For a step-by-step guide on getting involved in CHS Undergraduate Research, click the link "How Students Get Involved" and read the instructions.
- Please scroll down to see which opportunities are compatible with your major, field of interest, or future career objectives, then contact Dr. Andreatta to request an interview for the project you are interested in pursuing.
- Opportunities below are open to all UK undergraduate majors, not just those in CHS!
Research opportunities offered through the College of Health Sciences Undergraduate Research Program are only available for academic credit.
** NEW OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE as of: 7-23-26 **
Title of Opportunity: Understanding the Pathogenesis of Periodontal Disease (OPEN)
Contact: Dr. Richard Andreatta (richard.andreatta@uky.edu)
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Octavio Gonzalez
Department/College: College of Dentistry
Position Type: Academic credit only
Position Availability: Fall 2026
Description: Our group is interested in identifying the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease, particularly associated with: (1) the role of host-bacteria interactions and (2) the effects of aging on the gingival innate immune responses. These studies seek to identify new molecular pathways that will provide the foundation to prevent and treat periodontal disease, which is still affecting 50% of the US adult population. For this, we use in vitro (cell cultures) and animal models combined with several molecular techniques. Previous undergraduate students have had very productive experiences in our group, with the opportunity to present the main findings at local scientific meetings as well as co-authoring publications in top dental and immunological journals.
Prerequisites:
- GPA 3.5 or better
- Strong preference given to students with excellent academic performance, interested in pursuing dental education and interested in the research certificate program from the UK College of Health Sciences
- Availability for lab work at least 6 - 8h/week for at least 1-2 years
- Complete UK web safety training (4 courses) for working in the lab
Posted: 7-23-26
Title of Opportunity: DASH-ing to Heart Health: Research in Health Equity (OPEN)
Contact: Dr. Richard Andreatta (richard.andreatta@uky.edu)
Chief Faculty Mentors: Brandi White, PhD, MPH and Kendra OoNorasak, PhD, MS, RDN
Departments: Health and Clinical Sciences (HHS, MLS, CLM)
Position Type: Academic credit only
Position Availability: Fall 2026
Description: The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan can significantly reduce high blood pressure, but many communities with limited financial resources do not have clear, practical, or relevant guidance on how to follow it. Our research program works directly with community members and partner organizations to co-create and adapt health information, recipes, and resources that make the DASH plan more accessible and useful for those at the highest risk. Ongoing projects include developing a tailored, low-cost DASH cookbook and creating a community-informed kitchen toolkit to support healthy eating at home.
Students who work with our research team will gain experience in: 1) working with local stakeholders and community members; 2) qualitative and quantitative data collection, cleaning, and analysis; 3) communicating health information and research findings to different audiences; and 4) disseminating project findings through peer-reviewed publications and presentations in local, regional, and international conferences.
Prerequisites:
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
- Interest in health equity research and/or community engagement
- Students must feel comfortable and willing to work as part of an interactive team
- Students must have strong organizational and communication skills, and be responsive to email
- General knowledge and basic experience in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are needed.
- Prefer given to students who can commit to 2-3 credits per semester over several semesters
- Friendly and able to work as part of an interactive and collaborative team.
Posted: 7-23-26
Title of Opportunity: Research at the Center for Telehealth Education, Research, and Outreach (OPEN)
Contact: Dr. Richard Andreatta (richard.andreatta@uky.edu)
Faculty Mentor: Joneen Lowman, PhD, CCC-SLP, ASHA-F
Department: Communication Sciences and Disorders
Position Type: Academic credit only
Position Availability: Spring 2025
Description: OPEN TO ALL MAJORS - The Center for Telehealth Education, Research, and Outreach (CTERO) seeks to improve patients’ access to healthcare across the lifespan and settings through telehealth. CTERO believes that e-health is only as strong as the quality of the providers, the evidence supporting the telehealth services, and the relationship with the patient and community.
