Sadie Thompson presenting at the APS poster presentation

Author: Sadie Thompson | Major: Exercise Science | Semester: Spring 2025

Hi! I’m Sadie Thompson and I’m a Senior Exercise Science Major in the College of Education and Health Professions Honor’s Program. Over the last year, I’ve worked under Dr. Rosa-Caldwell in the Energy Availability and Muscle Metabolism lab where we investigate how Anorexia Nervosa impacts various parts and functions of the body. Specifically, my research has been focused on the impact of Anorexia on brain matter alterations and hormone synthesis within the hypothalamus not only during the anorexia period but following weight recovery. By looking into these potential long-term health consequences associated with Anorexia Nervosa we can help progress the understanding and development of possible therapeutic interventions for these individuals.

In April, I had the opportunity to go to the American Physiological Summit in Baltimore, Maryland with my mentor Dr. Rosa-Caldwell and lab peer Emily Rothacker. We chose to go to the APS conference because it offered a great opportunity to learn from other researchers, students and peers and share our own research with those in a similar field of study. This networking opportunity allowed me to gain more insight in similar topics associated with other people’s research and receive feedback for my own study. Specifically, while I was presenting my poster presentation, I was able to get feedback on some steps I should take next involving the analysis of one of my data sets which was very helpful. Not only was I able to get feedback on my research, but I was also able to have conversations about my future professional career and get connected with people working in fields I’m interested in. I met a group of undergraduate students who were studying eating disorders which immediately caught my attention, and I was able to have very interesting conversations with them. They were doing more quantitative research which I’m not super familiar with, so it was interesting hearing their findings and how they conducted their studies compared to mine. Overall, I would recommend APS to anyone who is interested in research geared towards physiology of any sorts. There were so many different topics that were presented and discussed, and I was able to learn so much from the few days we were there. My advice to anyone who plans on attending is to look ahead at the program of the different oral and poster presentations that way you can choose what you want to go to and plan ahead of time. After I graduate, I plan on getting patient care hours and job shadowing hours and then applying to either Physician’s Assistant school or Physical Therapy school. Attending the APS conference allowed me to be a part of a science community with so many people in various fields of physiology which helped solidify my decision to go into a similar field!