Principle Investigator
Jenna Yentes, Ph.D.
Acting Director | Sydney and JL Huffines Institute of Sports Medicine and Human Performance
As a first-generation college student, my path to a Ph.D. was long and nonlinear (pun intended). I completed my Bachelor’s at the University of Northern Colorado, Master’s at California State University, Fullerton, and my Doctorate at the University of Nebraska. I majored in Kinesiology because I love learning about the human body and how it functions. To get through school, I have had just about every job imaginable from working in a lumberyard, to washing cars, to tutoring math and science. I want my trainees to end up in the career they choose and not because they were limited on options. I do my best to network, connect, and advocate for my students. Outside of work, you can find me renovating my house or playing with my corgis.
Research Interest: Functional resiliency in older adults, nonlinear analysis of human movement data, coupling of biorhythms
Favorite Planet: Jupiter
Ideal Superpower: Invisibility
Favorite Candy/Sweet: Is there one I don’t like?
Would go viral for: I think my dogs will go viral before I do!
Trainees
Jack Manning
Ph.D. STUDENT
Motor Neuroscience
I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, IL, and completed my undergraduate and Master’s degrees at Northern Illinois University in Kinesiology and Exercise Physiology, respectively. Growing up I played a lot of sports, and in college I realized I had a passion for exercise and learning how it affects the body. After completing my degrees, I worked as a physical therapist technician for a little over a year before deciding to pursue a Ph.D. in Kinesiology, as I have always wanted to contribute to the scientific literature. When I am not working or studying, I enjoy taking my dog, Roki, to the dog park, enjoying the company of friends, and binging the latest Netflix show with my partner.
Research Interest: I am interested in what the intersection between physiology and biomechanics can tell us about how emergence occurs in complex, adaptive systems. My current work focuses on methodological considerations for the dual-task modality, and how it can be used to better identify early markers of neurodegenerative movement disorders.
Favorite Planet: Neptune
Ideal Superpower: Teleportation
Favorite Candy/Sweet: Rolo’s
Would go viral for: Bringing in all of the groceries in one trip, no matter how many there are.
Kuan Chen
Ph.D. STUDENT
Motor Neuroscience
I am on a journey to explore the boundless domains of human movement and performance. I am an international student from Taiwan, but I have been in Texas since my undergraduate study. I obtained BS in exercise physiology from Baylor University and MS in kinesiology from Texas Christian University. Before starting my master program, I was a strength and conditioning coach for youth and adults. While I was a coach, I was constantly amazed by the complexity and adaptability of human body and movement. As time went on, I had more and more questions than answers, which motivated me to pursue more and more knowledge. In my free time, I enjoy reading, running, cycling, and lifting weights.
Research Interest: I am interested in the dynamic of human movements, and apply these knowledges in performance enhancement, physiological states detection, and decision making.
Favorite Planet: Fitness 🙂
Ideal Superpower: Absolute wisdom
Favorite Candy/Sweet: Vanilla ice cream on a warm chocolate chip cookie in a skillet pan
Would go viral for: Making funny faces when I get scared
Drew Smith
Ph.D. STUDENT
Exercise Physiology / Athletics
I grew up in South Jersey and went on to complete my undergraduate and Master’s degrees from University of Pittsburgh. While I was at Pitt, I joined the club soccer team where we traveled all around playing other schools, and my last two years I became the goalie coach as well. In my free time I enjoy playing video games with friends, shooting hoops at a local park, and taking care of my two frogs.