CTERO seeks to add energetic, forward-thinking, and creative student researchers to our team. Selected students will be assigned to projects that match their interests and skill sets. Examples of potential projects include but are not limited to:
- Use of ChatGPT and AI in education and clinical practice
- How is telehealth increasing access to therapy services
- Assessing students' skills in using videoconferencing platforms and troubleshooting technology problems that arise
- How disabilities are being accommodated in telehealth sessions by different provider groups
- Conducting oral mechanism exams via telehealth
Selected students must be team-oriented, open to learning, think creatively, and be self-motivated. Students will have the opportunity to increase their general knowledge of telehealth and gain experience with various research methodologies including the use of various technologies. Selected students may assist with
• Participant recruitment
• Development of online training
• Organizing and managing data
• Transcribing and analyzing interviews and videos
• Conducting literature searches
• Managing outreach activities
No prior experience is required; however, general comfort in using and learning about technology is preferred. Training will be provided.
Prerequisites:
- Must have at least 3.2 cumulative GPA
- Open to students across disciplines (e.g., healthcare, learning design, technology, engineering, communication, public health, etc.)
- Have access to a computer/laptop and stable Internet
- Be available Wednesdays from 2 – 4 pm for lab meetings
- Must be responsive to emails
- Thrive on the details and enjoy finding patterns
- Willing to take specific direction and work as part of a research team
- Highly responsible and keenly aware of patient privacy issues
- Experience with Microsoft Office applications such as Word
- Very detail-oriented, organized, reliable, and careful
Posted: 7-24-26
Title of Opportunity: College Student Food and Nutrition Insecurity (OPEN)
Contact: Dr. Richard Andreatta (richard.andreatta@uky.edu)
Chief Faculty Mentor: Kendra OoNorasak, PhD, MS, RDN
Departments: Health and Clinical Sciences (HHS, MLS, CLM)
Position Type: Academic credit only
Position Availability: Fall 2026
Description: College food and nutrition insecurity affects about 20-50% students across higher education institutions in the U.S., undermining their nutrition, physical and mental health, academic performance, and overall well-being. This college food insecurity research will attempt to better understand and address this critical issue by examining the impacts of food and nutrition insecurity, barriers to healthy eating, and challenges faced by college students. This ongoing work also contributed to the development and evaluation of a new college-specific food insecurity measurement tool, created in collaboration with researchers at partner institutions such as the University of Hawai‘i, Brigham Young University, Oregon State University, and others.
Students will gain experiences in working with existing datasets, including surveys, qualitative interviews, and mixed-methods evaluation data, which will be used to analyze and disseminate findings through conference presentations and peer-reviewed manuscripts. This opportunity provides hands-on experience in secondary data analysis, interpretation, visualization, manuscript writing, and poster development. Students will also gain experience in networking and working with faculty and student researchers from other institutions.
Prerequisites:
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
- Interest in food and nutrition among college students
- Skills needed: Strong writing capability, attentive to detail, and willing to take the initiative.
- Students must have strong organizational and communication skills, and be responsive to email
- General knowledge and basic experience in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are preferred.
- Training will be provided for all necessary tasks.
Posted: 7-23-26
Title of Opportunity: Intergenerational Health Promotions Intervention (OPEN)
Contact: Dr. Richard Andreatta (richard.andreatta@uky.edu)
Chief Faculty Mentor: Kendra OoNorasak, PhD, MS, RDN
Departments: Health and Clinical Sciences (HHS, MLS, CLM)
Position Type: Academic credit only
Position Availability: Fall 2026
Description: Opportunities for intergenerational contact and connectedness between young and older adults are minimized in our current society, but the aging population is growing. Students pursuing careers in healthcare will increasingly work with older adults, making it essential to develop the skills, empathy, and understanding needed to effectively engage and communicate with an aging population.
The BINGO study is an intergenerational intervention that engaged low-income older adults in subsidized housing and college students through interactive food and nutrition activities. This study included a total of 8 sessions where older and young adult participants were paired and participated in a bingo-like game, nutrition trivia, physical activities, and food-related discussions.
