About Noll Laboratory

Dedicated in 1973, Noll Laboratory was the nation’s first free-standing, independent research institute dedicated to the multidisciplinary study of the interaction between physical activity and the environment.

It became the permanent home of the Human Performance Laboratory, established in 1966 at Penn State by Elsworth R. Buskirk. Under his leadership, members of the lab conducted groundbreaking research addressing human health and performance in occupational, athletic, and everyday settings.

Noll Laboratory is notable for its focus on underrepresented populations, especially women and children.

Noll Lab was unique in its resources to conduct controlled studies of the physiological effects of altitude, heat, and cold in resting and exercising humans. It earned an international reputation for developing precision instrumentation to measure body composition and monitor acute and chronic physiological responses to metabolic and environmental stresses. 

The goal of this research—which continues to this day—is to understand and develop the potential for inducing beneficial change in people and their environment to increase productivity and improve quality of living. Indeed, members of the lab tackle issues with broad societal impact, including aging, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.

By increasing knowledge of human response and adaptation to occupational and extreme environments, applying physiological principles to answer practical questions, educating students as researchers and teachers, and hosting multidisciplinary, international collaborations, Noll Laboratory was the forerunner of similar human performance units around the globe. Many international leaders in the field of exercise physiology share affiliations with Noll Laboratory.

Now a research element of the Department of Kinesiology, scholars affiliated with Noll Laboratory fulfill its mission through collaborations with practitioners and scientists in multiple disciplines and expanded levels of inquiry ranging from the whole body to the molecular level.

Researchers in Noll Laboratory explore physiological systems and regulatory pathways that maintain blood pressure, body temperature, cardiovascular function, muscle mass, energy balance, bone health, and reproductive function, seeking to optimize human health and well-being in an ever-changing world.