 2022.

A study led by Alexandra Hughes-Wegner, a May 2024 Master of Public Health graduate, found a striking number of Indiana salon workers — estheticians, massage therapists, nail technicians, barbers and hair stylists — have come into contact with people who were victims of sex trafficking and intimate partner violence during appointments.

As Starship robots deliver food to hungry Boilermakers across Purdue University’s West Lafayette campus, their presence is often welcomed like that of a neighborhood pet — students are often seen helping them when they get stuck or smiling and moving out of their way when they meet them on the sidewalk. When Alei (Aileen) Fan, associate professor in the White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) and an expert in service innovation and experience design, helped one along its way one day, she was met with a low-tone, male voice saying, “Thank you.” This contradicted the “cute” vision Fan had in her mind of the robots being like her dog at home.

Typical human aging brings about subtle changes in the body that can impair daily activities and quality of life. For many people, aging brings about tremors and the slowing of hand movement.

Alzheimer’s disease is one of the top ten leading causes of death in the United States, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, and the number of millions of people affected by it each year continues to rise. The prevalence of the disease, the lack of treatments and knowledge gap, and an interest in how the brain functions led Priyanka Baloni, assistant professor in the Purdue University School of Health Sciences, on a quest to understand possible treatments for the condition.

Hot flashes are one of the most commonly discussed side effects of menopause, but the decline of ovarian hormones and its effect on the gut microbiome can also increase the risk of a variety of metabolic diseases, including obesity and cardiometabolic syndrome, according to a recent publication by Tzu-Wen Cross, assistant professor in Purdue University’s Department Nutrition Science.

A member of Forbes’ 2022 “30 Under 30” list in science, Malinda McPherson, a new speech, language, and hearing sciences assistant professor, analyzes how people differentiate and remember harmonic sounds. Speech and other musical sounds have harmonic structure, or pitch, as words go up and down in frequency.

Understanding the role head and neck muscles play in eating and talking for children with cerebral palsy is a research effort led by Georgia Malandraki, professor in the Purdue University Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, and her I-EaT Lab.

The Purdue Center for Rural and Migrant Health debuted in 2023 and is looking to grow in 2024. Already, it received a $2.4 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration for the center’s Community Health Workers Training Program at Purdue. The center will hold its first in-person event with a fall symposium on Purdue campus.

More than 38 million Americans, or roughly 11.6% of the U.S. population, have diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the disease has considerable symptoms throughout the body — including tendon issues.

Sydney Trask, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences, developed a method she calls fear “deflation,” which chips away at the fearful stimulus in a more gradual manner. Trask’s work aims to introduce individuals to weaker versions of the thing that’s causing them fear to make it seem less intimidating.

Cammie McBride, professor in the Purdue University Department of Human Development and Family Science and associate dean for research in the College of Health and Human Sciences, has dedicated her career to taking a global approach toward understanding how children learn to read, exploring literacy across English and Chinese languages, among others.

From developing interventions that improve health outcomes to exploring sustainable tourism practices, researchers in Purdue University’s College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) study a wide range of topics that improve lives. These groundbreaking discoveries and life-changing interventions often rely on participants from the Greater Lafayette community and beyond to make the advancements possible.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosis in the United States, excluding skin cancers, according to the American Cancer Society, with more than 150,000 new cases of colon or rectal cancer being estimated for 2024. While the increased number of people receiving screenings has reduced overall colorectal cancer incidence, early onset colorectal cancer cases have continued to climb.

According to HIV.gov, Black individuals accounted for 40% of new HIV diagnoses in the United States in 2021 while only accounting for 14% of the overall population. Carlos Mahaffey, assistant professor in the Purdue University Department of Public Health, said these disparities are further exacerbated when breaking down that segment, noting that Black men who have sex with men experience particularly high rates of HIV occurrence, which has been especially apparent in the South and Midwest regions of the United States.

Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid — better known as PFOS — is a dangerous PFAS chemical compound if consumed in large quantities, causing problems for the human body.

Purdue researchers Jonathon Day, associate professor in the Purdue University White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, and senior Libby Loprete noted that successful indigenous tourist destinations acknowledge the past.

A new online source for losing the weight mental stress brings was implemented this fall into the PSY 12000 (Elementary Psychology) classes within the Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences.The online Psychological Fitness Lab was developed by a team led by George Hollich, associate professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences.

