Department Menu
Overview
In Pitt’s Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition, there’s a vision for the future. It’s a place where scientists, using contemporary, state-of-the-art practices have the potential to extend the careers of elite athletes and weekend warriors, where human performance optimization translates to injury prevention and military operational success, where exercise and diet help to prevent and manage disease and nutrition information impacts the well-being of the community and informs public policy.
It’s a place where innovative and multidisciplinary research makes an immediate connection to real-world practices. Proof lies in the Department’s growing number of regional, national and international partners as well as the quantity and quality of funding from prestigious organizations such as the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Defense, NASA and others.
Through the use of technology and collaborative science, the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition is improving the quality of life and resiliency of people from all walks of life and abilities today, and championing health and wellness for life.
Scholarships
Athletic Training
Featured scholarship opportunities available to current students in the AT program at Pitt.
The Dr. Freddie Fu Athletic Training Scholarship
Dr. Freddie H. Fu has been instrumental in the development and success of the Athletic Training/Sports Medicine program. Several years ago, Dr. Fu endowed a scholarship to be awarded to worthy students pursuing a career in athletic training. First awarded in 2000, this scholarship recognizes four students who demonstrate outstanding academic and clinical excellence as well as involvement in activities outside the athletic training program that bring credit to oneself, the University and the profession of athletic training.
- Applicants must be enrolled in the Athletic Training Education Program at the University of Pittsburgh.
- Applications will be posted after Spring Recess.
Tim Kerin Memorial Scholarship
The Tim Kerin Memorial Scholarship has been established in cooperation with the Department of Athletics, the Athletic Education Program at the University of Pittsburgh and the Optimist Club of Wilmerding, PA, to assist worthy students in obtaining an undergraduate degree in athletic training. Tim Kerin was a dedicated athletic trainer who worked at the University of Pittsburgh as Head Athletic Trainer from 1970-1976.
- Eligible applicants must be a senior undergraduate student, in good academic standing, enrolled in the Athletic Training Education Program.
- The scholarship is awarded on the basis of school and community activities, leadership, citizenship and scholarship.
- Applicants applying for the award should exhibit characteristics that support the legacy of Tim Kerin.
- Applications will be posted sometime during the first part of the fall semester.
Jill Conley Memorial Award
The Jill Conley Memorial Fund was established in 2014 to pay tribute to our former faculty member and the athletic trainer for Pitt Women’s Basketball from 2000-2010. The Jill Conley Memorial Fund was developed via a partnership between the Department of Sports Medicine/Nutrition and the Department of Athletics at the University of Pittsburgh.
Award amounts vary per year.
David H. Perrin Student Award
The David H. Perrin Student Award is presented to a graduate or undergraduate student from the Athletic Training or Sports Medicine programs. The award shall be applied to expenses associated with the student’s academic program.
Award amounts vary per year.
Beaver-Moon Golden Panther Scholarship
The Tony Salesi/Rob Blanc Student Athletic Trainer Award is made possible by the Beaver-Moon Golden Panthers Athletic Fund Committee to support athletic training students pursuing their degree and intend to remain in the profession of athletic training. Named after two of Pitts most well-known and prominent athletic trainers, Rob Blanc and Tony Salesi recipients students receiving this award display enthusiasm and dedication to the profession in the spirit of Rob and Tony.
Click HERE for more information on SHRS Scholarship Opportunities
Dietitian Nutritionist Program
Students are encouraged to take a look at these opportunities for both funding and furthering their education.
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Academy Membership Required)
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, through its many association groups, offers a variety of scholarships and educational stipends to individuals pursuing undergraduate and advanced degrees in dietetics or food and nutrition-related areas. General scholarship and educational stipend information from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation, the dietetic practice groups and affiliate (state) and district dietetic associations can be accessed from the respective group.
Sports Science
Emerging Sports Science Professional Scholarship
The purpose of the Emerging Sports Science Professional Scholarship is to acknowledge and support students who demonstrate high-level scholastic achievement and professional skills as well as financial need. The scholarship is awarded once per year, pending available funds. This is only available to current students in the Sports Science program.
Eligibility:
Students eligible to apply must:
- be enrolled full-time in the Sports Science graduate program
- be a student in good standing
- demonstrate high-level scholastic achievement with a minimum overall cumulative GPA of 3.5 in all coursework completed
- be graduating in 2025 (Award is applied to Spring tuition bill)
NOTE: International Students who are fully funded and/or students who have a GSR/GSA/TA/TF* appointment through SHRS, are NOT eligible.
