Barnes Lab-Info

Jill N. Barnes, PhD

Principal Investigator
I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I am also an affiliate faculty member in the Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology in the Department of Medicine at the Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. I became interested in the human body’s ability to quickly adapt to exercise and environmental stress as an undergraduate at the University of Michigan, where I completed my honor’s thesis under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey Horowitz. This project motivated me to pursue a career in scientific research. I obtained both my master’s and doctoral degrees at the University of Texas at Austin under the mentorship of Dr. Hirofumi Tanaka. I moved to Mayo Clinic for a postdoctoral fellowship under the mentorship of Dr. Michael Joyner. My research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, the American Heart Association, and the Alzheimer’s Association and continues to focus on the body’s ability to adapt to exercise and environmental stress over the lifespan. When I am not in the laboratory, I enjoy traveling, riding my bike, and almost any outdoor activity.

Research Staff

	Anna Howery, MS, Researcher I have been a Researcher in Jill Barnes Lab since 2015. I attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison for my undergraduate education, majoring in Rehabilitation Psychology. After graduation, I attended Carroll University, where I completed my master’s degree in Clinical Exercise Physiology. In the lab, I assist in maintaining compliance during each of our research studies, along with assisting in subject recruitment, data collection and data management. When not in the lab, I enjoy training for marathons and cheering on the Badgers and Packers.
	Erin Moir, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow I am a Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Barnes lab at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. I was born and raised in Canada and earned my MSc and PhD in Kinesiology from the University of Western Ontario. For my MSc, I studied cerebrovascular outcomes in adolescent sport-related concussion. My Doctorate research explored the discreet contribution of cerebrovascular compliance to the regulation of cerebral blood flow at rest and during physiological stress. I am interested in exploring age-related changes to cerebrovascular function and how these changes differ by sex and also contribute to disease such as Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, my Postdoctoral research will examine the role of hemoglobin-oxygen transport in regulating cerebral blood during physical exercise. When I am not in the lab, I enjoy running, cycling, and hiking.
	Yasmine Coovadia, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow I started as a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Barnes lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the summer of 2024. I grew up in Toronto, Canada and I completed my MSc and PhD at McGill University in Montreal working in the Cardiovascular Health and Autonomic Regulation lab. My MSc work assessed acute changes in blood pressure following activation and “silence” of the sympathetic nervous system in young males and females during slow breathing. My Doctorate research investigated the roles of biological sex and reproductive hormones on the autonomic control of peripheral vascular resistance and systemic blood pressure in response to periods of acute stress. I am interested in building on my Doctorate work to explore how the connection between the sympathetic nervous system and modulations in blood pressure (i.e., sympathetic transduction) further impact cerebrovascular outcomes. When I am not in the lab, I enjoy travelling, trying new restaurants, being outdoors, playing soccer, cheering on the Dallas Cowboys, and listening to Taylor Swift.
	Zhilun (Andy) Zhou, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow I started as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Barnes Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the summer of 2025. I am originally from Nanchang, China. I earned my master’s degree in biomedical engineering from Stony Brook University and PhD in Exercise and Rehabilitation Science from Marquette University. My PhD dissertation looked at sex differences in neuromuscular fatigability post stroke and the potential mechanisms related to peripheral vascular (dys)function. In the Barnes Lab, I am interested in exploring age-related and sex-specific differences in cerebrovascular function and the relationship with brain health using the state-of-the-art imaging techniques. When I am not in the lab, I enjoy traveling, hiking (around Devil’s Lake), and trying different restaurants.

