Exploring Research Frontiers: An Overview of UCF Research Labs

The University of Central Florida (UCF) is a hub of diverse and innovative research, housing numerous labs and facilities dedicated to advancing knowledge across various fields. These research centers provide opportunities for faculty, post-doctoral scholars, graduate students, undergraduate students, and visiting scientists to engage in cutting-edge investigations. This article provides an overview of several UCF research labs, highlighting their missions, research areas, and contributions to their respective fields.

Aging, Mobility, and Rehabilitation Research

Aging & Longevity Initiatives for Vitality & Enrichment (ALIVE) Lab

The Aging & Longevity Initiatives for Vitality & Enrichment (ALIVE) Lab focuses on optimizing successful aging for all individuals. Its mission is to facilitate engagement and participation in purposeful activities through vitality and enrichment initiatives.

Cognition, Neuroplasticity, & Sarcopenia (CNS) Lab

The Cognition, Neuroplasticity, & Sarcopenia (CNS) Lab conducts high-quality interdisciplinary clinical research among diverse populations of all ages. The lab investigates the neurophysiological origins of lower extremity musculoskeletal injuries, with a focus on developing therapeutic interventions to enrich orthopedic rehabilitation. Research also encompasses age-related physiological changes, disuse muscle atrophy, and the effects of resistance training on musculoskeletal health and recovery.

Innovative Mobility Initiative (IMOVE) Lab

The Innovative Mobility Initiative (IMOVE) Lab conducts research that informs clinical services for individuals with mobility impairments.

UCF Go Baby Go!

This initiative focuses on providing modified ride-on cars to children with limited mobility, promoting early mobility and exploration.

Read also: Cutting-Edge Research at UCLA

Rehabilitation and Modulation of Pain (RAMP) Lab

The UCF RAMP Lab aims to advance the rehabilitation of patients with musculoskeletal pain. It researches how treatments provided by physical therapists reduce pain and biopsychosocial factors associated with this response.

Spine & Mobility (SAM) Lab

Through an interdisciplinary approach, the Spine & Mobility Laboratory focuses on clinically-relevant research that improves clinical outcomes and identifies the most accurate and efficient approach to treating various spinal conditions.

Rehabilitation, Athletic assessment, & Dynamic Imaging (READY) Lab

The READY Lab aims to advance neuromuscular assessment, musculoskeletal imaging, and rehabilitation methods for the lumbopelvic-hip complex. It focuses on improving the understanding and delivery of patient care for active individuals with chronic musculoskeletal injury. The READY Lab analyzes spatial, mechanical, and electrical changes in muscle activity during static, dynamic, and sport-specific tasks using innovative applications of ultrasound imaging and surface electromyography.

Strategies for Therapeutic Rehabilitation and Optimization of Neuromuscular Growth (STRONG) Laboratory

The primary focus of the UCF Strategies for Therapeutic Rehabilitation and Optimization of Neuromuscular Growth (STRONG) Laboratory is to identify exercise and/or rehabilitation strategies that elicit the most robust physiological responses among men and women with a particular emphasis on neuromuscular and cardiovascular function. The laboratory examines various interventions to determine the applicability of exercise, devices, and/or external stimuli to promote or maintain human function in asymptomatic and clinical populations. The laboratory is currently applying Blood Flow Restriction exercise as a rehabilitative strategy to help restore neuromuscular and muscle function among people with multiple sclerosis.

Communication Sciences and Disorders Research

AAC Research to Practice Lab Collaborative

The AAC Research to Practice Lab Collaborative is a collection of research labs focused on translating research findings to practice and improving clinical outcomes for individuals with complex communication needs who require the use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to meet some or all of their communication needs.

Communication Technologies Research Center

The Communication Technologies Research Center focuses on voice and upper airway disorders, auditory neuroscience, and hearing technologies. Voice research seeks to better understand the bases for dysphonia, the relation of perception to underlying physiology, and to develop improved assessment methods to facilitate diagnosis and treatment. Research also focuses on breath support for healthy voicing and airflow during voicing, with a particular interest in affordable and accessible methods for evaluating vital capacity and airflow while voicing.

Early Language & Literacy Intervention & Education Lab

The Early Language & Literacy Intervention & Education (ELLIE) lab is focused on building the capacity of individuals working with young children experiencing language impairments and those considered at-risk.

