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Our school boasts a dedicated faculty and staff who invest a significant amount of time and effort in conducting groundbreaking research. This page aims to showcase some of our exceptional faculty and staff members’ outstanding research.

Christopher G. Ballmann, PhD

Research Interests: Exercise Physiology, Music, Resistance Exercise, Parkinson's Disease

Methodological Interest/Expertise: Psychophysiological measurement techniques, Exercise Performance

Dr. Ballmann’s research integrates exercise physiology, psychophysiology, and performance science, with a strong emphasis on how sensory, psychological, and nutritional factors influence human performance. He is widely recognized as the foremost expert on music preference and exercise performance where he has published 30+ manuscripts on the topic in the past decade. His work focuses on examining how variables such as music preference, motivation, and emotional valence affect strength, endurance, fatigue, and perceptual responses during exercise. His research integrates both mechanistic and applied approaches, often combining physiological measures (e.g., cardiovascular responses, neuromuscular function) with psychological constructs (e.g., motivation, arousal, affect). In addition to music, Dr. Ballmann maintains an active line of research on dietary supplements and exercise performance, including stimulants, sympathomimetics, and adaptogenic compounds. His work evaluates the effects of supplements on muscular strength, power, endurance, and cognitive performance, as well as underlying physiological responses. This includes both acute changes in performance and how these substances interact with psychological states to influence exercise outcomes. A distinctive feature of Dr. Ballmann’s research is its translational and interdisciplinary nature. Dr. Ballmann’s research has focused on both athletic and clinical populations, including individuals with neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. In these contexts, he explores how interventions like music and exercise can improve not only physical function but also non-motor symptoms such as apathy, fatigue, and emotional dysregulation. His work in this area aligns with broader efforts to use exercise and sensory-based interventions to enhance quality of life and functional independence.

Highlighted Publications:

Ballmann, C. G., Porrill, S. L., Rogers, R. R., Ervin, Z. H., Neal, B. R., Nguyen, H. M., Spears, P. N., Strickland, J. E., Zavala, J., & Washmuth, N. B. (2025). Effects of Censoring Explicit Language in Music on Resistance Exercise Performance. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology ,10(2), 224.

Ballmann, C. G., Schmid, D. G., Rogers, R. R., Oakes, H. K., & Osburn, S. C. (2026). Potential Effects of Music on Non-Motor Symptoms in Parkinson’s Disease: Translating Mechanisms to Therapy. Neurology International ,18(3), 45.

Ballmann, C. G., Rogers, R. R., Porrill, S. L., & Washmuth, N. B. (2025). Implications for the Ergogenic Benefits of Self-Selected Music in Neurological Conditions: A Theoretical Review. Neurology International ,17(7), 106.

Nguyen, H. M., Porrill, S. L., Rogers, R. R., Jose-Gomez, J., Wright, R. E., Spears, P. N., & Ballmann, C. G.(2025). Effects of Acute Red Spinach Powder (VitaSpinach®) Ingestion on Muscular Endurance and Resistance Exercise Performance ,4(4), 60.

Porrill, S. L., Allendorfer, J. B., Evancho, A. M., Ferguson, C. C., LaChenaye, J. M., Nguyen, H. M., Rogers, R. R., & Ballmann, C. G. (2026).Effects of self-selected music on psychophysiological responses to goal-directed exercise in Parkinson's disease ,7, 1778451.

Pounds, E. S., Snyder, S. W., Billings, R. R., Nguyen, H. M., & Ballmann, C. G. (2026). Effects of Music Choice on Performance and Psychophysiological Responses to Exercise—A Scoping Review ,11(2), 144.

Check out Dr. Ballmann's Scholar Page for more information

Mary Ann Bodine Al-Sharif, Ph.D.

Research Interests: Student identity development - Exploring the lives of individuals who definethemselves as living between worlds at the intersections of ability, race, religion, ethnicity, gender expression, and the like at the micro-level and dominating powerstructures within higher education environments at the macro-level. Global movements in higher education: internationalization, globalization, and glocalization. Exploring issues of social justice, institutionalized oppression, and advocacy within higher education at home and abroad.

