Become a Research Participant

Research Areas

Aging and Chronic Disease

Our research faculty use translational research methods to better understand the human body at a cellular level with the intention to extend the human healthspan. Some methods include stress resilience, mitochondrial functioning, blood flow, and oxygen delivery, and other physiological measurements.

Behavior and Lifestyle Modification

Our Behavior and Lifestyle Modification focused labs take a clinical approach to understand pre-existing factors and lifestyle choices that impact chronic injury and disease, including cancer. Their main objective is to understand how to help individuals, adapt, prevent, and/or recover from chronic disease and injury.

Functional Performance

This core research area tests the physiological limits of the human body and the metabolic implications of the circadian rhythm. Our research team develops and tests strategies to improve the body’s functional systems that ultimately lead to enhanced physical performance.

Neurological Function and Dysfunction

Our research group focuses on the impacts of impaired movement control and the brain’s sensorimotor integration system. They measure cognitive and motor functioning, with an emphasis on improving function and quality of life for individuals recovering from a stroke, transient ischemic attack, and those living with multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease.

Current Research Projects

For more information on becoming a research subject, please complete the form below and someone from one of our labs will be in touch with you soon!

Research Areas*
Aging and Chronic Disease Research Projects*
Select a research project from the list to view the details.
Behavior and Lifestyle Modification Research Projects*
Select a research project from the list to view the details.
Functional Performance Research Projects*
Select a research project from the list to view the details.
Neurological Function and Dysfunction Research Projects*
Select a research project from the list to view the details.
The purpose of this study is to better understand the factors within skeletal muscle and blood vessels that regulate muscle blood flow during exercise. This study includes handgrip exercise and the infusion of a variety of medicines through the brachial artery in your arm to better understand the signaling molecules that control muscle blood flow.
- Inclusion Criteria: Healthy adults between the ages of 18-30 years
- Exclusion Criteria: Diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, or obesity. Current smokers and women who are pregnant are not eligible to participate.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether skeletal muscle blood flow is regulated differently in people with Multiple Sclerosis. This study involves two study visits (three hrs each) that include measures of cardiovascular function, single leg and handgrip exercise, and the assessment of blood markers during exercise.
- Inclusion Criteria: Healthy adults and individuals with Multiple Sclerosis between the ages of 18-65. All participants must be able to walk without assistance for at least 50m.
- Exclusion Criteria: Pregnancy, taking medications to control blood pressure, blood sugar, or cholesterol, hospitalization within the last three months, history of drug or alcohol abuse within the last three months, or a relapse of multiple sclerosis symptoms within the last three months.
The purpose of this study is to identify a safe treatment option for improving blood vessel function in aging and obese individuals. We will use an over-the-counter supplement to target a cellular mechanism that may contribute to blood vessel dysfunction.
- Inclusion Criteria: Healthy adults between the ages of 18-35 and 60-80 years.
- Exclusion Criteria: Pregnancy; diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, cancer, kidney disease, diabetes, or other chronic disease; current smoker; currently taking medications for high blood pressure or high cholesterol
The purpose of this study is to understand how chemicals released by red blood cells regulate blood flow in young and older adults. The experiments will be performed on isolated red blood cells and only require participants to provide a small blood sample.
- Inclusion Criteria: Healthy adults over the age of 18 years
- Exclusion Criteria: Individuals younger than 18 years of age
The Translational Research on Aging and Chronic Disease Laboratory at CSU is looking for adults between the ages of 50 and 65 who have mild or moderate osteoarthritis in their knees with increasing muscle and joint discomfort and lost leg strength to join a study looking to find solutions!
- Inclusion Criteria:
  1. Are between 50 and 65 years old
  2. Have noticed increasing muscle and joint discomfort
  3. Have mild or moderate osteoarthritis in your knees
  4. Feel like you’ve lost strength in your leg muscles
Who is conducting the study and what is this study about?
Researchers from the Department of Health and Exercise Science at Colorado State University are studying the accuracy of hip worn Actigraph accelerometers, as well as the Apple Watch Series 4 and Fitbit wearable fitness trackers in adult lower limb amputees.
Who can join this study?

Men and women over the age of 18 who:
- Use a prosthetic device at least 8 hours per day due to a lower limb amputation, are at least one-year post-amputation, have no contralateral limb amputation and no open wounds on the amputated leg.
- Have resting blood pressure below 140/90 mmHg.
- Have resting heart rate below 100 bpm
- Are capable of exercising at moderate and vigorous intensities while walking and running on a treadmill
What will I be asked to do?

After a short gait analysis by a certified physical therapist, participants will perform a treadmill test while wearing an Actigraph accelerometer on each hip, and an Apple Watch Series 4 and Fitbit on the wrists, while monitoring heart rate and expired gases. The participant will exercise until fatigue while treadmill speed is increased every 7 minutes. Duration of the visit will be about two hours.