Graduate Students

	Nicole Loggie, PhD Candidate I am originally from a small mountain town in Colorado. Currently, I am a PhD student in the Department of Kinesiology pursuing a degree in Exercise Physiology. I completed my B.S. in Exercise Biology at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs and my M.S. in Exercise Physiology here at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. For my Master’s thesis, I looked at the interactions of age and sex on sympathetic responsiveness to a hypercapnic challenge. My current research interests include how incorporating exercise into your daily life can slow the negative effects of aging and how this differs between men and women. When I am not in the lab, I enjoy skiing and snowboarding, biking, traveling, and reading a new novel.
	Sarean Gaynor-Metzinger, PhD Candidate I was born and raised in North Carolina, and I am currently a PhD student in Exercise Physiology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I received my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Exercise Science at Appalachian State University, where I conducted and assisted with research focusing on the effects of resistance training on arterial stiffness and heart rate variability in young women, the effects of resistance training on sleep and various health outcomes in individuals with Parkinson’s disease, and pediatric research investigating the relationships between arterial stiffness, body composition, and physical activity in children and adolescents. My current research interests include sex differences in the age-associated changes to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular function across the lifespan with a potential emphasis on the pre-, peri-, and post-menopausal transitions in women. When I am not in the lab, you will find me outside with my dog Kilo (if I am home in NC, then working with the family’s horses), attempting to grow a green thumb (emphasis on attempting), or training as a competitive powerlifter.
	Dong gun (Jack) Jin, PhD Student I am originally from Busan, South Korea. I graduated with a BS in Physical Education from Dong-Eui University and a MS in Exercise Science concentrated in Exercise Physiology, from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. My master’s thesis focused on mitochondrial respiration across different age groups using PBMCs (Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells). Currently, I am a PhD student under Dr. Jill Barnes in the Department of Kinesiology, concentrating on Exercise Physiology at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. My interests lie in cerebrovascular function, cardiovascular diseases, and brain health. When I am not in the lab, I enjoy playing tennis, traveling, and working out.
	Michael Steplyk, PhD Student I was born and raised in southeast Wisconsin. I received BSE in Human Health and Performance at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. I recently completed my MS in Kinesiology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I am now starting my journey to earn a PhD in Exercise Physiology as a student in the Dr. Barnes lab in the Department of Kinesiology. I am most interested in the effects of resistance training and muscle strength on cerebrovascular functions and changes in disease states. When I am not in the lab, I enjoy traveling, eating new foods and hanging out with my pets.
	Garrett Rueben, PhD Student I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, and earned both my undergraduate and master’s degrees in Kinesiology with a concentration in Exercise Physiology at the University of Alabama. This fall, I will begin the first year of my PhD at UW-Madison. My research interests include how aging and exercise influence cerebrovascular function and cognitive health. Outside of research, I enjoy playing pickleball, going on walks with my dog, cooking, and playing board games.
	Sophie Lindsay, Masters Student I will be starting my MS in Kinesiology at UW Madison this fall. I was born and raised in Southern California. I moved to Portland, Maine to attend the University of Southern Maine, where I played collegiate volleyball and earned my BS in Athletic Training, with a minor in Holistic Health. After working as an athletic trainer at USM, I made the move to Madison to pursue an MS in Kinesiology. My research interests include the effects of aerobic exercise on autonomic nervous system function. I am especially interested in dysautonomia following concussion and how exercise can be used as a treatment for this condition. In my free time, I enjoy reading, running, and playing volleyball.

Undergraduate Students

Corinne Kelling, Kiki Liss-‘s Gravemade, and Max Gusmer

Laboratory Alumni

	Brandon Fico, Ph.D. Current Position: Assistant Professor at Florida Atlantic University – Exercise Science and Health Promotion
	Kathleen Miller, MS 2017, Ph.D. 2021 Current Position: Assistant Professor at University of St. Thomas
	Andrew Pearson, Ph.D. 2023 Current Position: Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan – School of Kinesiology
	Adam Corkery, Ph.D. 2024 Current Position: Postdoctoral Research Scholar in Microvascular Physiology at the University of Iowa
	John Baron, MS Current Position: Teaching Faculty II at the University of Wisconsin – Madison – Department of Integrative Biology
	Paul Baumhardt, BS Current Position: Masters Student in the Physiological Sciences Graduate Interdisciplinary Program at the University of Arizona