Methodological Interest/Expertise: Qualitative methodologies: ritical Discourse Analysis (CDA); Critical Narrative Inquiry; Narrative Inquiry; Scholarly Personal Narrative(SPN); Critical Autoethnography; Critical Ethnography; Heideggerian Phenomenology; Phenomenology; Phenomenological Polyethography; Grounded Theory; Case Study; Photovoice; Phenomenography;

Dr. Mary Ann Bodine Al-Sharif is an Associate Professor of Higher Education, Interim Assistant Dean of Research and Graduate Programs, and Director of the Critical Qualitative Inquiry Lab (C-QuIL). Her scholarship centers on higher education, identity development, and social justice, with a particular focus on the lived experiences of individuals navigating complex intersections of identity within the power systems of higher education. Drawing on critical qualitative methodologies, her work examines how systems of power, marginalization, and institutional practices shape experiences within higher education environments in the United States and globally. Dr. Bodine Al-Sharif’s research is recognized for advancing scholarship on international higher education, Muslim identities, international student experiences, and culturally responsive practices in higher education. Her work frequently explores issues of Islamophobia, global mobility, internationalization, student identity development, and the experiences of individuals living “between worlds” across multiple cultural and social contexts. Through this scholarship, she seeks to amplify historically marginalized voices while challenging deficit-based narratives within research and practice. Methodologically, Dr. Bodine Al-Sharif is deeply engaged in critical qualitative inquiry, utilizing approaches such as critical discourse analysis, critical narrative inquiry, phenomenology, duoethnography, and critical autoethnography. Her scholarship emphasizes reflexivity, positionality, and ethical engagement with participants, often centering research conducted with communities rather than on them. Her interdisciplinary and globally engaged research agenda has led to collaborations with scholars and practitioners across multiple countries and academic disciplines. Her work has been published in leading journals and edited volumes in higher education and international education, and she has received numerous recognitions for her scholarship and mentorship, including a Fulbright Program U.S. Scholar to Saudi Arabia Award and the Excellence in International Research Award from the Commission of Global Dimensions of College Student Development within the American College Personnel Association. Through her research, teaching, mentorship, and leadership, Dr. Bodine Al-Sharif continues to contribute to more globally responsive approaches to higher education.

Recent Presentations:

Olt, P. A., Nasser, M., Vital, L. M., Tolman, S., Archibald, J. G., Bodine Al-Sharif, M. A., Blue Brazelton, Carducci, R., Houdyshell, M., McMickens, T. L., Meixner, C., Mistretta, M., Paciej-Woodruff, A., Stevens, R., Wendle, A., & Mayo, C. E. P. (2026). Solo faculty program coordinators in student affairs-related graduate programs. The Qualitative Report , 31(4), 5686-5709.

Bodine Al-Sharif, M. A. (2026). Building a global consortium: How IASAS is working to promote a space for culturally responsive practitioner research in student affairs and services globally. In B. Perozzi, H. October, & J. Ward-Roof (Eds.), Global Division Publication, Vol. 1: Creating Global Community, (pp. 133-135). NASPA - Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education Digital Journal Publication.

Islam, MD B., Asakura, T., Islam, Md T., Amina, D., Bodine Al-Sharif, M. A. (2026). National AI strategies and higher education in the Global South: Policy, practice, and power. In A. W. Wiseman (Ed.) Annual review of comparative and international education 2025. Emerald Publishing.

Doane, D., Bodine Al-Sharif, M. A., & Boettcher, M. A. (2026). FAKE-ulty: Moving from practitioner to faculty as a first-gen professional. In R. Williamson & M. B. Wallace (Eds.) Charting a career path as a first-generation higher education professional: Decision making, families, and the future. Routledge.

Bodine Al-Sharif, M. A. (2025). Navigating uncertainty: A Fulbright scholar's journey. Journal of Comparative and International Higher Education 17(6), Article 2, 14-32.

