Faculty
Permanent APL faculty include five full time faculty investigators and a dedicated laboratory manager. As a shared laboratory facility the APL has the advantage of leveraging the skill set and expertise of the faculty members to enable the completion of unique experiments designed to answer complex physiological questions.
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David W. HillDavid W. Hill, PhD, FACSM
×Dr. David W. Hill is Regents Professor in the Department of Kinesiology, Health Promotion, and Recreation at the University of North Texas. Dr. Hill earned his BA and BS at Southern Illinois University, MAPE at The University of Florida, and PhD at The University of Georgia. He has served as a faculty member at UNT since 1988.
Dr. Hill's research focuses on (i) the critical power concept, (ii) anaerobic capacity and its measurement, and (iii) circadian rhythms and other factors in sport performance. His recent efforts have focused on using post-exercise measures of oxygen uptake and blood lactate concentrations to estimate the anaerobic contributions during severe-intensity exercise. He has co-authored more than 70 peer-reviewed articles as well as 180 presentations at national/international professional meetings. Dr. Hill is a Fellow in the American College of Sports Medicine.
Dr. Hill teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in exercise physiology, and draws on his experiences in the fitness industry and as a competitive athlete. He is a previous recipent of the Fessor Graham Award at UNT that is given annually to honor outstanding contributions to teaching and serving students.
Co-Director -
Brian K. McFarlinBrian K. McFarlin, PhD, FACSM
Dr. Brian K. McFarlin holds a joint appointment as an Associate Professor in the Departments of Kinesiology, Health Promotion and Recreation and Biological Sciences. Dr. McFarlin earned his PhD and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Purdue University. In the Fall 2012 after serving on the faculty at the University of Houston for 8 years, he joined the UNT faculty.
Dr. McFarlin's research focuses on two main areas: 1) The physiologic and immunologic consequences of weight gain and loss, and 2) The use of nutritional countermeasures to maximize immune health after exercise. He has published more than 75 peer-reviewed articles, and his research has been funded by numerous grants from the National Institutes of Health, Private Foundations, and Industry sources. Dr. McFarlin is a fellow of both The Obesity Society and American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). He also is currently serving as the Executive Director of the Texas Chapter of ACSM and as the Associate Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Exercise Science.
Dr. McFarlin is a previous receipent of ACSM New Investigator Award and various Teaching Excellence Awards for his innovate use of technology in instruction.
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Co-Director -
Jakob L. VingrenJakob L. Vingren, PhD, FACSM, CSCS
Dr. Jakob L. Vingren holds a joint appointment as an Associate Professor in the Departments of Kinesiology, Health Promotion and Recreation and Biological Sciences. Dr. Vingren earned his PhD at University of Connecticut in 2008. He joined the faculty at UNT in the Fall 2008.
Dr. Vingren’s research focuses on two main areas: 1) Muscle signaling and endocrine responses to resistance exercise/ training, and 2) the effects of alcohol consumption on exercise performance, responses, and adaptations. He has published more than 60 peer-reviewed articles and text-book chapters, and his research has been funded by numerous grants from private foundations and industry sources. Dr. Vingren is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). He serves as an active member of the ACSM and National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and he is a Senior Associate Editor for the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
Among Dr. Vingren's recent efforts are examination of the efficacy of including of exercise training as part of the standard of care for treatment of substance abuse among individuals who are infected with HIV.
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Co-Director -
Ryan L. OlsonRyan L. Olson, PhD
Dr. Olson joined the University of North Texas as an Assistant Professor in fall 2016. He received his B.S. in Kinesiology and Health Promotion from the University of Wyoming prior to completing his Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences at Rutgers University.
Dr. Olson's research interests center on the fields of Sport and Exercise Psychology, with an emphasis on implementing psychophysiological techniques, including electrocardiography (ECG) and electroencephalography (EEG), to identify neural biomarkers of disease. Specifically, Dr. Olson focuses on: 1) the effects of acute and chronic exercise for improving neurocognitive function and mental health, and 2) examining neurocognitive deficits and autonomic function in at-risk populations, especially in concussed and obese individuals.
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Psychophysiology Director -
John CurtisJohn Curtis, MS
×Mr. John Curtis is the current APL Laboratory Manager and Safety Director. Among other tasks, John is responsible for ensuring that all equipment in the laboratory is operational, maintaining detailed safety /compliance records, and authorizing personnel for working in the APL.
John's professional background includes several career stints in the business world with experience as a manager. It is these management skills which make him an excellent resource to the APL personnel and students.
If you are an undergraduate student and interested in volunteering in the APL, please contact Mr. Curtis and he will work with you to identify an appropriate faculty mentor.
Lab Manager -
Lydia CaldwellLydia Caldwell
×Lydia Caldwell is an Assistant Professor in Kinesiology and Health Promotion. She joined the faculty at the University of North Texas in the Fall of 2020. She earned her B.S. in Biology and M.S.E in Exercise Science from the University of Dayton prior to completing her Ph.D. in Kinesiology at The Ohio State University. During her doctorate studies, Caldwell was funded by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, where she supported research with the 711th Human Performance Wing (AFRL) at Wright Patterson Air Force Base.
Dr. Caldwell’s primary research interests are centered around the physiology of exercise performance and recovery optimization. Her most current work has focused on the use of a novel recovery modality, flotation-restricted environmental stimulation therapy, to reduce biomarkers of stress and improve resiliency in military and athletic populations.
Assistant Professor -
Sarah DeemerSarah Deemer
×Sarah Deemer earned her BS and MS degrees from the University of Texas at El Paso and her PhD from Texas Woman’s University. Sarah then completed three years of postdoctoral training at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC). Sarah joined the faculty at UNT in the Fall of 2020. Sarah’s research interests include understanding of the role of exercise and/or nutrition on weight loss and equally important, weight loss maintenance. Specifically, she is interested in the role of the adipocyte and the adipose tissue depot in regulation of insulin sensitivity and metabolic health. Sarah’s research will aim to address the following questions: What important physiological changes occur in the adipocyte as a result of obesity and how does this influence adipocyte remodeling and metabolism, the efficacy of exercise and nutrition interventions for reversing the adverse changes in an “obese” adipocyte, and the integrative mechanisms that mediate the adverse changes associated with obesity and how exercise and nutritional supplements or dietary changes may favorably influence adipocyte metabolism and promote weight loss. Sarah’s additional research interests include the influence of omega-3 fatty acids on insulin sensitivity and adipocytokine production, as well as other nutrition- or exercise-related interventions aimed at reducing the risk of development of Type 2 diabetes and metabolic disease, particularly in minority populations.
Assistant Professor