When she noticed her son was having language difficulties, struggling to put words in the right order, Stephanie Bowers began seeking opportunities and programs to help him. It was through speech-language pathologist and Purdue University alumna Belle Underwood at Greater Lafayette Area Special Services, that she heard about the Summer Fun program in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences.

Savannah O’Malley’s work has impact in nutrition, public health and agriculture because it looks at the sources of food in African regions, both rural and urban.

In the lab of Distinguished Professor Don Lynam, it’s the toxic threshold of personality traits that separate that likable and outgoing extrovert from a self-absorbed narcissist.

From the Hispanic community in Lake County, Indiana, to individuals experiencing homelessness in Greater Lafayette, Natalia Rodriguez, assistant professor in the Purdue University Department of Public Health, is working to advance health equity in communities throughout Indiana. By taking a community-based approach to increase access to preventive care and develop health technologies that detect disease early, Rodriguez’s research focuses on reducing cervical cancer rates among these vulnerable populations.

Valerie Knopik and Kristine Marceau, professors in the Purdue Department of Human Development and Family Science, analyzed the effects of maternal smoking on pairs of siblings within 173 Missouri families. The team wanted to see how siblings in the same family performed in executive function tasks when one was born when the mother smoked during pregnancy and the other child was born when the mother was not smoking or smoked less.

According to recent work by Purdue University psychological sciences Professor Sang Eun Woo, people’s varying reactions to the role of artificial intelligence in the current age may be rooted in their personality traits.

European researchers arrived in early May and finished scanning their 30th kidney in mid-July. Through the MRI images, the team was able to check the kidneys’ oxygen, sodium and potassium content while watching out for fibrosis, or thickening of the tissue. The data is now being analyzed back in Groningen.

The recent focus of psychological sciences Assistant Professor Thekla Morgenroth’s work has been on negativity toward trans people. The researcher, who identifies as nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, won the inaugural Purdue College of Health and Human Sciences Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Science Consortium Faculty Paper Award for a recent article in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, a publication from the Society of Personality and Social Psychology.

Hearing aids have improved in quality in the digital age. However, Emily Sandgren, a clinical Doctor of Audiology candidate in the Purdue University Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, and Associate Professor Joshua Alexander found most current hearing aids do not give music its justice.

Health sciences PhD candidate Hyunjin Kim’s Purdue career has yielded multiple research papers, off-campus success and a desire to propel stem cell research field.

Heather Eicher-Miller, professor in the Purdue University Department of Nutrition Science, is the winner of the 2023 Danone International Prize for Alimentation. The 100,000-euro award recognizes outstanding, innovative and multidisciplinary scientific research that represents a major advance in sustainable eating and drinking practices that contribute to the health of individuals, including food choice, purchase, preparation, cooking and meal organization, and their determinants.

This analysis of drug theft in long-term health facilities is believed to be a first in the field.

Talking about death and dying can seem scary and full of unknowns, no matter the person’s stage in life. However, for patients with Parkinson’s disease, who have an unpredictable illness trajectory, the timing of these discussions can be critical to ensure the best possible end-of-life care.

Individuals with autism see the world in a different way than their neurotypical peers. While some may view this as a negative, Purdue Associate Professor Brandon Keehn and other researchers promote positives within the minds of those with ASD. One example is people with autism can notice minute differences in work situations, especially in STEM fields.

A team of Purdue University researchers in the White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management investigated if Americans are willing to put on their walking shoes to take in the sights and sounds at an urban tourist destination.

While admissions directors prepare and work overtime to meet their programs’ needs, Neal Schmitt, a Purdue Psychological Sciences alumnus (MS ‘69, PhD ‘72) and industrial-organizational psychology distinguished professor emeritus, remembers a time when he explored admissions processes that might serve to complement SAT or ACT scores.

Ronnie Hill Jr. went from studying x’s and o’s in the Purdue University football playbook to studying personality disorders in the Samuel Assessment Methods for Personality and Psychopathology Lab.

Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences researchers Heather Eicher-Miller, associate professor in the Department of Nutrition Science, and Libby Richards, associate professor in the School of Nursing, published findings from cluster analyses on temporal nutrition intake as well as when and how hard to exercise in a 24-hour span.

Heather Eicher-Miller, associate professor in Purdue’s Department of Nutrition Science, was selected by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences researchers uncovered new details that add to the demographics of older adults most likely to fall.