Mejri, S. B., Bodine Al-Sharif, M. A., Hassan, A., Ahmed, N., & Mohasses, M. (2025). Introduction to special Issue: Internationalization as transformation: Teaching, research, and innovation in Gulf STEM education. Journal of Comparative and International Higher Education , 17(6), Article 1,

Bodine Al-Sharif, M. A., °Johnson, C., & °Hector, D. J. (2025). Critical discourse analysis. In P. A. Pasque (Ed.) Critical Qualitative Research & Social Justice: Key concepts in qualitative methods, (pp. 136-146). P. Pasque (Ed.) Critical Qualitative Research & Social Justice: Key concepts in qualitative Methods (1st Ed.), (pp. 136-146). Routledge.

Check out Dr. Bodine Al-Sharif's Scholar Page for more information

Faculty Research Interests and Methodological Preferences

Our School encourages students to explore the diverse research strengths and methodological approaches of our faculty as they prepare for thesis and dissertation work. Each faculty member brings a unique combination of scholarly interests, theoretical perspectives, and preferred research methodologies and methods, offering students a wide range of potential mentors and committee members. We invite you to review our faculty’s research profiles below to learn more about the expertise available and to identify faculty whose interests align with your own academic goals.

Faculty Research Interests and Methodological Preferences Opens an external link.

Get Started

Faculty and Staff interested in research can access this Box Folder which contains templates and resources for research support.

Research Resources and Templates Opens an external link.

The Research Office provides personalized guidance and support, helping faculty, staff, undergraduate, and graduate students:

Identify research mentors and projects
Gain experience in data collection, analysis, and presentation
Share and publicize research results through conferences or publications

Research Opportunities at the UAB School of Education and Human Sciences (SEHS) Undergraduate and graduate students in the UAB School of Education and Human Sciences (SEHS) are expected to take part in meaningful research experiences. So, whether you are just beginning your academic journey or preparing for advanced study, SEHS offers a variety of ways to get involved in research. Such as,

Students can contact the Research Office to learn about current research opportunities.
Undergraduate students admitted to an honors program can engage in research through their program’s structured activities.
Graduate students enrolled in programs requiring a thesis or dissertation will gain hands-on research experience as part of their coursework.
Students should also consider reaching out to their program faculty to see if there is an opportunity to contribute to one of their current research projects! You can review faculty research interests and methodological preferences on our Faculty Research page.

Get Started

Students interested in research can access this Box Folder which contains templates and resources for research support.

Research Resources and Templates Opens an external link.

The Research Office provides personalized guidance and support, helping undergraduate and graduate students:

Identify research mentors and projects
Gain experience in data collection, analysis, and presentation
Share and publicize research results through conferences or publications

Students – Have you published or presented at a conference?

Students who have presented their research OR published an article need to submit their work here for institutional acknowledgement and as part of our research and publication auditing process related to institutional accreditation.

Submit Your Work Opens an external link.

Program Director II Lawrence Moose

lmoose@uab.edu

(205) 975-5388

EEC 321D

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Our School offers a variety of research labs that give students meaningful opportunities to engage deeply in scholarly work, collaborate with faculty, and build practical research skills. Whether you’re exploring ideas for future projects or preparing for thesis and dissertation work, participating in a lab provides hands-on experience, mentorship, and a supportive community of peers. These spaces allow students to develop their methodological expertise, contribute to ongoing research, and grow as emerging scholars across diverse areas of study.

Resistance Exercise Physiology Laboratory

Director: Christopher Ballmann, PhD

E-mail: cgb0002@uab.edu

This state-of-the-art research lab is equipped with custom power racks, calibrated competition plates, a lifting platform, and multi-use training equipment. The lab is roughly 750 square feet. It is designed to accommodate everything from athletes completing Olympic power lifts to training clinical populations with exercise intolerance.

From a performance perspective, the primary metrics that we monitor are movement velocity, muscle force production, isometric strength, dynamic muscular strength/endurance, explosive ability, vertical jump, power development, plyometric performance, and reaction time. From the clinical side, we assess functional movement ability, limb strength asymmetry, balance, and exercise tolerance. We collect blood and urine for hormone and protein analysis following resistance exercise and training.

The lab also serves as a classroom to support hands-on experience with resistance exercise and strength assessment for students in the kinesiology program. The lab emphasizes the inclusion of underrepresented populations in resistance exercise research including females and athletes with disabilities.