Examining Patient-Provider Language and Interactions in Healthcare (EXPLAIN) Lab

The Examining Patient-Provider Language and Interactions in Healthcare (EXPLAIN) Lab is dedicated to advancing health literacy and patient-provider communication through research, education, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Voice Lab

The voice lab provides laryngeal imaging of the vocal folds and upper airway, acoustic, aerodynamic analysis of laryngeal function as well as respiratory and pulmonary assessment. It treats a wide variety of disorders from professional voices, to neurologic disorders.

Exercise Physiology and Health Research

Cellular Exercise Physiology Lab

The primary focus of the Cellular Exercise Physiology Laboratory (CEPL) is to examine how the immune system, in conjunction inflammatory mediators that direct immune responses, influence recovery and adaptation following acute and chronic exercise interventions. The CEPL also examines how nutrition and dietary supplements impact these responses. The CEPL is located in Biological Sciences building and is 400 sq. ft.

Clinical Applications of Rest and Exercise (CARE) Lab

The Clinical Applications for Rest and Exercise (CARE) Lab applies physiological, behavioral, and clinical approaches for the prevention and management of chronic diseases, through the integration of sleep and exercise physiology. The lab's team of certified Clinical Exercise Physiologists develop interventions that target modifiable lifestyle behaviors to reduce disease risk, manage symptoms, and improve quality of life across diverse populations.

Exercise Physiology Intervention & Collaboration (EPIC) Lab

The Exercise Physiology Intervention & Collaboration (EPIC) Laboratory is a dedicated space utilized to administer exercise interventions of various modality and houses cutting edge technologies for the assessment of neurocognitive, neuromuscular and functional aspects of exercise performance.

Physiology of Work & Exercise Response (POWER) Lab

The mission of the UCF POWER Laboratory is to assess the physiological response to exercise modalities and nutritional interventions aiming to enhance health, fitness and athletic performance. Through the application of exercise physiology and the analysis of human movement, the lab assists in addressing the contemporary questions of healthcare providers, fitness professionals, and sport coaches to aid in decision-making and strategic development.

Childhood Obesity Research and Education (CORE) Group

The Childhood Obesity Research and Education (CORE) group, led by Associate Professor Keith Brazendale in the Department of Health Sciences, is dedicated to advancing scientific understanding and practical solutions to prevent and treat childhood obesity.

Testicular Cancer Research Collaborative

The Testicular Cancer Research Collaborative (TCRC) is dedicated to advancing knowledge and improving outcomes in testicular cancer and menâs health. The collaborative's work spans clinical outcomes research, survivorship studies, and psychosocial investigations, with a focus on addressing the full continuum of care from early detection to long-term quality of life.

Cognitive and Applied Psychology Research

Adult Development and Decision Lab

The Adult Development and Decision Lab (AD&D Lab) studies human decision making and associated neural mechanisms across adulthood. The lab utilizes an array of methods including cognitive tasks, manipulations of emotion and task difficulty, biomarker sampling, computational modeling, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to understand these complex mechanisms.

Applied Cognition and Aging Lab

The Applied Cognition and Aging Lab (ACAL) focuses on understanding the perceptual and cognitive processes that guide human behavior throughout the lifespan. The lab devises strategies to augment human performance in a variety of âevery dayâ (and not so âevery dayâ) tasks and situations, generally through training interventions and technological supplementation. The lab utilizes a number of experimental techniques including traditional behavioral paradigms, eye tracking, virtual reality, driving simulation, and neuroimaging.

Applied Cognition and Technology Laboratory

The Applied Cognition and Technology Laboratory (ACAT) is a collaboration between a cognitive psychologist and a social psychologist. Research examines human interactions with intelligent non-humans, including robots, computers, and animals. Anthropomorphism and its implications for design are a key part of this research.

Attention and Memory Lab

The Attention and Memory Lab is focused on the interaction of visual working memory, long term memory, attention and oculomotor control. The lab integrates eye tracking with event-related potentials, allowing for investigation of the behavioral, oculomotor, and neural instantiations of memory and attentional processes.

