Parlee Center for Science and the Common Good

Avery Perez headshot
Avery Perez headshot

Avery Perez

2014 FUTURE Student

I have always found joy in being able to help someone or teach someone from a young age. This stemmed from my thirst to learn which had manifested in my passion for cars. Throughout High School I loved learning and listening to my uncle about mechanical car problems and how to fix them on my own. After taking anatomy and physiology I began to view the physical body as a machine: the heart (motor), the torso and hips (the stabilizing chassis and rotator axis) off of which our limbs and appendages could move (the wheels).  When my passion for science became welded with my desire to help people, especially athletes like myself that had suffered from torn ligaments, I knew I wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon. Through the FUTURE research program I conducted research with my FUTURE Mentor Joy Oakman, ’15, and Prof. Deborah Feairheller in The HEART Lab. During the four weeks I was able to assist Joy with her study which aimed to reveal any relationship between cardiovascular health and joint angles and ranges of motion of the knee and foot. I also wrote a research paper on the effects of a meal on body composition and blood pressure. 

My Major / Minor / Campus Organizations

Major in Health and Exercise Physiology / Minor in Biology / Men’s Baseball.

My Favorite CSCG Events

  • Dr. Tyrone Hayes truly knew how to tell a story. He was the first speaker to truly captivate me and demonstrate how a scientist can become an active voice within the science community. It is essential to have leaders like Dr. Hayes to help students realize that with the right communicational skills the importance of their scientific research can reach the general public. 

My Research

The study that I assisted Joy with alongside of Prof. Feairheller aimed to uncover any correlation between cardiovascular health and joint angles and ranges of motion of the knee and foot. The research paper that I wrote during the summer was a continuation of the research I was a part of throughout the spring of 2014. The study aimed to determine the minimum ranges in respect to kilocalories and macronutrients, and healthy minimum body fat percentages in order to sustain cardiovascular health by evaluating the direct effects of a meal on body composition and blood pressure. Body composition was measured by whole-body BIA using the single frequency impedance instrument (ImpediMed DF50, San Diego, CA) following an overnight fast. Three day diet logs were input into the Diet Analysis Pus software to measure values of kilocalories and a variety of nutrients and minerals. The future implications of this research will help reveal food components that alter body composition. This data can be used for dietary intervention plans, which are one of the best ways to combat against Cardiovascular Disease to date.

My Research Conferences

I am currently awaiting a response from the American College of Sports Medicine on my Abstract so that I can attend the conference in San Diego, CA at the end of May 2015.

Life After Ursinus

Although I am the first person in my family to attend college I do not plan on terminating my education at the undergraduate level.  After completing my undergraduate experience I plan on attending Medical School back home in New York.