Students and Alumni

Research Interests: Physical activity, sedentary behavior, understanding the effects of exercise on insulin sensitivity, and cardiovascular function.

Long term research goals are centered around examining the health benefits of light-intensity physical activity.

Brenda Jeng is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow. She received her PhD in Rehabilitation Science from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her prior experience involved working at land- and aquatic-based therapeutic exercise centers for individuals with various types of disabilities (stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury). Brenda’s doctoral dissertation focused on examining correlates of physiological walking efficiency including gait outcomes, spasticity, and body composition metrics in MS. Her current research aims to identify specific underlying vascular mechanisms that contribute to walking efficiency in persons with MS.

Peixuan Zheng is a Postdoctoral Research Associate. She completed her PhD in Exercise Science at the University of Alabama. She has obtained training in exercise physiology, biostatistics, physical activity epidemiology, and psychology. Her doctoral dissertation examined the dose-response effect of short-term exercise on cognition in middle-aged and older adults.

At UIC, Peixuan’s primary research interest is identifying the role of physical activity on prevalent and impactful consequences of MS, such as cognitive impairment and vascular dysfunction. Currently, she is conducting a home-based exercise intervention program for improving cognition and mobility in older adults with MS.

Sydney DeJonge is a second-year PhD student. She completed her Master of Science in Exercise Physiology at Ball State University where she examined the effects of using an active workstation to alleviate prothrombotic consequences of prolonged sitting. Sydney is interested in measuring vascular function using noninvasive methods. For her doctoral dissertation, she plans to observe the association between physical activity levels, vascular function, and cognitive performance in oncology patients.

Noah DuBose is a first-year doctoral student in the Kinesiology and Nutrition Program and teaching assistant in the College of Applied Health Sciences at UIC. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from Aurora University and his Master of Science in Kinesiology from UIC. Prior to his doctoral program, Noah conducted cardiovascular function research in special populations and plans to continue similar research during his studies. His current primary research interest is investigating the role of cerebrovascular function in the relationship between physical activity and cognition in persons with MS.

Research Interests: Vascular function, hemodynamics, and exercise in the prevention of disease.

Dissertation: Ventricular vascular coupling in individuals with MS

Research interests: Mechanisms of changes in arterial stiffness and vascular tone.

Research Interests: Physiological mechanisms underlying the reduced work capacity observed in individuals with Down syndrome.

Dissertation: Blood pressure and femoral artery blood flow response to leg kicking exercise in individuals with Down syndrome compared to those without Down syndrome