LSU Senior Briasha Jones Receives National Biomedical Research Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 25, 2019

BATON ROUGE—Recently, LSU senior Briasha Jones received the 2019 Outstanding Presentation Award at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) conference in Anaheim, Calif.

As a CHSE Undergraduate Distinguished Scholar, Jones has conducted research under the direction of Associate Dean Arend Van Gemmert and School of Kinesiology Assistant Professor Marc Dalecki to determine whether direction matters during eye-hand decoupled visuomotor tasks with the dominant and non-dominant hand.

“Athletes take a baseline test before they play sports,” begins Jones. “If they get a concussion, they take a return-to-play test.”

The test typically evaluates whether the athletes can perform a task with their dominant hand while focusing on another object—for example, looking at a computer screen while sliding a finger along a touchscreen.

Dalecki’s team is investigating the validity of two aspects of the current protocol, which is used as assessment tool in dementia, mild cognitive impairment and other patient populations.

“We are comparing tasks in which the direction of vision and action are coupled versus decoupled,” Jones explains. “We’re also looking at differences between the non-dominant and dominant hand. If we find the non-dominant hand is more sensitive to these kinds of tasks, it could yield a more sensitive assessment tool in concussion recovery or in other neurological disease populations.”

Since becoming involved in the project through LSU’s Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (NIH R25 GM069743), Jones has been responsible for recruiting participants, data collection, and data analysis.

Besides the creation of her award-winning ABRCMS poster, she presented more than six other posters at national, regional, and local conferences, including the Society for Neuroscience meeting--the world’s largest and most impactful neuroscience conference.

In addition, Jones is listed as first or second author on work submitted to two peer-reviewed scientific journals.  

Admittedly, the last four years have been quite a remarkable journey--from Opelousas, La., to prominence at the national biomedical research convention. “When I first got to LSU, my first class was bigger than my whole high school,” Jones recalls. “It was a huge adjustment, and it was rough at first. But, you can’t be scared. You just have to believe in yourself.”

In addition to being recognized for her research skills, the kinesiology major has been selected to serve as a College of Human Sciences & Education ambassador, and she has been partly funded by the Ronald McNair scholarship program. She is also a proud member of the Eta Kappa chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. After she graduates in May 2020, Jones plans to attend graduate school and later pursue a career in medicine.

For more information, contact:

Adrian E. Hirsch
LSU College of Human Sciences & Education
225-578-5110
ahirsch1@lsu.edu

About LSU School of Kinesiology (SOK)
A school of the College of Human Sciences & Education, the SOK advances the understanding of physical activity, sport, and health to optimize the quality of life for diverse populations through excellence in teaching, learning, discovery, and engagement. SOK offers bachelor’s degrees in sport administration and kinesiology with a pre-athletic training, human movement or other related concentrations. SOK offers the state’s first accredited master’s in athletic training, a master’s in kinesiology, an online master’s in kinesiology (sport management) and a PhD in kinesiology. Graduates go on to successful careers in the health and fitness industry, corporate wellness, sport agencies and businesses, athletic administration, and K-12 educational settings.

Visit the School of Kinesiology at lsu.edu/chse/kinesiology. 

About LSU College of Human Sciences & Education (CHSE)
Located on the flagship campus in Baton Rouge, the College of Human Sciences & Education (CHSE) is a nationally accredited division of Louisiana State University. The college is comprised of the School of Education, the School of Kinesiology, the School of Leadership & Human Resource Development, the School of Library & Information Science, the School of Social Work, the University Laboratory School and the Early Childhood Education Laboratory Preschool. These combined schools offer eight undergraduate degree programs, 20 graduate programs, and seven online graduate degree and/or certificate programs. CHSE current enrollment includes approximately1,800 undergraduates and more than 1,900 graduate students. CHSE is committed to achieving the highest standards in teaching, research, and service and is committed to improving quality of life across the lifespan.

Visit the College of Human Sciences & Education at lsu.edu/chse