Major Research Grants Support Digital Athlete Lab Innovation

The Digital Athlete Lab has secured significant research funding through two major grants that will advance both research capabilities and educational innovation in exercise physiology.

McCaig Institute Spark Grant: $20,000

Dr. Holash has been awarded a $20,000 Spark Grant from the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health for the project “ACTIVATION: Activity Capture To Investigate Voluntary Activity in Oncology and Normal populations.” This collaborative research with Dr. Joel Kendal will investigate how activity monitoring technologies can provide insights into movement patterns and recovery in both healthy individuals and oncology patients.

The ACTIVATION project represents a significant expansion of the lab’s research into clinical applications of exercise physiology, bridging the gap between fundamental muscle physiology research and real-world health outcomes. This work will contribute to our understanding of how activity levels and movement patterns influence recovery and health across different populations.

Science of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) Grant: $40,000

In collaboration with Dr. Venus Joumaa, Dr. Holash has received a $40,000 SOTL Grant for “Evaluating Enhanced Learning Outcomes: Developing a Multimedia Library with Educational Videos and Interactive Tools for Laboratory Training.” This substantial educational innovation grant will transform how exercise physiology concepts are taught and learned.

Project Impact

The SOTL grant will enable the development of:

• Comprehensive multimedia learning resources
• Interactive laboratory training modules
• Evidence-based assessment of educational technology effectiveness
• Scalable educational tools for exercise physiology instruction

Research Portfolio Growth

These grants bring the lab’s total secured research funding to over $140,000, demonstrating sustained success in competitive research environments and representing a significant expansion of the lab’s research capacity. The combination of clinical research (McCaig) and educational innovation (SOTL) funding reflects the lab’s commitment to advancing both scientific knowledge and educational excellence.

This funding supports the Digital Athlete Lab’s core mission of integrating cutting-edge technology with fundamental physiological research while maintaining excellence in student training and education.