This undergraduate research opportunity will provide hands-on experience in quantitative and qualitative data preparation, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination by working with existing data from pre- and post-survey data on attitudes and perceptions towards older and younger generations, session feedback surveys, session observation forms, and focus groups. Tasks may include quantitative data preparation and descriptive analysis, assisting with the development or refinement of nutrition education materials, and qualitative analysis of session feedback, focus groups, and session observation forms. Students engaged in this research project will be encouraged and mentored to apply for research fellowships and contribute to the development of conference posters and/or peer-reviewed publications for local, regional, and national conferences.
Prerequisites:
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
- Interest in: community-engaged research, nutrition, public health, and aging populations.
- Skills needed: Strong writing capability, attentive to detail, and willing to take the initiative.
- Students must have strong organizational and communication skills, and be responsive to email
- General knowledge and basic experience in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are preferred.
- Training will be provided for all necessary tasks.
Posted: 7-23-26
Title of Opportunity: Rural Physical Therapist Experiences with Pediatrics: A Qualitative Study (OPEN)
Contact: Dr. Richard Andreatta (richard.andreatta@uky.edu)
Faculty Mentor: Catherine Gohrband and Heather Witt
Departments: Physical Therapy
Position Type: Academic credit only
Position Availability: Fall 2026 and Spring 2027
Description: Rural healthcare often brings unique opportunities and challenges. Our current project aims to understand the experiences of rural clinicians, specifically physical therapists, when working with pediatric populations. This research will use qualitative methods, including interviews and qualitative coding of participant feedback. We are in search of 1-2 undergraduate students to help with this rural healthcare research project.
Student researchers will be expected to perform the following activities:
- Assist with literature review
- Assist with the development of new or revised materials for data collection
- Collect and analyze qualitative data
- Learn how to use software in qualitative analysis
- Summarize and present findings
While performing these activities, students will learn basic research skills and gain experience in scientific writing. As part of this research work, students will have publication and/or presentation opportunities depending on their personal goals.
Through these activities, students will gain hands-on experience with basic research skills, scientific writing, build foundational skills in research methods and applied data collection, and presentation opportunities of findings at local, state, or national conferences. Participating students must be available for lab meetings and scheduled sessions in clinical training environments, with flexibility for scheduling changes.
Prerequisites:
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
- Open to all majors
- Student is not required to have a specific physical therapy interest or knowledge, as this project focuses on qualitative research methodology
- Prefer that students commit to participating in our lab for at least 2 semesters
- Prefer students with a strong rural healthcare interest
- Students must be detail-oriented, organized, and responsive to email
- Student must be able to participate in small group lab meetings to go over progress
- Able to work independently and as part of a collaborative team
- No prior research experience required
Posted: 7-7-26
Title of Opportunity: Swinging Into Language: Play-based language intervention research (Not currently available)
Contact: Dr. Richard Andreatta (richard.andreatta@uky.edu)
Faculty Mentor: Allison Hatcher, PhD, CCC-SLP
Departments: Communication Sciences & Disorders
Position Type: Academic credit only
Position Availability: Fall 2026
Description: The Swinging Into Language (SIL) kit is a multisensory, theme-based program designed by pediatric speech-language pathologists to support early language and literacy development. It includes a guidebook, storybooks, toys, and picture cards, along with research-based guidance for teachers, clinicians, and caregivers to facilitate play-based learning. While a prototype exists, continued refinement is needed to align with current research and best practices.
Our goal is to build on the existing prototype and expand the kit to include additional themes and materials as the next step in preparing for pilot implementation in early childhood lab classrooms. This phase integrates material development, classroom implementation, and applied research in child language.
Undergraduate Research Assistant Role: As a research assistant on this project, you will:
- Assist with the development of new or revised materials and activities for the SIL kit
- Help organize, assemble, and prepare SIL kit materials for implementation in clinical environments
- Participate in research focused on educational product design in the areas of child language and literacy, including literature searches to support evidence-based material development
- Assist with data collection, organization, entry, and research documentation. Data collection may be across multiple participant groups, including:
- Early childhood teachers (e.g., surveys, feedback, implementation experiences)
- Graduate-level SLP student clinicians (e.g., reflections, usability, fidelity)
- Child participants engaged in language intervention sessions (e.g., observational or performance-based data, as appropriate)
- Attend regular research team meetings
Through these activities, students will gain hands-on experience in educational material development and intervention design, build foundational skills in research methods and applied data collection, and could present findings at local, state, or national conferences. Participating students must be available for weekly meetings and scheduled sessions in clinical training environments, with flexibility for scheduling changes.
