Our Equipment
Located within the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex at Northeastern University, our lab utilizes state-of-the-art technologies for cutting-edge neuroscience and body composition research.
Brain Imaging
Our lab uses a variety of brain imaging equipment including electroencephalography (EEG) as well as structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Located just below us is the Northeastern University Biomedical Imaging Center where we have access to a Siemens MAGNETOM Prisma 3T whole-body human MRI scanner for functional and structural brain imaging — this equipment allows us to create images of your brain, while also looking at the functional aspects of your brain while at rest and while performing tasks. The EEG allows us to look at brain signaling while at rest and during task performance to see which areas are more active at specific times.
Body Composition: Dual-energy X-Ray absorptiometry (DXA)
The DXA scanner is a useful tool we use to measure various body compositional features such as bone density and adipose tissue, with the ability to distinguish between visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue and between different body parts. It is even able to create an image of your skeleton!
Body Composition: BODPOD and PEAPOD
Some of the newest additions to our lab are the BODPOD (left) and PEAPOD (right). These pieces of equipment use air displacement plethysmography and are for measuring fat and fat-free mass by using air pressure; it is almost like being submerged in water and measuring the difference in volume, except these pieces of equipment just use air instead of water.
Maximal Aerobic Capacity Tests
VO2 tests are widely used across almost all of our studies — they are a measure of an individual’s maximal aerobic capacity. It measures how efficiently your lungs use oxygen. We have our VO2 cart (left) and our new addition, the K5 (right), which is almost like a portable version of the VO2 cart.
Virtual Reality Simulations
Some of our studies even use virtual reality simulation equipment to immerse you into a virtual experience by wearing a headset. Our lab has an omnidirectional treadmill (left) where participants wear a VR headset and move around virtual environments by physically walking, and can interact with their environment using handheld controllers. Our other VR setup (right) immerses you in other virtual reality environments to look at the effects of physical activity on learning in virtual environments.
