About the Lab
Ali Brian, Ph.D., CAPE founded the Physical and Developmental Disabilities Research Lab in 2020. Housed in the Department of Educational and Developmental Science, the Lab is currently funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Duke Endowment. We are indebted to the wonderful partnership with the Lexington Four Early Childhood Center. Past projects include SKIPping with PALS and SKIPping to PAX. SKIPping to PAX is also supported by the Research Center for Child Well Being.
Current Projects
Walking to AMP
To examine the effects of the Walking Classroom on physical activity behavior, health
literacy, and academic outcomes in rural children.
Primary Investigator: Sally Miedema, Ph.D., CAPE
Co-PI’s: Ali Brian, Ph.D., CAPE, Andrea Taliaferro, Ph.D., CAPE
Research Team: Courtney Dolan
Collaborators: Danielle Wadsworth, Auburn University
Funding Source: The Duke Endowment
Past Projects
To examine the effects of an integrated intervention on the gross motor and social skills of preschool-aged children from rural settings.
Primary Investigator: Ali Brian, Ph.D., CAPE
Project Manager: Layne Case, Ph.D.
Research Team: Alex Stribing, Ph.D., Sally Miedema, Ph.D., Juntack Oh, Ph.D., Stephen Griffin, Chandler
Casner, Unjong Lee, Amelia DePass, Sarah Lewis
Collaborators: Kelly Lynn Mulvey, Ph.D., North Carolina State University
Funding Source: National Institutes of Health
To examine the effects of a parent-assisted intervention on the gross motor skill development and physical activity behaviors of preschool-aged children from rural settings.
Primary Investigator: Ali Brian, Ph.D., CAPE
Project Manager: Alex Stribing, Ph.D
Research Team: Angela Starrett, Ph.D., David Stodden, Ph.D., Sally Miedema, Ph.D., Ben Miedema,
Ph.D., Juntack Oh, Ph.D., Stephen Griffin, Chandler Casner, Unjong Lee, Amelia DePass,
Sarah Lewis
Collaborators: Danielle Wadsworth, Ph.D., Auburn University, Jackie Goodway, Ph.D., Ohio State University,
Nalda Wainwright, Ph.D., Wales Institute for Physical Literacy
Funding Source: The Duke Endowment