Prerequisites:
- Minimum 3.25 cumulative GPA.
- Experience or familiarity with conducting literature searches is helpful.
- Preference given to those with an interest in pediatric communication sciences and disorders (CSD), including autism, language disorders, phonological awareness, and early intervention. Students majoring in early childhood or special education are also encouraged to apply.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Prompt and professional email communication.
- Strong attention to detail, creative problem-solving abilities, openness to feedback, and a willingness to revise written work as needed.
- Comfortable working both independently and collaboratively within a research team.
- Friendly, responsible, and professional demeanor.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Adobe PDF tools.
- Highly organized, detail-oriented, and dependable.
Posted: 4-30-26
Title of Opportunity: What Does Your Voice Say about Your Cognition? (Not currently available)
Contact: Dr. Richard Andreatta (richard.andreatta@uky.edu)
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Chorong Oh
Graduate Student Mentor: Emily Jones
Department: Communication Sciences & Disorders
Position Type: Academic credit only
Position Availability: Summer and Fall of 2026
Description: The Cognitive Aging and REsilience (CARE) Lab is inviting 1-2 undergraduate students to join an exciting research project focused on how speech patterns can reveal early signs of cognitive decline and dementia.
As a research assistant, you’ll play an active role in piloting studies, collecting data, and helping organize and prepare research datasets. Along the way, you’ll gain valuable hands-on experience working directly with older adults, including individuals with cognitive concerns, and learn how researchers analyze speech to better understand changes in cognition. Students may have opportunities to be part of presentations and publications or related studies. This opportunity is open for the Spring, Summer, and Fall 2026 semesters, with the possibility to continue beyond based on your interest and the needs of the lab.
No prior research experience is required, and training will be provided. Students who have taken Speech Science (CSD 502) are especially encouraged to apply.
Prerequisites:
- Minimum GPA of 3.25
- Motivated and interested in working with aging populations
- Hardworking, detail-oriented, organized, and reliable
- Friendly and caring, with strong communication skills; especially when interacting with older adults
- Able to commit to 2–3 credits per semester (approximately 5–8 hours per week) over multiple semesters (preferred)
- Willing to occasionally travel with a graduate student mentor to participants’ homes for data collection
Posted: 3-30-26
Title of Opportunity: Exploring UK Healthcare Scholar Alumni and Former Ambassador and Mentor Experiences in the Discovery Healthcare Program (Not currently available)
Contact: Dr. Richard Andreatta (richard.andreatta@uky.edu)
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Randa Remer
Department: Health and Clinical Sciences
Position Type: Academic credit only
Position Availability: Spring 2026
Description: The Discovery Healthcare Program (DHP) is dedicated to diversifying healthcare professions by engaging high school students from varied life experiences and perspectives. Through mentorship, support, and enrichment opportunities, DHP empowers students to pursue careers in healthcare and facilitates their transition from high school to college and ultimately into professional roles. This research project aims to evaluate the impact of the DHP on participating students by conducting a pre-post assessment and focus groups. The evaluation will provide insights into how the program influences students’ academic preparedness, confidence, and commitment to healthcare careers, informing strategies to strengthen pathways for underrepresented populations in the healthcare workforce. Student help is needed to achieve the following objectives
- Identify barriers and facilitators experienced by students during their engagement with the program.
- Gather qualitative feedback to inform program improvements and enhance future implementation, including the creation of a college-connected experience.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of mentorship and enrichment activities in supporting students’ transition from high school to college.
- Assess changes in student knowledge, confidence, and interest in healthcare careers before and after participation in the DHP.
