The WHIR Center is a multidisciplinary, state of the art research and teaching facility. Faculty and students from physical therapy, exercise and sports science, and biology explore ways of moving, fueling our bodies, and honing athletic skill. Our work includes participants across the age spectrum, with a focus on issues critical to women’s health and biology.
WHIR Center research teams are currently studying how carrying an infant or toddler changes a woman’s walking pattern and caloric use, how the perception of exercise intensity influences food choices, and the manner in which shoulder and knee injuries alter the mechanical and proprioceptive abilities of athletes.
Providing innovative education and research opportunities for the students and faculty of St. Catherine University is the primary objective of the WHIR Center. In addition, our faculty and staff reach out to the wider community by creating programs and events that positively influence women’s health and well-being.