C-QuIL

Director: Mary Ann Bodine Al-Sharif, PhD

E-mail: drbas@uab.edu

C-QuIL is a space that fosters high-quality research capacity building for students at an inter/national level through in-person and online collaborative efforts. Through C-QuIL, the School of Education and Human Sciences can strive to advance critical qualitative and quantitative inquiry toward innovation, equity, and justice in the context of educational practice and policy.

Goals:

To support capacity building for inter/national research within the SEHS
To aid in advancing innovative, critical, qualitative, and quantitative methodologies
To provide a space for critical discourse related to developing one’s research agenda
To support graduate students in thesis and dissertation work
To foster and support graduate students with interdisciplinary research work
To provide 1-on-1 and small-group research support
To further critical inquiry

Exercise and Nutritional Physiology Laboratory

Director: Gordon Fisher, PhD

strong>E-mail: grdnfs@uab.edu

This 900-square-foot facility, located in the Education and Engineering Complex, is equipped to study metabolic and cardiovascular regulation in blood, skeletal muscle, adipose, and liver tissue. Dr. Fisher's research focuses on the role of reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial dysfunction, and markers of inflammation in the pathogenesis of chronic metabolic diseases associated with obesity.

Our students have access to Oroboros Oxygraph-2k with DatLab software, a FluoroMate FS-2 Fluorescence Spectrometer, a BioRad Chemidoc XP digital imaging system, a SpectraMax M3 Microplate reader, a Corning Digital Microplate Shaker, a dissecting microscope (Stemi 2000), a Nanodrop Lite Spectrophotometer, a thermocycler (BioRad I-cycler), a 96-well quantitative real-time PRC unit (BioRad), BioRad power supplies, BioRad wet transfer cells, BioRad gel boxes, two PowerGen tissue homogenizers, cell and tissue culture, digital darkroom imaging, analytical balance scale, shakers/rotators, a minus 80°C and a minus 20°C freezer, two 4°C refrigerators, a Variable Flow Peristaltic Pump, and all other equipment necessary for immunoblotting and mRNA expression studies.

Human Performance Laboratory

Director: Gordon Fisher, PhD

strong>E-mail: grdnfs@uab.edu

The new 1,100-square-foot lab features more than 800 pounds of free weights and high-tech equipment including arm crank and cycle ergometers, computerized treadmills, skinfold calipers, and bioelectrical impedance scales for measuring body composition.

The lab also has a metabolic cart to measure energy expenditure during rest and exercise, portable handheld spirometry for pulmonary assessments, electrocardiography to analyze heart rhythms, pulse wave analysis for measures of vascular health, 24-hr ambulatory blood pressure monitoring systems, and an electromyography system and force platform for assessing motor unit activation during muscle contraction.

Wilkinson Wellness Lab

Director: Larrell L. Wilkinson, PhD, MSPH, CHES®

E-mail: larrellw@uab.edu

The Wilkinson Wellness Lab features a team of social/behavioral scientists and community health & human services students working to encourage individuals, families, organizations, and communities to adopt healthier lifestyles for optimal living. “The Lab” serves as a conduit for Dr. Larrell Wilkinson and his team to perform health education/promotion applied research through community assessment, data analysis, health communication, social marketing, and entertainment-education.

Goals:

To complement classroom-based learning with practical experiences in health education/promotion research and community development
To facilitate community-based participatory research approaches in support of improving health and well-being outcomes in communities
To implement innovative 21st Century health promotion strategies toward improving health and well-being outcomes in communities
To foster and support graduate students’ research interests in interdisciplinary efforts to address societal concerns
To facilitate graduate students’ thesis and dissertation efforts
To support advancing research interests among undergraduate students

COMPLEXIDI

Director: Jonan Phillip Donaldson, PhD

E-mail: jonandonaldson@uab.edu

The Collaborative Multidimensional Perspectives for Learning Experience Investigation and Design Innovation (COMPLEXIDI) lab investigates the complexity inherent in human learning processes. Founded on the premise that learning is not the acquisition of knowledge but a complex transformative process of becoming, we examine the multidimensional nature of learning through collaborative and innovative methodologies.