Prerequisites:
- Minimum GPA 3.25
- Reliable, responsible, and responsive to emails
- Organized and motivated with an excellent work ethic
- Familiarity with basic Microsoft programs (needed for entering data)
- Prefer students with a health sciences or health profession background
Posted: 1-19-26
Title of Opportunity: Families Moving Together: Developing and testing an in-person and online curriculum to increase physical activity among families of preschoolers (Not currently available)
Contact: Dr. Richard Andreatta (richard.andreatta@uky.edu)
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Dee Dlugonski
Department: Health and Clinical Sciences (HHS, MLS, CLM)
Position Type: Academic credit only
Position Availability: Summer and Fall 2026
Description: We are seeking 1 – 2 undergraduate students to join the Families Moving Together research team. This opportunity begins in Summer 2026 and can continue into future semesters. The goal of Families Moving Together is to increase family participation in physical activity to support parent and child health. This community-based research study occurs in and around the Lexington area.
In Summer 2026, students will be part of a team that is evaluating the feasibility of integrating a virtual Families Moving Together program into clinical settings, such as pediatric well visits. Students will be involved with all aspects of research from recruitment to data collection, data entry, and analysis. Students may have opportunities to be part of presentations and publications or related studies about physical activity promotion in other populations. No prior research experience is required.
Prerequisites:
- Must have at least a 3.25 cumulative GPA
- Must be available for in-person activities.
- Must be willing to work collaboratively with all members of the team, including peers, graduate students, professors, and community members
- Must be responsible, detail-oriented, organized, and reliable
- Must be responsive to email communications
- Motivated with a strong work ethic
- All academic disciplines welcome
- Time commitment is flexible
Posted: 3-7-26
Title of Opportunity: Sex-related differences in those with a history of concussion (FULL - Not currently available)
Contact: Dr. Richard Andreatta (richard.andreatta@uky.edu)
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Ke'La Porter
Department: Health and Clinical Sciences (HHS, MLS, CLM)
Position Type: Academic credit only
Position Availability: Fall 2026
Description: The UK Sports Medicine Research Institute (SMRI) is conducting concussion and musculoskeletal health research. The purpose of the study is to assess differences in brain activation (with an fMRI) and motor performance (gait, balance, and landing/cutting) in males and females.
As an undergraduate student, you will help with piloting and data collection. Students will gain experience in assessing novel measures of physical performance and cognitive function, instructing participants during data collection, and data management. Students will also assist with a literature review that is being conducted with the intent of being published. This opportunity is available for the Spring semester, but may be extended longer based on the interest of the student and the needs of the research team.
No prior experience is required; however, being comfortable using technology is important. Specific training will be provided.
Prerequisites:
- Must have at least a 3.25 cumulative GPA
- Must be responsive to emails
- Must be responsible, detail-oriented, organized, and reliable
- Motivated with a strong work ethic
- Must be a team player and open to feedback
- Preference for students pursuing sports medicine or health care fields
- Time commitment is flexible
Posted: 2-27-26
Title of Opportunity: Patient-Centered Outcomes in the ICU Recovery Clinic (FULL - Not currently available)
Contact: Dr. Richard Andreatta (richard.andreatta@uky.edu)
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kirby Mayer and Dr. Esther Dupont
Department: Physical Therapy
Position Type: Academic credit only
Position Availability: Spring 2026
Description: We are looking for 1-2 undergraduate students to assist with our research initiatives and become an integral part of our research team. The ICU Recovery Clinic at the University of Kentucky Clinic provides care to ICU survivors through an interdisciplinary approach. Students entering any health profession will encounter patients with complex needs and who are ICU and COVID-19 survivors. Our research will allow the undergraduate students to better understand recovery and trajectory of care after hospital discharge. Our lab, REBOUND, has many ongoing research projects that students will have the opportunity to be involved with. We are creating a large data base of all the patients we serve in the clinic for current and future research initiatives.
Participating students will have the opportunity to understand and help with the process of retrospective studies, data analysis, and manuscript creation. We are looking for undergraduate students to assist with data organization and extraction through our electronic medical record system called EPIC. The time requirement for each student will be 3-5 hours per week minimum.
