This is an image of me filling out the paper work for an animal before running a pQCT scan.

Author: Emily Rothacker | Major: Exercise Science | Semester: Spring 2025

I am Emily Rothacker, an undergraduate Exercise Science student in the Honors College of Health and Education Professions. I worked in the Energy Availability and Muscle Metabolism Lab under my mentor, Dr. Rosa-Caldwell. I have been working on my research project since Summer 2024. In May 2025, I plan to graduate from the University of Arkansas and apply to the Military-Baylor Doctoral Physical Therapy Program.
In my lab I specifically studied the effects on anorexia nervosa (AN) and long term recovery on muscle area, bone density, and fat area. The low muscle area and bone density seen in people following AN is associated with metabolic diseases and skeletal muscular injuries. The low fat area seen in people following AN is associated with menstrual cycle and fertility complications. Understanding how long term recovery effect physiological values we can better understand how long individuals with a history of AN will have to be aware of these complications and risks during recovery. There is even room to argue that having a history of AN should be disclosed with a doctor as a risk factor for metabolic disease, skeletal muscular injuries, and fertility complications.
When getting into research I was advised to email mentors that were researching something I found interesting. Being an exercise science major, I was highly interested in muscle and diseases. When looking through the list of researchers on campus I came across Dr. Rosa-Caldwell and was interested in her research on anorexia nervosa on physiological factors. I emailed her and we quickly got to work curating a research topic. I knew I wanted to do something associated with muscle, so we decided to use peripheral quantitative computed tomography (PQCT), an X-ray machine, to quantify muscle, fat, and bone throughout AN recovery.
While completing my research I learned a significant amount about using machinery and proper research techniques. What I found most impressive was the values the pQCT gave and the way that we can quantify live muscle using x-ray. I was shocked to find that muscle and bone did not recover until 3
months following induced AN. I was even more fascinated by the decrease in fat area that still after 5 months of recovery, has not seen to recover. The most challenging part about this research process was that our randomized controls vs AN group had significantly different body weights at the beginning of the study. We did not realize this until about 2 months into the study so we had to compensate by running a statistical analysis using SAS to normalize the data that was taken throughout the study. This taught me a lot about the way that even carefully curated research can have unforeseen complications that researchers have to overcome.
My mentor, Dr. Rosa-Caldwell, was my key supporter and teacher in this research project. She taught me how to use the pQCT, analyze the data, and use SAS to normalize values. Her guidance was pivotal in conducting this research and preparing the results. Sadie Thompson, Josh Rorke, and Katie Wood were other students in my lab who helped me run protocol and worked with me on getting data from pQCT. The faculty at CLAF on campus also were vital in keeping the animals healthy and aiding in the data collection process. Without the CLAF faculty, my fellow students, and Dr. Rosa-Caldwell I would not have been able to conduct this research.
I attended three conferences to present this research. I did not have to travel to the Central States conference that was located at the Fayetteville public library. There I presented both an oral presentation and a poster presentation on my research. I also did not have to travel too the HPER Innovation Conference in the HPER building on campus. There I gave an oral presentation on my research as well. At the final conference, I travelled to the American Physiology Summit in Baltimore, Maryland to present a poster with the aid of the Honors College Travel Grant. Traveling with a fellow research student and my mentor was one of the highlights of my college career. Getting to present my research at a national conference allowed me to network with a variety of researchers and learn even more about the physiology research going on in the country.
I will graduate in May, 2025. Following graduation I plan to move back to Dallas, Texas and apply to the Military-Baylor Doctoral Physical Therapy program. This research project will be beneficial in my future as the program I
am applying for values research and has a research component built into the program. Using the knowledge and experiences from this research project I feel prepares and excited for my future in exercise science research