Why should I join this study?
- You will help in the scientific assessment of two fitness tracking devices currently on the market, as well as a clinical grade accelerometer.
- You will receive measurements of your maximal heart rate, which is an indicator of exercise performance.
- You will be compensated $40.00 for your time.
The purposes of this study are to examine:
- The temporal associations between acute psychosocial stress, sleepiness, and PA
- The association between chronic psychosocial stress and sleep quality and cardiovascular risk in Colorado firefighters
- The moderating effects of PA and CRF on the associations between chronic stress and sleep quality on cardiovascular risk.
We hypothesize that:
- Greater acute psychosocial stress will predict lesser subsequent physical activity participation and vice-versa
- That greater sleepiness will predict greater subsequent stress and lesser subsequent physical activity participation
- Higher levels of stress and worse sleep-related outcomes will be associated with an elevated cardiovascular risk
- Higher levels of physical activity participation and greater CRF will be associated with lower cardiovascular risk
- Physical activity participation and CRF will moderate the associations between stress, sleep, and cardiovascular risk.
Inclusion:
- Full-time, career firefighters on active duty who work 24 or 48 hour shifts and who work in fire departments that participate in CSU's Firefighter Testing Program
- Firefighters must also have a smartphone and be willing to use the smartphone to download a free application (Ilumivu) to complete the EMA protocol
- Willing to comply with study protocol, including the surveys, wearing the activPAL and Actiwatch devices, and completing the ecological momentary assessment questions via the application downloaded to their smartphone, and sharing their Firefighter Testing Program data as part of the research study.
Exclusion:
- Firefighters who work a regular 40-hour work week will not be eligible to be included in the study
- Firefighters currently taking medication for clinical depression or anxiety or attending psychological counseling for clinical depression or anxiety will not be eligible to be included in the study
- Women who are pregnant or who intend to become pregnant.
Who is conducting the study and what is this study about?
Researchers from the Department of Health and Exercise Science at Colorado State University are studying how wearable fitness trackers, like Fitbits, combined with an intervention called Motivational Interviewing, influence motivation for physical activity and physical activity levels in sedentary adults.
Who can join this study?

Adults over the age of 18 who:
- Do not currently participate in 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity exercise
- Own an Android or iPhone smartphone device
- Are willing to download a mobile application on that smartphone device
- Are willing to wear a small, wrist-worn fitness tracker for the duration of the study</li.
- Are willing to attend six biweekly motivational interviewing sessions over twelve weeks at Colorado State University
What will I be asked to do?
You will be assigned to one of four groups and will either be asked to wear a wearable fitness tracker, attend motivational interviewing sessions, or both. You may also be assigned to a physical activity education group and will have neither the wearable fitness tracker, nor the motivational interviewing. You will be asked to wear a clinical grade accelerometer to track your physical activity for one week before and after the study. You will also be asked to fill out a short survey before and after the study. The duration of the study is twelve (12) weeks.
Why should I join this study?
- You will potentially receive a wearable fitness tracker to use over the duration of the study
- You will potentially receive six (6) sessions of motivational interviewing to support physical activity
- You will be compensated $50.00 or receive a free wearable fitness tracker for your time
Cancer treatment(s) can have negative effects on survivors’ body composition (i.e., reduced muscle mass and increased fat mass) and quality of life. Although we know that exercising can help improve quality of life and body composition, less is understood about the benefits of sitting less and good sleep habits. The goal of this study is to explore how time spent during the day in activities like sleeping, sitting, standing, and incidental stepping (e.g., grocery shopping, household chores) can affect body composition and quality of life in cancer survivors.
Physical activity improves fitness and quality of life in colorectal cancer survivors, but many survivors remain physically inactive. Exercising in a group is more cost effective than personal training, and can increase social support and self-confidence for exercise. This support may help colorectal cancer survivor’s maintain physical activity, even after the structured intervention has ended. The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of group-based exercise versus personal training on physical fitness, quality of life, and long-term physical activity.
Cancer-related fatigue is one of the most commonly reported symptoms of cancer treatment. Exercise has been shown to help manage CRF, but the exercise intensity that can best improve CRF is unknown. The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of vigorous versus moderate intensity aerobic exercise for improving CRF following a 12-week rehabilitative exercise program.
This is an outreach program that offers an evidence-based group exercise class exclusive to cancer survivors. One of the goals of this project is to determine best practices in delivering a group-based exercise program for cancer survivors in a community setting.
Our current studies investigate the foot-ground interaction as well as the use of functional movement assessments to reduce injury risk in athletic populations. We need participants that are young-healthy adults that regularly play ground-based sports (e.g. soccer, football, rugby, ultimate frisbee) and are willing to come in and perform maximum effort running, jumping, cutting, and pivoting.
Mechanical properties of flooring surfaces, specifically artificial turf, are tested with a variety of industry standard devices. Effects of environment and use on infill properties are not well understood. We are exploring potential changes. Existing equipment is often inconsistent and not representative of athletes. We are designing the next generation of testing equipment.

We need participants that are young-healthy adults that regularly play ground-based sports (e.g. soccer, football, rugby, ultimate frisbee) and are willing to come in and perform maximum effort running, jumping, cutting, and pivoting.
A functional movement assessment is designed to be a quick set of diagnostic exercises relating to athletic performance and injury risk. A six sensor, IMU-based FMA system is currently being evaluated.