Prerequisites:
- Minimum GPA 3.25
- Sophomore or Junior preferred
- Prefer that students engage in our lab for at least 2 semesters
- Reliable, responsible, and responsive to emails
- Organized and motivated with an excellent work ethic
- Familiarity with basic Microsoft Excel (needed for entering data)
- Prefer students with a health sciences or health profession background
- Current electronic medical record access is a bonus but is NOT required for participation
Posted: 1-11-26
Title of Opportunity: "All About Communication” - Research Lab Projects (Not currently available)
Contact: Dr. Richard Andreatta (richard.andreatta@uky.edu)
Faculty Mentor: Drs. Janine Schmedding-Bartley
Department: Communication Sciences and Disorders
Position Type: Academic credit only
Position Availability: Spring 2026
Description: The All About Communication Research Lab (AAC) is comprised of 3 faculty members in the Dept of Communication Sciences & Disorders (Drs. Schmedding-Bartley, & Page) who together investigate communication assessments and various treatments for children and adults with complex communication needs.
The AAC Research Lab faculty are in search of several student research aides to assist with the overall work of the lab in several ongoing projects. The undergraduate positions offered by the AAC Lab will provide an opportunity for students to become actively involved in one or more ongoing projects with different combinations of faculty and doctoral students. All students will have an opportunity to assist with a variety of tasks including: application preparation for human subjects approval, transcription of client data, data entry, data cleaning, data coding, data management and library research, research poster preparation and presentation, and lastly material preparation for use in assessments and interventions.
No prior experience is needed to participate in this research opportunity. Training will be provided for you. All participating students must be available on Wednesdays between 2 and 4 pm for on-line Zoom meetings among lab participants.
Prerequisites:
- Minimum GPA of 3.0
- Availability Wednesdays 2 to 4 pm
- Any major is welcome, but CSD students are preferred
- Opportunity is open to 2nd semester Freshman through Seniors
- Student must be detail-oriented, very organized, reliable, and responsive to email
- Friendly and able to work as part of an interactive team
Posted: 11-5-25
Title of Opportunity: UK Rehab MakerSpace: Joint rehab project between "All About Communication” (AAC) - Research Lab and The Kentucky Appalachian Rural Rehabilitation Network (KARRN) (Not currently available)
Contact: Dr. Richard Andreatta (richard.andreatta@uky.edu)
Faculty Mentors: Drs. Janine Schmedding-Bartley and Dr. Patrick Kitzman from PT.
Departments: Communication Sciences & Disorders and Physical Therapy
Position Type: Academic credit only
Position Availability: Spring 2026
Description: The All About Communication Research Lab (AAC) (https://www.uky.edu/chs/aac-lab) and the Kentucky Appalachian Rural Rehabilitation Network (KARRN) (https://www.uky.edu/chs/karrn) have created a “makerspace” to experiment and create useful rehabilitation/habilitation aids for individuals with a variety of different disorders that affect their quality of life. By sharing ideas, tools, and knowledge, we can improve their participation in life and foster better and greater interaction with their surroundings. Our "makerspace" is an inclusive place to create, build, collaborate, explore, and learn together.
We are looking for students who like to physically create things with their hands and are willing and not afraid to dive in and learn some technical skills including basic electronics, programming, using craft tools, 3-D printing, and learning how real-world signals are converted for use by digital equipment (computers, iPhones, iPads), to name a few. No prior experience is needed to participate in this research opportunity. Training by one of the faculty will be provided for you...or we'll work to together to figure out how to do something!
All participating students must be available on Wednesdays between 3 and 4 pm for in-person and/or on-line Zoom meetings among lab participants. Current makerspace tools and technology include:
- 3D printer (QIDI X-MAX)
- Soldering station
- Laminating station
- Electronics
- Computer/software
- Crafts/hardware supplies
- Sewing supplies
- Tools
Our UK Rehab Makerspace is in search of student research aides to participate in several ongoing as well as developing new projects including:
- 3D printing of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and assistive technology (AT) tools,
- rehabbing donated AT and durable medical equipment (DME),
- adapting toys and books for inclusive play,
- creating AT switches,
- evaluating our makerspace impact, and
- developing your new ideas to help someone do something they couldn't do before.
