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Published March 4, 2024
By Darlene Muguiro
³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ College of Health Sciences

The Metabolic, Nutrition and Exercise Research (MiNER) Laboratory in the Department of Kinesiology is celebrating a banner year for student awards, having recently returned from the late February conference of the Texas chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine. Under the guidance of Dr. Sudip Bajpeyi, professor of Kinesiology and lab director, five lab members, including undergraduate students Ulices Villalobos and Irene John, graduate student Gabriel Narvaez, and doctoral students Jehu Apaflo and Joshua Labadah, were invited to present posters. Of the five students, four were finalists in their respective categories, with John receiving third place in the undergraduate student poster category.

John and Villalobos, both first-time attendees at TACSM, said the opportunity to interact with other sports medicine researchers across Texas was inspiring and critical for their academic growth. John, an honors student who is currently pursuing a degree in Clinical Laboratory Sciences, mentioned that the most meaningful part of the experience was stepping out of her comfort zone, something she is now grateful for because of the profound impact on her professional and personal growth.

“This was my first time attending a conference, so naturally, preparing an abstract and research presentation for the first time was challenging,” she said. “It was important for me to attend since it helped me grow not only academically and professionally, but also aided in my personal development, which are all vital as a student.”

Villalobos added that networking with students from laboratories across multiple institutions with different research agendas helped him understand the many opportunities available to him after graduation.

“I was truly inspired by the many brilliant minds here,” he said. “This conference allowed me to present a project on which I worked diligently with my peers, but I was also able to broaden my perspective on graduate school.”

For Narvaez, a seasoned participant in TACSM conference nearing graduation from the MS in Kinesiology program, networking opportunities have taken on a new meaning. In addition to the opportunity to present his research, he looks forward to hearing how his peers’ research is progressing.

Both Apaflo and Labadah, third-year students in the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences PhD Program, utilize feedback from the poster session to refine their manuscripts and improve the quality of their dissertation projects. Labadah also mentioned that listening to student grant presentations that were successful will help him in future applications.

“This year’s conference allowed me to gain insight into exercise science theories and clinical applications that will be helpful for the formulation of my dissertation research questions,” said Labadah. “And the comments I received from my poster presentation on biomarkers associated with cardiovascular health among Hispanics have given me directions for developing a manuscript.”

Apaflo added that receiving a finalist award is a strong motivator to continue his line of research.

“It was a great opportunity to expose several months of my laboratory work to the public, and to enhance my presentation skills,” he said. “Questions and feedback from my audience also broadened my mind with new perspectives to improve the quality of my research moving forward.”

Bajpeyi indicated that beyond the annual statewide recognition of his lab team, he values the interpersonal connections that come from the students’ daily work and commitment to the lab and one another.  

“I am immensely proud of our students at the MiNER Lab. Their dedication and outstanding efforts not only shine through their academic achievements, but also underscore the hard work they invest in pushing the boundaries of research,” he said. “Beyond their academic achievements, it's their compassion, resilience, and collaborative spirit that make them truly exceptional. Each student is a testament to the excellence that defines our lab, and their commitment to advancing scientific knowledge with a human touch is truly commendable.”

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