Undergraduate Admissions

The Department of Kinesiology offers an undergraduate course of study that leads to a B.S. degree within the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.  Admission to undergraduate programs is granted by the USC Office of Admission.  Please visit the Admissions webpage of the USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences below:

http://www.usc.edu//admission/

Graduate Admissions

Students interested in doing kinesiology-related research with our research faculty in physiology or biomechanics (Dr. Donovan, Dr. McNitt-Gray, Dr. Turcotte) should contact these faculty members directly by email and visit their laboratory website.

Dr. Donovan

The research in Dr. Donovan's laboratory is currently focused on elucidating the role of the liver glucosensors in the regulation of blood glucose levels. Dr. Donovan and his team have determined that the liver has an important role in sensing hypoglycemia and in modulating the subsequent counterregulatory response in normal and diabetic animals. Studies in his lab continue in this area and are focused on the mechanism of hepatic glucosensing and its pathogenesis with Type I diabetes.

Dr. McNitt-Gray

The research conducted by Dr. McNitt-Gray in the Biomechanics Research Lab focuses on identifying mechanisms humans use to generate and control momentum during multijoint movements. Dr. McNitt-Gray and her team integrate experimentation and modeling techniques to study control and dynamics of goal-directed human movements in realistic contexts (e.g. US Olympic Training Camps, Olympic Games, or workplace) and in controlled laboratory studies. Studies in her lab have shown how the nervous system utilizes interaction forces with the environment (e.g. foot/surface, hand/tool) and musculoskeletal dynamics to satisfy mechanical objectives of well-practiced goal-directed tasks. This work has advanced our understanding of mechanisms individuals use to effectively control the system trajectory, reaction forces, and extremity joint kinetics when interacting with the environment under different tasks, surfaces, and momentum and musculoskeletal states. Involvement of the end-user (e.g. coaches/clinicians, skilled performers, administrators, equipment manufacturers) throughout the research process has more clearly defined the tasks associated with injury and significantly improved our collective ability to integrate research findings into daily practice and equipment standards.

Dr. Turcotte

In Dr. Turcotte's laboratory, the research aims are to develop a better understanding of the regulation of fatty acid metabolism in skeletal muscle by 1) determining the signaling mechanisms that regulate the uptake and utilization of fatty acids by skeletal muscle, 2) quantifying the role played by various plasma membrane fatty acid-binding proteins in the regulation of fatty acid uptake and, 3) by assessing the contribution made by abnormal regulation of fatty acid metabolism to the development of insulin resistance and obesity. Studies in her lab have shown that fatty acid uptake is a critical factor in the regulation of fatty acid utilization and that a variety of cellular signaling pathways requiring AMP-regulated protein kinase, extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase and calcium/calmodulin protein kinase are involved in this regulatory process.

• If you wish to work with one of the three listed faculty members in the Department of Kinesiology (Dr. Donovan, Dr. McNitt-Gray, Dr. Turcotte) while earning a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, please visit the Integrative and Evolutionary Biology (IEB) website at: http://www.usc.edu//bisc/integrative/home/

• For more information on the admissions procedures to the IEB graduate program, please visit the Integrative and Evolutionary Biology webpage shown below: http://www.usc.edu//bisc/integrative/graduate/admissions.html