Undergraduate Alumni:

Abigail Angst, Alex Miller, Alex Norby, Alexandra Carl, Allison Tran, Alyson Zimmerman, Ansel Fellman, Athena Golfinos, Avery Apfelbeck, Caden Olson, Carissa Loeper, Emily Hartwig, Emma Chapman, Gissel Hernandez, Hallie Mueller, Ido Haber, Jack Kwan, Karly Katchen, Katherine Senese, Lauren Walker, Mackenzie Greisch, Makayla Tuomi, Mark Saari, Michael Nuenninghoff, Mikaela Schwantz, Nicholas Winder, Niklaus Zeller, Purnima Stanek, Rehan Iftikhar, Shrey Narayanan, Sophia Kern

See a full list of publications here

Oxygen Magazine: Switch Up Your Cardio Routine with Hiking
Author: Nicole Clancy, July 31, 2021
https://www.oxygenmag.com/healthy-living-for-women/switch-up-your-cardio-routine-with-hiking/

Gizmodo: How will our bodies change from being inside for months?
Author: Daniel Kolitz, May 25, 2020
https://gizmodo.com/how-will-our-bodies-change-from-being-inside-for-months-1843610730

Knowable Magazine: The Workout Drug
Author: Bob Holmes, December 18, 2019
https://www.knowablemagazine.org/article/health-disease/2019/exercise-as-medicine

Oxygen Magazine: Mind & Body – Use these strategies to keep stress at bay and boost your mental and physical well-being
Author: Nicole Clancy, September 17, 2019
https://www.oxygenmag.com/life/7-simple-ways-to-reduce-stress/

Runner’s World: The Benefits of Interval Training (and How It Can Improve Your VO2max)
Author: Kiera Carter, February 26, 2019
https://www.runnersworld.com/advanced/a20815819/interval-sessions-increasing-your-v02-max/

American College of Sports Medicine Blog: Heart Health Brain Health Connection
Author (Invited): Jill Barnes, February 22, 2019
https://www.acsm.org/home/featured-blogs—homepage/acsm-blog/2019/02/22/heart-health-brain-health-connection

Runner’s World: 10 Postpartum Exercises to Help New Moms Return to Running
Author: Kiera Carter, February 19, 2019
https://www.runnersworld.com/women/a25992324/postpartum-exercises/

Runner’s World: How Long Does It Take to Benefit From a Hard Workout?
Author: Kiera Carter, January 7, 2019
https://www.runnersworld.com/advanced/a20784020/how-long-does-it-take-to-benefit-from-a-hard-workout/

American College of Sports Medicine Blog: How Exercise Promotes Brain Health in Aging.
Author (Invited): Jill Barnes, September 20, 2018
https://www.acsm.org/all-blog-posts/acsm-blog/acsm-blog/2018/09/20/exercise-promotes-brain-health-aging

Brava Magazine: Take Your Pulse: High Blood Pressure Just Got Lower.
Author: Candice Wagener, February 1, 2018
http://bravamagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Brava_website_LR.pdf

Brava Magazine: The Science: Researching Alzheimer’s Disease.
Author: Lisa Bauer, November 1, 2017
http://bravamagazine.com/researching-alzheimers-disease/

Hometown News Group: Fitter Seniors May Have Healthier Brains.
Author: Shari Gasper, July 6, 2017
http://www.hngnews.com/eedition/page_2a602985-8616-5fac-be05-8e5d252d40ad.html

Discover Magazine: With an Injection, Mice Nearly Double Their Endurance.
Author: Nathaniel Scharping, May 2, 2017
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-brief/2017/05/02/exercise-hitting-the-wall-endurance/#.WQi9-FKZPkF

