Alumni All-Access: Take a Peek at the Human Performance Lab

Located in the northwest part of the University of Calgary main campus, within the Roger Jackson Centre for Health and Wellness Research, is the Human Performance Lab (HPL). For many, this is the extent of their knowledge on this world-class, multidisciplinary facility. But the HPL is one of the true gems of UCalgary’s Faculty of Kinesiology — the No. 1 sport-science school in North America.

The HPL produces groundbreaking research that pushes the boundaries of knowledge and innovation and helps shape the future of the kinesiology field. The lab is equipped with high-tech and custom-made equipment for conducting research in anatomy, biology, biomechanics, motor control and physiology.

Currently, it is the workspace for 35 academic, adjunct and visiting professors; 15 postdoc scholars; 25 research associates, research assistants and support staff; and 50 PhD, MSc and visiting students.

“What separates the work being done here is the publications coming out of it are recognized beyond just Calgary or even Canada and North America,” says research co-ordinator Jess Neufeld, BSc’17. “For example, we're actually one of 12 International Olympic Committee sport med centres in the world. There are 12 labs in the world that the IOC recognizes as being a leading world sport-medicine research centre and it gets revoted upon every four years … We've continued to carry that legacy since the ’80s.”

Neufeld currently works with the Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, located on the third floor of the HPL in the Pan-Canadian SHRed (Surveillance in High schools to REDuce) Concussions Project. The research group focuses on, “collaboration with other Canadian Institutions on objectively quantifying the extent concussed athletes rest and exercise following concussions.”  

Many projects like SHRed address athletic injury and recovery, and in many cases give added guidance and treatment to high school and club athletes who might otherwise not have access to testing. It’s just one of the many ongoing projects at the HPL that blend education, sport-science and safety.  

And it’s not just local, or even Canadian athletes benefiting from the UCalgary-based expertise. Project chair Dr. Carolyn Emery, MSc’99, PhD, went straight to some of the toughest athletes in the world.

“She convinced the National Football League to fund this project, which is massive,” says Neufeld. “The NFL funding a Canadian lab to study this kind of thing — that's pretty significant.”

Beyond collaborating with sports leagues, national sport organizations and international bodies, HPL projects have been central to the development of products such as wearable technology and footwear for companies like TaylorMade, Adidas and Lululemon.

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Hosted by the UCalgary Alumni Association, Alumni All-Access runs from Oct. 12 to 22 and is open to everyone — alumni, community members and their families. Space may be limited on some events, so we encourage you to register as early as possible.

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