Author: Emily Rothacker | Major: Exercise Science | Semester: Spring 2025
My name is Emily Rothacker, and I am an undergraduate exercise science student working in the Energy Availability and Muscle Metabolism (EAM2) Lab under Dr. Rosa- Caldwell. In the EAM2 Lab, I study the physiological effects of anorexia nervosa (AN) over a long-term recovery period. Specifically, I research muscle area, bone density, and fat area values before the onset of anorexia, following anorexia, and during monthly intervals over a five-month recovery period. The goal of this research is to better understand how the physiological side effects of AN recover over an extended recovery period without intervention.
In this photo I am standing next to my poster on the effects of anorexia nervosa and long term recovery on muscle quality in rats. I presented this poster for an hour and had fun answering questions and sharing my work with others.
This spring, I had the opportunity to present my research poster at the annual American Physiology Summit (APS) in Baltimore, Maryland. This experience was pivotal in my research career, as it helped me to better understand the overall impact of my research. At the conference, several researchers expressed interest in my research and shared how it connected to their own. One particularly meaningful movement was when a researcher told me their work, which focused on hip fractures in a young population, has a high correlation with AN. They explained that most young individuals with hip fractures has a history of AN. This connection was powerful because my research also shows that individuals with AN tend to have a low bone density, which increases the risk of fractures. Seeing how our findings complimented each other helped me realize how my work fits into a larger scientific conversation.
During my poster presentation, I received feedback from established researchers. Many of them suggested I look into the different types of fat, rather than total fat area. In my study, I used an x-ray machine that takes a cross sectional area image of our rats’ leg and provides data for intramuscular fat, subcutaneous fat, and total fat. Up to this current point in my research I have only focused on total fat. However, people were curious as to whether the intramuscular fat increased more than subcutaneous fat, as expected. With the fat data that I already have, I will go through an better analyze and draw conclusions from subcutaneous and intramuscular fat in the future.
The APS conference contributed greatly to my professional development as well. It offered a great opportunity to network with well established researchers, including several of my mentors colleagues from previous institutions. I also attended a networking session specifically for undergraduates, where I connected with other student researchers. Meeting fellow undergraduates helped me learn about research opportunities at other universities all over the nation. I learned of the different types of science and types of labs that were available to work in. I left the conference feeling confident in my ability to network and make connections with both professionals and peers. Presenting my poster at APS taught me about the scientific community. I was asked challenging questions that I didn’t know the answer, which encouraged me to think critically about my methodology and the broader implications of my work. I was asked to think outside the box about my findings and asked to connect them to a greater real world scope. I was even asked why my research was important to the general public. Being asked these questions in a scientific setting allowed me to grow as a presenter and think more intentionally about my work. The critiques I received helped me become a better presenter and more thoughtful scientist.
As an undergraduate student, I was nervous to travel across the country to attend a conference filled with experienced scientists from all over the world. I didn’t know if I could keep up or make meaningful connections. To other undergraduate students, I’d say to take the opportunity to go to these conferences and do not be afraid to be the “least experienced” person in the room. Everyone at the conference was excited to see undergraduates and eager help us grow in our research careers. The insecurity I felt at the beginning of the conference, not knowing most of the lecture content and feeling uninformed, faded away by the end. Many researchers went out of their way to help students understand their work and encouraged them to ask questions. One thing that stood out to me was how often even well established scientists led their questions with “Pardon my ignorance.” That phrase made me realize that it is always okay to ask questions, and that no one expects you to know everything.
As I finish my senior year at the University of Arkansas, I am heading home to Dallas, Texas, to work in an emergency medicine program and gain shadowing/clinical hours for graduate school applications. From there, I am plan to apply for a physical therapy program in the fall and begin physical therapy schooling in the spring.