Project Sport experience and cognitive function Program Health & Human Sciences Term Academic Year 2023 Status Accepted Research Area Sport and Exercise Psychology Description The Physical Activity and NeuroCognitive Health (PANCH) lab is conducting a research project to investigate the relationship between sport participation and cognitive function. Specifically, this project utilizes electroencephalogram (EEG) to examine neuroelectric brain activation responsible for various cognitive processes such as attention, executive function, and their behavioral outcomes. This project also involves the evaluation of adulthood health behaviors and cardiorespiratory fitness using various behavioral and physiological assessments such as surveys, performance during a variety of cognitive tasks, and maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) during a graded exercise test. Our lab utilizes a multidisciplinary approach encompassing kinesiology, psychology, and neuroscience to better understand how we can use exercise as a strategy to optimize cognitive function. As our society has become physically inactive and unfit, which have been associated with impaired cognitive health, the goal of this project is to better understand the exercise-related facilitation of creativity and its underlying brain mechanisms. Students/researchers admitted to our lab through the HHS Undergraduate Research Program will have opportunities to learn a variety of techniques/experiences, including but not limited to, (1) administer exercise/resting metabolic test (i.e., VO2max, resting energy expenditure), (2) assess cognitive function and neuroelectric activities using EEG, (3) deliver different modes of exercise interventions, (4) perform data reduction and statistical analysis, (5) present research findings in undergraduate research seminars on campus, (6) recruit and interact with research participants, and (7) collaborate with a group of research personnel. Supervisor Shih-Chun Kao Mentor Type of work required The admitted students/researchers will contribute to the research group by recruiting research participants, conducting research experiments, performing data reduction and statistical analysis, and disseminating research findings through oral/poster presentation in a public setting to promote health and human sciences. Websites - PI’s HK departmental website
https://hhs.purdue.edu/directory/alvin-kao/?_ga=2.35343718.61618542.1678675810-359432120.1677563732
- PI’s research gate website
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Shih_Chun_Kao/stats

- PANCH lab website
https://sites.google.com/view/panchlab/home Qualifications Required certificates. Admitted students will need to obtain these certificates before they conduct any research activities with the participants. • CPR certificate • Biomedical research certificate from the CITI program Preferred experiences • Matlab • SPSS • GPA > 3.0 • Fitness training • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Credit Hours 0 Weekly Hours 9 (estimated)