Research interests: wearable technology for athlete monitoring and focusing on under-researched areas of women’s basketball
Favorite Planet: Saturn
Ideal Superpower: Teleportation
Favorite Candy/Sweet: Razzles
Would go viral for: Hitting a crazy trick shot in a sport
Mattie Higgins
M.S. STUDENT
Motor Neuroscience
I grew up in a military home, so we moved around a lot but I call a little town named Pace, FL home. When I’m not studying or working, you can normally find me with my nose in a book, baking and cooking way too much food, hiking, at the gym, laughing at my own cheesy jokes, or finding some DIY project to keep me busy. I first fell in love with the field of kinesiology when I was a junior in high school. I was in a Sport Medicine class and my dad took me to the gym a lot in our free time and I absolutely loved learning how and why my body was moving the way it was as well as how to prevent and treat any sports related injuries.
Research Interest: I am interested in researching the impact movement has on school-aged children’s ability to learn and memorize things. I would love to reform how the modern-day classroom is set up and begin introducing movement and exercise into their day in order to improve their ability to learn.
Favorite Planet: Neptune
Ideal Superpower: Talking to animals
Favorite Candy/Sweet: Peanut Butter Snickers, Twix, and Sour Patch Watermelon
Would go viral for: All the things I bake
Mike Young
B.S. STUDENT
Howdy, my name is Michael Young, and I am from The Woodlands, TX. I came to College Station to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology at Texas A&M. In my free time I play the guitar and practice Brazilian Jiu Jitsu! I have an interest in leveraging the fundamental principles of kinesiology to explore additional diagnostic tools within a clinical environment, aiming to enhance the assessment of an individual’s well-being.
Favorite Planet: Mercury
Ideal Superpower: Super Speed
Favorite Candy/Sweet: Brownies
Would go viral for: Drifting in a golf cart
Willing DeMott
B.S. STUDENT
I am going into my senior year as a Sport Management Major at Texas A&M. I am from Fort Worth Texas, and currently work at the Huffines Institute. I love to play pickup soccer and basketball and spend time outdoors. My interest is in healing young athletes’ minds and bodies, as well as learning about the secrets of athleticism, performance enhancement, and the power of the mind on and off the field. The resiliency study is allowing me to learn about new forms of ways to research and expand my mind on the possibilities of healing and injury prevention.
Favorite Planet: Earth. The miraculous planet that is perfect enough for human life.
Ideal Superpower: Telepathy
Favorite Candy/Sweet: Cherry Pie
Would go viral for: I would go viral on youtube for being a coach, teaching a large scale of people about health, wellness, and business
Collaborators
Miriam Zanetti, PhD
Federal University of São Paulo
Latetita Fradet, PhD
University of Poitiers
Peter Raffalt, PhD
University of Southern Denmark
Jessica Bernard, PhD
Texas A&M University
Theodora Chaspari, PhD
Texas A&M University
Adam Case, PhD
Texas A&M University
Julie Boron, PhD
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Kate Cooper, PhD
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Eric Markvicka, PhD
University of Nebraska at Lincoln
Stephen Rennard, MD
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Dawn Venema, DPT, MS
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Former Trainees of Dr. Yentes
Lizetd Olalde
(BS: 2023)
Ernesto Proenza
(BS: 2023)
Sarah Green
(BS: 2022)
Gina Petersen
(BS: in progress)
Farahnaz Fallahtafti, PhD
(PhD: 2021)
Alissa Miller
(BS: 2021)
Kyle Doerr, BSN
(pre-BSN: 2019)
Jackie Boeck, MS, ATC
(MS: 2019)
Emma Thorne, MS
(BS: 2018)
RJ Barber, MS, ATC
(MS: 2018)
Sidney Baudendistel, PhD
(MS: 2017)
Casey Caniglia
(BS: 2017)
Jordan Freeman
(BS: 2017)
John McCamley, PhD
(post-doc: 2015-17)
Taylor Leeder, MS
(MS: 2017)
Wai-Yan Liu, PhD
(Fall 2016)
Will Denton, MS
(MS: 2016)
Kristen Watson, MS, ATC
(MS: 2016)
Casey Wiens, PhD
(MS: 2016)
Eric Pisciotta, MS
(MS: 2015)
Zane Starks, MS
(MS: 2015)