Mayo Clinic Alumni Association: Alumna Jill Barnes, Ph.D. helps her graduate student get settled at Mayo – for cancer treatment and lab experience.
Author: Melissa Abrams, April 14, 2017
https://alumniassociation.mayo.edu/jill-barnes-helps-grad-student-mayo/

Mayo Clinic Alumni Association: New Chapter.
Author: Melissa Abrams, April 10, 2017
https://alumniassociation.mayo.edu/featured-alumni/featured-alumnijill-barnes/

NIH NHLBI Spotlight: Vascular Dementia: Exercise, Blood Flow and the Aging Brain.
Author: Isabel Estrada, March 13, 2017.
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/news/spotlight/fact-sheet/vascular-dementia-exercise-blood-flow-and-aging-brain

Huffington Post: 7 Very Good Reasons to Workout That Don’t Involve Weight Loss.
Author: Allison Fox, Lindsay Holmes, November 18, 2016.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/exercising-not-for-weight-loss_us_582b3d22e4b060adb5706881

Wall Street Journal: Physical Fitness Leads to Mental Fitness.
Author: Jen Murphy, November 14, 2016.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/physical-fitness-mental-fitness-1479145666

Sports Illustrated: Get Healthy in 2016: How you can stay active without a formal workout plan.
Author: Michael Joyner, February 18, 2016.
https://www.si.com/edge/2016/02/18/getting-healthy-in-2016-how-to-be-more-active-outside-the-gym

American Society of Cell Biology Newsletter: Science as a jigsaw puzzle: a story of sex and blood pressure.
Author: Michael Joyner, November 2015.
http://www.ascb.org/newsletter/2015-november-newsletter/science-jigsaw-puzzle-story-sex-blood-pressure/

Medscape: Exercise Generally Safe, Beneficial for Patients with Lupus.
Author: Janis C. Kelly, November 13, 2013.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/815119

AJP-Heart and Circulatory Podcasts: Age-related Changes in Central Blood Pressure.
Author: Kara Keehan, May 24, 2012.
http://ajpheart.podbean.com/e/age-related-changes-in-central-blood-pressures/

National Geographic News: Can Sugar Make You Stupid? High Concern in Wake of Rat Study.
Author: Charles Q. Choi, May 23, 2012.
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/05/120522-sugar-stupid-rats-high-fructose-corn-syrup-health-science/

Undergraduates play an important role in our research and gain valuable skills unobtainable through regular university courses alone. If you are interested in learning more about the Undergraduate Research Assistant requirements, please contact Dr. Barnes (barneslab@education.wisc.edu).

The Barnes Lab is actively seeking research participants for the following studies:

The Influence of Biological Sex and Age on Brain Blood Flow and Vessel Function during Exercise

About the Research Study

The purpose of this study is to investigate how blood vessels in the brain respond to physical exercise and how this may differ between males and females as well as young and middle-aged adults. Eligible participants must be healthy adults between 20-40 or 55-69 years of age and be recreationally active.

What Will Participation Involve?

Laboratory visits on the UW-Madison campus
Up to 4 laboratory visits lasting 1.5 – 2 hours each
Questionnaires
Blood draw
An exercise test
An MRI scan

Compensation will be provided for study participants. To learn more about this study, contact Anna Howery at barneslab@education.wisc.edu or 608-262-9572.

*Email is not a secure form of communication. You should avoid sending sensitive personal information by email.

Autonomic dysfunction, brain blood flow and cognitive decline in Veterans with Gulf War Illness

About the Research Study
The purpose of this study is to investigate how blood vessels in the brain and nervous system respond to challenges in Gulf War Veterans. Eligible participants must have served in the Gulf War between 1990 and 1991 and be between 45 and 68 years of age.

What Will Participation Involve?

Laboratory visits on the UW-Madison campus
3 laboratory visits lasting 2.5-4 hours each
Questionnaires
Blood flow testing
An MRI scan

Compensation will be provided for study participants. To learn more about this study, contact Anna Howery at barneslab@education.wisc.edu or 608-262-9572.