Law, Applied Memory, and Psychology (LAMP) Lab

The Law, Applied Memory, and Psychology (LAMP) Lab investigates how human memory operates in complex, real-world contexts, particularly within the criminal legal system. Using a multi-method approach, including experimental studies, surveys, and field research, the lab addresses applied questions with the goal of developing and promoting evidence-based solutions. Current work explores the intersection of memory and technology, examining how people perceive and remember AI-generated faces and how law enforcement agencies use facial recognition tools.

Minds in Technology, Machines in Thought (MIT2) Laboratory

The Minds in Technology, Machines in Thought (MIT2) Laboratory focuses on issues of stress, workload and fatigue in dynamic, hazardous environments with particular attention to military applications. It is a virtual research lab, including the Minds in Technology, Machines in Thought (MIT2) Labs at the University of Central Florida, the Cognitive Sciences Lab at George Mason University, Linkoping University, Team Performance Laboratory (UCF) and the Florida Institute of Technology. The MIT2 affiliate labs at UCF include the MURI Lab, the Transportation Research Group (TRG), and the Center for Applied Human Factors in Aviation (CAHFA).

Performance Research Laboratory

The Performance Research Laboratory (PeRL) is involved in research on the performance, workload, and stress associated with performance of cognitive tasks.

Team Performance Laboratory

The Team Performance Laboratory (TPL) specializes in basic and applied principles of both individual and team performance, processes, and training in a number of military and civilian domains including aviation and human robot interaction.

Transportation Research Group

The Transportation Research Group is dedicated to enhancing surface transportation safety and efficiency through applied research, design validation and training systems support. TRG research is concerned with the behavioral, environmental and engineering factors in traffic safety. Specific areas of research include driving simulation, training, high-risk drivers, in-vehicle navigational systems, increased congestion, driver workload, driver fatigue, high speed pursuit, and driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

Virtual Avatar and Agent Interaction Lab

The Virtual Avatar and Agent Interaction Lab (VAAIL) brings together psychologists, humanâcomputer interaction researchers, and virtual reality enthusiasts to explore the future of immersive technologies. VAAIL is equipped with modern technology, including physiological sensors and motion-tracking systems for capturing both psychological and biomechanical processes.

Institute for Simulation and Training (IST)

The Institute for Simulation and Training (IST) is an internationally recognized research institute that focuses on advancing modeling and simulation technology and increasing the understanding of simulationâs role in training and education. IST employs full-time researchers and support personnel, part-time faculty researchers and numerous graduate and undergraduate students.

Biology Department Research Facilities

The UCF Biology department is home to numerous research labs and facilities accessible to faculty, post-docs, graduate students, undergraduate students and visiting scientists alike.

The Arboretum of The University of Central Florida

The Arboretum of The University of Central Florida was founded in 1983. From the original 12-acre âquick viewâ garden with a mix of ornamental and native plants in the pond pine community adjacent the Stockard Conservatory Greenhouse, The Arboretum has grown to nearly 80 acres.

The University of Central Florida Collection of Arthropods

The University of Central Florida Collection of Arthropods at the University of Central Florida (UCFC), colloquially known as the Bug Closet, is a regionally focused research collection whose core mission is to document the biodiversity of insects and related arthropods in Central Florida.

The Caretta House

In 2016, the University of Central Florida and the US Fish and Wildlife Service entered into a Memorandum of Agreement granting UCF and the Biology Departmentâs Marine Turtle Research Group use of the Caretta House for coastal sea turtle research activities. Located 70 miles from UCFâs main campus in Orlando, on the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge (ACNWR) in Melbourne Beach, Florida, the Caretta House serves as the Marine Turtle Research Groupâs sea turtle field station.

The Greenhouse Complex

This 6000 sq ft facility consists of one air-conditioned bay, two evaporatively cooled bays, and a headhouse with storage and space for potting and soil processing. The evaporatively cooled bays have automated drip watering systems distributed across six benches, supporting pot-based plant growth.

UCF Herbarium

The UCF Herbarium was founded in 1968 for the deposit, curation, and study of preserved plant and fungi specimens. Vascular plants, mosses, liverworts, lichens, fungi and macro-algae can all be found in the collections of the UCF Herbarium.

UCFâs Bio-Vehicles Service Center

UCFâs Bio-Vehicles Service Center provides, on a first-come, first-serve basis, a limited number of University-owned vehicles for faculty, staff or volunteers who are conducting official university business. Personal use of motor pool vehicles is prohibited.

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