At COMPLEXIDI, we view knowledge as an active verb rather than a static noun. Our research focuses on how learners generate understanding through tinkering, exploration, and productive failure. We are grounded in constructionist, constructivist, and situated learning theories, and we draw on frameworks including 4E cognition, cultural-historical activity theory, and complex systems theory to examine learning as it unfolds across multiple dimensions.

We distinguish ourselves as members of the learning sciences field, committed to investigating the ecological complexity of learning. Our design innovations aim to create spaces where learners exercise agency, autonomy, and authority while engaging with real-world challenges through personally meaningful, transformative experiences.

Faculty and students within the UAB School of Education and Human Sciences (SEHS) conduct research to understand and seek solutions to current and emerging educational, health, and mental health challenges. This research contributes to the knowledge base and advances our understanding of effective practices. Our researchers engage in interdisciplinary collaborations with colleagues within UAB, nationally, and internationally.

Learn about the Office of Research and Grants

Research and Scholarship Areas

The SEHS represents a wide range of disciplines ranging from early education through higher education, community health, human services, counseling, exercise science and kinesiology, school psychology/psychometry, special education, and instructional design and development.

Our faculty engage in research regarding the preparation of professionals in many of these disciplines, as well as conducting cutting edge research to advance understanding and address challenges in these areas. Currently, faculty engage in research across 13 primary areas of inquiry. Learn more about faculty research areas.

We also encourage research opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students.

Responsive Workforce Development

Improving the training and performance of professionals working in education (Pre-K through higher education) and health-related fields (counseling, exercise science, community health, human services). Researching best practices in various disciplines and effective teaching strategies for preparing the workforce.

Pre-K
EL/DL learners
STEM
Reading
Special Education (transdisciplinary, multi-tiered systems, early intervention, EBD, Autism)
Urban and minority education
Students who have experienced adverse childhood experiences
School and higher ed leaders
Family-school engagement

Promoting Equity and Social Justice

Documenting the nature and sources of disparities in access to, and the quality of, education and healthcare. Implementing solutions to such disparities.

Lessons from social/historical foundations of education
Identifying and addressing social determinants of health and health disparities

Improving Health and Performance through Exercise

Researching the promotion of health, physical fitness, and functional or occupational performance through exercise and biomechanics.

Integrating novel modes of exercise with diet to facilitate health outcomes with different disease and injury groups
Benefits and mechanisms of adaptive PE with autism
Strength and conditioning
Sports nutrition and hydration
Ergonomics and fitness

Global Perspective on Education, Health, Mental Health, and Wellness

Working with international collaborators to provide a global perspective regarding pre-K-12 education, personnel preparation, health education and promotion, kinesiology, social justice, and administration in schools and higher education.

International perspectives on K-12 education and teacher training
Global movements in higher education
Social determinants of health
College mental health
Trauma-informed practices
Counseling sexual minority youth
Family systems theory

Office of Research and Grants Staff

Program Director II Lawrence Moose

lmoose@uab.edu

(205) 975-5388

EEC 321D

View Profile Opens an external link.

The Office of Research and Grants provides support to faculty and students in securing and managing external funding for research, training, and creative activities. We are here to assist you through the entire grant lifecycle, including assisting you in finding grant opportunities, developing your proposal, ensuring compliance with related regulations, and managing awarded funds. The UAB School of Education and Human Sciences Office of Research and Grants can assist with:

Pre-Award Support:
- Funding Identification: Helping researchers locate grants using tools like Pivot-RP .
- Proposal Development: Assisting with crafting, editing, and formatting proposals, including budget justification.
- Compliance Review: Ensuring submissions meet sponsor guidelines.
- Submission: Managing the final submission process for grants, as explained by UAB .
Post-Award Management:
- Contract Administration: Managing contracts and subcontracts.
- Financial Reporting: Ensuring that financial reporting and compliance are in check.
- Award Monitoring: Tracking grant expenditures and compliance with regulations.
Research Development & Support:
- Training & Workshops: Offering professional development on grantsmanship and connecting you with institutional resources such as UAB’s REACH program .
- Strategic Planning: Building partnerships with funding agencies and fostering interdisciplinary research and support across UAB .
- Compliance, Ethics, & Other Support: Facilitating Data Use Agreements, Confidentiality Data Agreements, and Faculty Development Grants.