Prerequisites:
- Minimum GPA of 3.0
- Availability Wednesdays 3 to 4 pm in-person or via Zoom.
- Any major is welcome including CSD, HHS, PT, OT, AT, rehab and biomedical engineering, and those with similar interests
- Student must be detail-oriented, very organized, reliable, and responsive to email.
- Student must be willing to take direction and instruction and not afraid of making mistakes.
- Friendly and able to work as part of an interactive team and collaborative team.
Posted: 11-5-25
Title of Opportunity: Discovering Mechanisms of Injury and Recovery in the Lower Extremity (Not currently available)
Contact: Dr. Richard Andreatta (richard.andreatta@uky.edu)
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Brian Noehren and Dr. Meredith Owen
Department: Physical Therapy
Position Type: Academic credit only
Position Availability: Spring 2026
Description: Our lab is focused on understanding the underlying mechanisms of several common injuries that occur in the lower extremity. We use a variety of methods to answer our research questions, including:
- 3D motion capture,
- Advanced muscle strength assessment,
- Magnetic resonance imaging, and
- Clinical behavioral measurements and the
- Use and development of computer code to process and analyze the data we collect.
Students working in our lab serve in a variety of capacities, such as observing clinical evaluations, assisting in data collection, and processing data. The undergraduate students working in our lab gain an understanding of anatomy, common clinical assessment techniques, and joint mechanics. Students also have an opportunity to assist physical therapists in research treatment studies ongoing in the laboratory. Students that work in the laboratory for an extended period of time also have the opportunity to present research at national conferences. Leadership opportunities also exist for students who return for a second semester to help train and supervise newer students.
We are looking for 2 students to join our lab who have excellent attention to detail, a strong work ethic, are interested in a future career in the medical field, and enjoy working in a collaborative team environment.
Prerequisites:
- Minimum 3.4 GPA
- Prefer a current Freshman or Sophomore for these positions.
- Must commit to a minimum of 8-10 hours per week on the project, which is equivalent to 3 credits of coursework.
- Must be interested in working in a lab over multiple semesters
- Preference will be given to Pre-PT students and Pre-Med, but other exercise science majors will be considered
Posted: 10-28-25
Title of Opportunity: Study of the Link Between Oral/Dental Conditions and Systemic Diseases. (Not currently available)
Contact: Dr. Richard Andreatta (richard.andreatta@uky.edu)
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Oelisoa Mireille Andriankaja
College/Department: College of Dentistry
Position Type: Academic credit only
Position Availability: Fall 2025
Description: This research project is entitled "Lipid lowering agent use in periodontitis and diabetes Study (LLIPDS)". This project was originally conducted at the University of Puerto Rico from 2017 to 2020. The study investigates mechanisms that may explain the link between diabetes and gum disease (or periodontal disease) by examining the relationship between typical cholesterol-lowering medications (e.g., statins) and inflammation. Cholesterol-lowering medication use may be linked to a lower incidence of gum disease among diabetic patients. The findings from this study will be highly relevant for public health, given the high prevalence of gum disease among diabetic patients, and could be valuable for developing new strategies and treatments to prevent gum disease. Additionally, the research may inform the development of new local delivery methods for medication to treat the disease in the future.
Students interested in exploring topics beyond lipid-lowering agents are encouraged to investigate other factors available in the dataset. As long as the factor(s) they choose to study are included in the data, students can customize their research questions to match their interests within the broader context of oral/dental and systemic disease relationships.
Students selected to participate in this project will contribute to the study and will learn to conduct a literature review, present (poster or oral) their work, learn to write and publish a manuscript, and develop a new research project. These are essential skills for students to build for future academic and clinical pursuits.
Prerequisites:
- Minimum 3.0 GPA.
- Students must be responsible and committed to the project.
- Students must be willing to learn new things and be receptive to direction and instruction.
- Students must be willing to work as part of a team.
- Students must be available to work at least once a week.
