Ideas in Action

Training for a heart attack

Preventing heart attacks, the leading cause of death in the industrialized world, would require millions of individuals to make unrealistic lifestyle changes – quitting cheeseburgers and fries cold turkey while also ramping up physical activity.

Dr. John Quindry, a researcher in the Department of Kinesiology, knows heart attacks will remain a common killer for the foreseeable future. While it may not be possible to prevent a heart attack, Quindry’s research focuses on ways to increase your chances of surviving one.
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Caring for the soldier-athlete

Students in Auburn’s post-certification graduate athletic training program start their days before members of the U.S. Army’s 192d Infantry Brigade, which is no small feat.

The athletic trainers sacrifice their sleep, beginning each workday at 4 a.m., to provide care for soldiers engaged in basic combat and infantry training. Under the supervision of Dr. JoEllen Sefton in the Department of Kinesiology, the trainers diagnose and evaluate injuries, provide immediate treatment and teach rehabilitative techniques. Their presence often saves soldiers from a trip to the Troop Medical Centers while also providing valuable on-site support for the Army’s physical therapists and medical personnel.
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Understanding children’s needs

A joint project involving researchers in the College of Human Sciences and the College of Education has revealed that the simple act of counting sheep and obtaining a good night’s sleep can do wonders for children’s physical and emotional well-being.

Dr. Joe Buckhalt in the Department of Special Education, Rehabilitation and Counseling/School Psychology is collaborating with Dr. Mona El-Sheikh in the College of Human Sciences on a project examining sleep deprivation in children and how even a loss of one hour per night can impair a child’s academic performance, emotional behavior and physical health.
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