Cook Lab

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

• What is the relationship between exercise and physical activity & brain structure and function? This work spans multiple diseases including Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Alzheimer’s Disease, Long Covid, and Gulf War Illness.
• How does exercise affect central nervous system responses to noxious stimuli?
• How does habitual physical activity (measured by accelerometry) affect mood and symptoms?
• What is the effect of acute exercise on brain inflammation and gut microbiota in chronic multisymptom illness?

Our laboratory is focused on understanding the psychobiology of exercise and physical activity – determining the relationships between biological systems, physiological responses and behavioral outcomes.