*GSR=Graduate Student Researcher, GSA=Graduate Student Assistant, TA=Teaching Assistant, TF=Teaching Fellow
Selection Criteria:
Scholarship recipients will be selected based upon:
- Demonstrated financial need – Financial need will be determined by the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid (OAFA) based on the filing of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
- NOTE: International students that are ineligible to file for FAFSA should still complete the scholarship application.
- Essay composition – Your essay should be approximately 350 words maximum, describing your professional goals and how your capstone project and/or experiences as a student in our program is preparing you for a future career in sports science.
Selection of Awardees
Awardees will be selected by a review committee designated by the Sports Science program. The amount of the awards will depend on available funds and the students’ financial needs.
Students will be notified in writing regarding their award status in mid-February.
This scholarship is sponsored by Hawkin.
Research
Research Areas
- Knowledge discovery and predictive analytics in Sports Medicine and inflammation-related diseases
- Nutrition, Sports Nutrition
- Resistance Exercise Physiology; Programming; Aging; Biochemistry and Endocrinology
- Human Performance Optimization, Sports Science
- Military physiology
- Injury prevention
- Neuroendocrine physiology, neurophysiology, neuroimaging, brain stimulation
The Neuromuscular Research Laboratory/Warrior Human Performance Research Center (NMRL)
The NMRL is the applied research facility of the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition. The NMRL is staffed by multidisciplinary research faculty and graduate students including athletic trainers, physical therapists, exercise physiologists, bioengineers, biomechanists, registered dietitians, medical doctors and epidemiologists. Our scientists and clinicians focus on optimizing human performance and mitigating musculoskeletal injuries to improve both the quality of life and resiliency in athletic, military and active populations. We assess individuals through sports-simulated environments to determine specific variables including investigating the influence of weight distribution, muscle function, balance, flexibility, proprioception, gender, aging and fatigue, as well as the effects of injury, surgery and rehabilitation on joint stability. Deficiencies in body mechanics and muscle function are used to develop programs to improve performance and minimize potential for injury.
The NMRL serves as the preferred laboratory for all of the performance testing needs of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Pitt Athletics.
Performance testing serves to:
- reduce the number and severity of athletic injuries
- maximize performance and readiness for sport
- enhance and enable the athlete’s capabilities
- maximize the efforts of their sports participation on their short- term and long-term quality of life
We have also applied this extensive sports injury prevention and performance enhancement model to the Department of Defense (DoD) and its tactical athletes in the U.S. military through our Warrior Human Performance Research Center.
Based on the findings that unintentional injuries pose the greatest incidence of morbidity in the US military, the Warrior Human Performance Research Center (WHPRC) was created to study our military elite and the unique injury mitigation and performance optimization needs of these select tactical athletes. Our experts study physiological demands and associated injuries and establish mission-specific human performance protocols to reduce the incidence and severity of injuries, maximize human capital and combat readiness, and enhance the tactical life cycle and quality of life outlook after service.
The WHPRC in Pittsburgh provides administrative and technical oversight of DoD research. Technical responsibilities include data processing and management; database entry of laboratory, injury, and nutrition data; analysis of food records; development of testing protocols; piloting of new testing protocols, and collection of athletic model data. The WHPRC established seven remote laboratories at military and Special Forces bases across the country, including a remote laboratory in Fort Bragg, NC – the largest military base in the world.
Another central focus of the department’s research is related to the role of exercise and nutrition strategies to enhance wellness while preventing and managing disease.
One specific focus area is behavioral intervention for the prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity—more specifically, investigating what individuals can do behaviorally to effect motivation to be physically active and consume a healthy diet, and to this end, relying on the most powerful technologies available for self-motivation and the measurement of one’s own performance.
People
Trisha Cousins
Director of the Dietitian Nutritionist Program, Associate Professor
tcousins@pitt.edu
Brian Martin
Associate Director of the Neuromuscular Research Laboratory (NMRL), Research Assistant Professor
bjm135@pitt.edu
Mary Murray
Interim Chair for the Department, Director of Clinical Education for the Athletic Training Program, Director of the Sports Medicine Program and Associate Professor
mmurray1@pitt.edu
Bradley C. Nindl
Vice Chair of Research for the Department, Director of the Neuromuscular Research Laboratory (NMRL) and Professor
bnindl@pitt.edu 
Student Groups
Resources
Current Student Resource Hub
Students can find access to program materials in the Current Student Resource Hub. Pitt Passport is required.
Current Students can also find answers to commonly asked questions and connect with valuable resources and contacts. This resource helps students locate academic guidance, professional development, or support for each individual’s wellbeing including things like counseling or study resources.