We need participants that are young-healthy adults that regularly play ground-based sports (e.g. soccer, football, rugby, ultimate frisbee) and are willing to come in and perform maximum effort running, jumping, cutting, and pivoting.
Who is conducting the study and what is this study about?

Researchers from Health and Exercise Science at Colorado State University are seeking participants for a study of CBD, meals and liver health..

Who can join this study?
- You are aged 18 or older.
- You weigh more than 110 pounds.
- You have a body mass index greater than 25 kg/m2
For more information about this study, <a href="https://colostate-my.sharepoint.com/personal/cbell_colostate_edu/_layouts/15/onedrive.aspx?id=%2Fpersonal%2Fcbell%5Fcolostate%5Fedu%2FDocuments%2FShared%20with%20Everyone%2F21%2D10634H%5FRecruitment%2Epdf&parent=%2Fpersonal%2Fcbell%5Fcolostate%5Fedu%2FDocuments%2FShared%20with%20Everyone&originalPath=aHR0cHM6Ly9jb2xvc3RhdGUtbXkuc2hhcmVwb2ludC5jb20vOmI6L2cvcGVyc29uYWwvY2JlbGxfY29sb3N0YXRlX2VkdS9FVXhUWXNxWDVqZElrSDdqMjJ5T0szNEIzU0IwNWh0MWU5bGlSTHdSLUdFRlRnP3J0aW1lPXd6UkFXYUYzMlVn.
Who is conducting the study and what is this study about?

Researchers from Health and Exercise Science at Colorado State University are recruiting participants for a study to learn if people with diabetes will benefit from breathing extra oxygen during exercise.

Who can join this study?
- You are aged 18 or older or you are aged 70 or younger.
- You are willing and able to perform exercise on a bike.
- You may, or may not have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes.
For more information about this study, read their recruitment flyer for the extra oxygen for diabetes study.
Purpose of the Research Study:

This research study is looking at the effect of insufficient sleep on people. Sleeping too little and being awake at the wrong time can impact your ability to think, proteins and hormones in your blood, how your muscle and fat cells work and many other things. This work will be important for people who do not get enough sleep and are at a high risk for developing diabetes and obesity.

Main inclusion/exclusion criteria:
- Healthy men & women, ages 18-35
Main procedures involved:
- Blood draws
- Sleep loss
- Tissue biopsies
- Computer testing
Duration of participation:
- 6-day laboratory stay
Compensation:
- Up to $1,150
Purpose of the Research Study:

This research study is looking at the effect of timing of food intake on people. Eating at the “wrong” time can impact the glucose and other hormones in your blood. This work will be important for people who are at a high risk for developing diabetes and obesity due to eating and sleeping at the wrong times.

Main inclusion/exclusion criteria:
- Healthy men and women, ages 18-65
Main procedures involved:
- Blood draws
- Sleep recording
- Food diaries
Duration of participation:
- Two weeks of food diaries and glucose monitoring
- Two nights sleeping in the lab
Compensation:
- Up to $400
We are studying the cognitive and motor mechanisms underlying functional mobility including walking, driving and falls. We are looking for individuals with:
- stroke
- individuals with mild cognitive impairment
- individuals at early stage of Alzheimer’s disease
- healthy older individuals
Participant Commitment

Attend one study visit at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, in the Human Performance Clinical Research Laboratory for approximately 2 hours which will include:
- Height and weight measurement
- Filling out a few brief questionnaires
- Fasted blood draw
- Wear sensors and perform a series of walking and balancing trials
- Continue normal activities with a wearable device placed on your thigh for 7 days to track your active and sedentary behaviors throughout the week
- Return wearable device to Colorado State University
Participants must:
- be 18-60 years old
- be diagnosed with multiple sclerosis
- have an EDSS of 2-6
What will I be asked to do?

Participants in this study will perform many different balance and stepping tasks while wearing a virtual reality headset. In addition, participants will perform clinical tests of balance and proprioception.

Who can join this study?

You can participate in this study if you are between 18 and 30 years of age and can stand and walk unassisted.
What will I be asked to do?

Participants enrolled in this study are asked to complete two testing sessions each lasting roughly 2-3 hours. Both sessions will involve the use of a non-invasive imaging technique called Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to measure brain activity and physiology. Session 1 will also involve completing some questionnaires and some walking down a hallway. Session 2 will involve walking on a split-belt treadmill where sometime the belts are moving together and other times the belts are not moving at the same speed. Testing will take place in the Sensorimotor Neuroimaging Laboratory in Moby Complex B in the Health & Exercise Science Department at Colorado State University.

Who can join this study?

You can participate in this study if you have been diagnosed with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis and you are able to walk and stand without an assistive device for 30 minutes.
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Human Performance Clinical Research Laboratory Become a Research Participant

Research Areas

Aging and Chronic Disease

Behavior and Lifestyle Modification

Functional Performance

Neurological Function and Dysfunction

Current Research Projects

Enter Your Contact Information