The Metabolic and Exercise Physiology Laboratory (MEPL) was established in 2024 by Daniel G. Miller, a lecturer in the Division of Health and Wellness Studies (HWS) at 91ÉçÇø's Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences.
An experienced clinician and educator, Miller serves as the lab’s principal investigator and faculty mentor. He quickly recruited Rania Khan, an integrative neuroscience major and biological anthropology minor already engaged in student-centered research within the HWS division.
With early support from Lina Begdache, associate professor of HWS, Miller and Khan dedicated their first year to exploring the COSMED metabolic cart’s capabilities and identifying ways it could be used to address significant gaps in young adult health research. Their initial aim — to understand how one piece of equipment could enhance teaching, testing, and data collection — soon evolved into a vision for a student-driven research facility focused on metabolism, exercise physiology, behavioral health, and preventive wellness in young adults.
Three then-sophomore students were instrumental in laying the undergraduate foundation of the MEPL: Rania Khan, Nema Sayeed, and Sara Saleh. Their leadership transformed the initial concept into a fully student-led laboratory rooted in collaboration, innovation, service, and shared responsibility.
Within weeks of announcing staff openings, the MEPL received over 100 applications from students across campus, many of whom were pursuing fields such as medicine, nursing, public health, occupational therapy, physical therapy, dentistry, public policy, and related disciplines. Applicants were chosen for their academic interests and for qualities like curiosity, reliability, work ethic, professionalism, compassion, a willingness to learn, and a commitment to serving something greater than themselves.
Ultimately, the lab brought together an interdisciplinary team in which undergraduate students contribute according to their strengths while growing as researchers, leaders, and collaborators.
The MEPL began collecting data in 2025.
Today, that small undergraduate team is a campus-wide research hub that operates six days a week, supporting approximately 66 hours of activity, and serving over 200 students each semester through integrated HWS courses.
A modest course fee helps cover lab expenses, enabling students to participate in hands-on physiological testing directly linked to their coursework.