- Basic knowledge of health sciences, biology, statistics, and public health topics is preferred but not required.
Posted: 8/8/25
Title of Opportunity: Recovery of skeletal muscle following ACL injury (Not currently available)
Contact person: Dr. Richard Andreatta (richard.andreatta@uky.edu)
Faulty Mentor: Dr. Christopher Fry
Department: Athletic Training and Clinical Nutrition
Position Type: Academic credit only
Position Availability: Fall 2025
Description: Our lab is interested in promoting skeletal muscle health and strength. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries result in significant weakness that is not restored with traditional rehabilitation strategies. This weakness prevents a return to sports/activity, increases re-injury rates, and promotes overall poor health outcomes. We have recently shown that ACL injury up-regulates myostatin signaling in quadriceps muscle, which promotes muscle fiber atrophy along with dysregulated activity of other cells residing within muscle (muscle stem cells) to reduce muscle quality through fibrosis. These changes likely promote weakness after ACL injury, and our lab is interested in preventing these molecular changes to improve functional recovery after injury. We have collected clinical muscle samples from patients with ACL tears, and the student will have the opportunity to perform immunohistochemical laboratory techniques on muscle fibers from these human samples to assess molecular and cellular changes to skeletal muscle and how different types of physical therapy may impact muscle health after the injury. We have also developed a mouse model to simulate the clinical condition in which we will probe the mechanistic role of myostatin on muscle adaptations after ACL transection. We will be utilizing multiple transgenic mouse models along with a pharmacological inhibitor or myostatin, and the student will have the opportunity to be involved in immunohistochemical, biochemical, and/or in vivo functional strength experiments using mouse skeletal muscle. Additionally, the student will have the valuable opportunity to be a co-author on a peer reviewed research article.
Prerequisites:
- Minimum GPA of 3.5
- A background in chemistry and biology is preferred.
- Enthusiastic about science and learning
- Preference given to students who can commit to multiple/consecutive semesters
- Very detail-oriented and highly organized.
- Reliable, responsible, and strong work ethic.
Posted: 7-11-25
Title of Opportunity: University of Kentucky Aphasia Lab Research Projects (Not currently available)
Contact: Dr. Richard Andreatta (richard.andreatta@uky.edu)
Faculty Mentor: Christen Page, PhD, CCC-SLP
Department: Communication Sciences & Disorders
Position Type: Academic credit only
Position Availability: TBA
Description: The purpose of this study is to identify the effect of functional strategies and support services on life participation (how individuals participate in previously enjoyed activities). Using the life participation approach to aphasia (LPAA Project Group, 2001), the University of Kentucky Aphasia Lab aims to provide long-term functional support services for individuals with chronic aphasia and their caregivers (participants). The support services within the Aphasia Lab will provide mechanisms to increase communication opportunities and confidence for individuals with aphasia (communication deficits following a stroke) and awareness of communication competence by their caregivers/co-survivors. With these services, participants will re-engage as active members of a communicating society. Support services will include:
Strategies to facilitate participation in vocational, social, or educational activities;
- Caregiver/co-survivor education to reduce burdens and reveal communication competence for individuals with aphasia;
- Group interaction to increase confidence and communication opportunities for individuals with aphasia.
Students who are chosen to participate in this undergraduate research experience will learn research skills through the following tasks:
- Critically appraise research articles.
- Assist with manuscript preparation/revisions.
- Manage data collected from assessments given to persons with aphasia and caregivers.
Dr. Page has multiple years of experience mentoring undergraduate students as they complete research projects. She provides clear instructions with examples/resources and is available and happy to answer any questions that may arise. While this project may require multiple semesters to complete, students could potentially present findings at a state or national conference.
Prerequisites:
- Familiarity with conducting literature searches is preferred but not required
- Dependable and punctual and responds to email in a timely manner
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
- General knowledge and basic experience in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint are needed.
- Students must have strong organizational and communication skills.
- Students must be willing to learn new things and be receptive to direction and instruction
- Students must be willing and feel comfortable working as part of an interactive team in the lab
Posted: TBA
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